Many of you are correcting me on my definition of bevel up vs bevel down. So, I’ll concede that I must be in error. My way is how I think of the bevel position based on the position of the edge of the flint pointing up or pointing down. But so many people are correcting me, I have to concede that I my thinking is backwards.
Which one came first ? Since it is a video and you show what are you trying to say, i never think about it. But if i have to, i will go after the woodworking chiesel concept about bevel up and down. Just my 2 cents. BTW, my reference in woodworking is this guy. th-cam.com/video/ukJ2GgL50OQ/w-d-xo.html
Personally, your way looks right to me. I only have 1 flintlock,( it's a Double Barrel pistol so I guess that's 2 Flintlocks) came with out flints. When they came in, size 5/8" I followed your methodology bevel up. I really need to fire that one of these days. Good video, it is much nicer these days with all the info on you tube. Back when I got my first black powder revolver, the only good info came in the back of the Dixie Gun Works catalog.
Great series on flintlocks Mike! Perhaps the new standard on the subject. Well done. One footnote on flintlocks in particular is the importance of eye protection. After shooting flintlocks steadily for a year with my new glasses. It was evident that tiny chards of flint were pitting my glasses! Just a friendly reminder.🤓
I do not like them but I wear "oversized" safety glasses over my 900USD script glasses{I'm far sighted}when shootin the fire beathin dragon. I agree, my glasses were pitting as well...@@duelist1954
good video, fyi the cup style 'lighters' welders use for the gas torch uses flint, in the match portion of the tool, so we have seen flint before, just not known it, also a cigarette lighter uses it too (the sparker wheel)- is used up until the pietzo crystal style lighters in LNG and Barbique stoves, this is what happens when you press the lightening bolt button, not Flint, but another 'electrical' spark to ignite the gas.
I use both English and French flints , I find black Norfolk flint , that I've knapped myself ,lasts at least twice as long as French.The French loses big chunks from the edge after around 15 shots and needs re-knapping.
There is flint rock lying around most of deep south Texas…I just pick up the size I want and break it to size or scrounge around until I find one just the right size…
I have done many searches and read several books that covered the topic of flints, installing and knapping them. No instruction has been as clear and helpful as this. Mike has such a organized way of thinking and communicating. Thanks so much for your excellent work again!
Hello, I like your show Mike on the flintlock rifle , lock operation and flint maintenance. I really enjoy shooting a flint lock , as you do, and developing the best lock set-up and loading methods for it. I recently purchased a Virginia, James River, Long Rifle from Track of the Wolf and am anxious to take it out. This it is my first venture into purchasing hand-made rifles on-line. It is truly a beautiful 50 cal. rifle (44", "B" swamped Colerain barrel; has a fast, Chambers, Rounded surfaces , Southern style, early single trigger lock; curly maple stock and early style iron furniture. I like it also because the lock is like a fowler and holds flints that are a bit wider than typical rifles of the later period and the curly maple stock combines early features (Wider, fowler butt; Jaeger style patch box & lid; tapered and stepped sides in the lock area with light engraving in the cheek, wrist and forearm areas). I have one other hand-made rifle; a 50 cal. rifle made by Michael Beathe (Started the file-knife craze in the 80"s). He made the custom rifle for a movie and also provided an accompanying file-knife with the same curly stain and German silver metal as he used for the thimbles and nose piece of the rifle. The beauty and artistic endeavor in these old repro rifles far exceeds what is typically made today and offers a degree of satisfaction that brings a smile to your face when you handle them.
I use flint from Ohio I collected myself. Collected it for jewelery originally, but found it quite effective for my flintlock. I test pieces for good spark some obviously spark better than others. Cut into the basic shape on lapidary equipment to save time and then nap the striking edge for good spark. Works for me to hunt with just fine…
This may be long ! I was a member of the 1st Va Regt for 15 years. -- Many opportunities to shoot at some of you !!! ( ... also did some MD Militia & Roger's Rangers F&I War events ) I've collected stone age tools for 60 years and I have had a fascination with flint knapping since I was a kid. My collection probably contains several hundred old, original flints, some from casches found in India, some from 19th C shipwrecks and many individual pieces found by arrowhead collectors in PA & NY. Many of these are musket flints and many are rifle flints; a few are apparently pistol flints due to their small size. ( I own a couple pocket flintlock pistols with locks so small that I've never found a flint small enough to fit into the cock properly ! ) In our Regt. most guys used leather and some used lead --- we often hammered a ball flat to make our lead pads. My very favorite flints are native made ( Iroquois ) NY flints that some collectors call pillow flints - these are mostly made of Onondaga chert from western NY. ( quite rare ) When I fitted a flint into the jaws I always knocked a bit of the outside corner off so nobody could get cut on that sharp corner ( Learned that the hard way in my 1st battle ! ) When I was on my own I liked to let children hold the weapon for family photos so this was important. It's always a good plan to notch the pad whether it is leather or lead - better geometry when gripping the stone. I have several old, original musket flints that have a notch in the back edge; I suppose it was either to shorten the length of the flint or to prevent it from going squirrely in the jaws. When buying flints from the suttlers at events I always looked at them straight on to find the ones with the top & bottom faces parallel so they had a better chance of staying straight in the jaws - many flints are oddly shaped at the end of their serviceable lives because they rotate in the jaws. During long battles I often did, as Mike shows, serrate the flint's edge to get better sparks - in battle it's much quicker than changing out a flint & you don't get left behind as your unit advances ! If you want to have comradery, fun & visit historic sites join a regiment - I always said when we were at those sites and battlefields that it was like being on the "inside looking out" rather than the other way around as you would be as a tourist !!! Keep your powder dry !
I think it would be a fun project to make a flint lock. Finding the flint would be hard. I’ve used whatever I can find for my flint and steel and it usually sucks.
Going to Bois-de-Arc Knapp in this weekend here in Missouri to look for English flint and chert all over the place here white,pink and purple too. By the way got duelist den stickers and t-shirt love them
For more recreational shooting where tradition or convention doesn't really matter, is there anything you could use as a substitute for flint, say for somebody who just likes to shoot with friends at a range and doesn't necessarily want to have to nap a flint? Not really asking about replacing the flint entirely, but just a substitute and save the flint for other times.
I’m interested in getting into flint lock shooting. I know so little about that buying a kit is premature as is a custom made gun. Do used guns ever become available? That seems like that would be a good thing. Who could I contact? You’ve shown me alot thanks
Great video. I reenact the war of 1812. What size flint would you recommend for a 1795 Springfield? I usually just use whatever I can find at an event. But I would like to actually start live firing it later this year.
Hi Mike, I have a question on the correct width of the flint. Do you want the flint to match the width of the frizzen? If slightly narrower than the frizzen, by how much! Thank you for your kind help!
Very useful information, Mike. As a new flintlock shooter, I find your videos very helpful. Do you think a small patch knife would be effective in sharpening flints? What about the small brass hammers you often see? Many thanks!
@@duelist1954 Many thanks, Mike. One more question. I've watched a number of videos now on flints and flintlocks, but I'm confused about flint sizes. Does the "size" refer to the length or the width of the flint? Thanks again, AL
I have a flintlock pistol that I refurbished. Looks beautiful, but when I put in a new English flint, it will not spark at all. I tried everything, and it is driving me crazy. I adjusted the main spring, and the frizzen spring, trying to make the lock tighter, thinking that would knock the frizzen open easier, while I adjusted the frizzen spring looser to make it easier to open. No matter how much I do, it will not spark at all. What the hell am I doing wrong? The flint I tried the edge up and down, (best down), but nothing works. Help!
So the colonists fighting the British were also relying on the British for flint? Or did they get it from France who was a big supporter of the revolution?
You are probably right. What I said is how I think of it based on the position of the edge of the flint. But so many people are correcting me, I have to concede that I my thinking is backwards.
@@duelist1954 I did not mean that as a correction. There are many terms of art that I find counterintuitive, like the way a disease “progresses” as the patient’s health worsens.
@@duelist1954 would you say because the flint isn't sharp enough or wouldn't make good contact with the frizen, or both? Also another thought I had was in wondered if pyrite would work since I have gotten it to spark hitting it with a hatchet. I learned that was a way to start fires in the scouts
@@tommywills4891 cigarette lighters use a serrated steel roller to strike sparks off a piece of iron pyrite, just like a wheel lock gun. I don’t think that piece of pyrite will spark against the flat face of the frizzon, but I’ve not tried it, so I could be wrong.
@@duelist1954 that's a good point I didn't take into account. Thank you for your in put. Hope the weather isn't too rough in PA, we're getting our first real cool snap down here in central North Carolina.
@@duelist1954 on a different note I'd love to see a video on a matchlock if you ever have a chance to do one. I've been watching your videos on and off for about 10 years now, you give good information. It's given me some good things to know when looking at and messing with cap and ball revolvers
Hey Mike, I have a flintlock Kentucky rifle with a very stiff trigger is there any way for a gunsmith to lighten the trigger pull? It’s not a double set trigger just a single trigger
@@duelist1954 Hi Mike, I have one more question I have a 50 caliber flintlock and I’m having trouble with patch material thickness if I’m using the 490 ball in a 50 caliber bore… what thickness patch material should I be using?
Hi Mike thanks for getting back to me, I’m new to this whole black powder thing all I know is it’s a parasol he 50 caliber flintlock not sure what the rifling is but I could look it up if it’s going to help I was using a cleaning patch for a ball patch because the ball patches I bought were too thick they were .02 i’m shooting a .490 ball so I called Dixie Gun Works today and they told me that I should be shooting with the .010 patch so I ordered some… I bought some pillow ticking material at the fabric store that I think is about .017 but I haven’t tried to use it yet… Track Of The Wolf told me they sell them in .01 .15 and .02 thicknesses so just wondering what your opinion on that was..Because I’m new the first thing that I did was load a patch and wall with no powder then I had to use the ball extractor and my range rod to try to get the ball out we did get the ball out but I think I kind of ruined my range rod because it was so tight… The knob popped off
There are 3 tips of English flint there's a red flint. often seen in housing wall's often we see it used by yeomen farmers god Red Flint lasted quite some time. Flint is commonly found in fields in the south of the country, the les common red flint is abundant and is what was used to build flint walls with some size used to fill in wall their is a whit quirts we often use to fond in the welsh mountains.
You take the time and go into great detail which make your information very interesting. I always look forward to your videos; keep up the great your great work.
Can't find any Flint naturally around here where I'm at least I don't and I've looked everywhere so I usually buy a bunch from Cabela's when I go there and yeah they last a long time at least for me
I enjoy everything about flintlocks. That's all I have now. Modern guns are boring. I hunt and use them for food not a range guy. I have followed Mike for years and he does the best informed videos . It's simple thing like flints sights loads etc. That helps everyone from experience to inexperienced people. Great video like always God bless. 🙌
Is there a point where a flint will simply get too short to be used even if it can be knapped sharp? Thank you so much for this! Flints are the biggest unknown at this point.
I wonder whether the word "skinflint" is derived from this: i.e., someone so cheap that they would try to re-sharpen a gunflint past its usable life...?
It’s chert though, instead of true flint. In a gun, I can’t tell a difference We have a lot of flint/chert here in the Ozarks ind they throw real good sparks
Mike, as a geologist-gun-guy I have a bit to offer on the subject. In terms of deposits in the U.S. there are thousands. Some is of much better quality, some worse. Flint is the same as chert except for color. In fact jasper, and petrified wood are also in the same category and should work in a pinch as well as agate. In fact it's all a form of SiO2 or quartz. It's all near a 7 on Moh's scale of hardness. Crystal quartz would work too. There are other rocks such as quartzite that will work, anything harder than the hard frizzen steel that breaks with a sharp edge. Here in my state of NY we have LOTS of it. There is one of the largest deposits of native flint mines on the east coast here in the Hudson valley and it will work as well but no one "makes" flints out of it. Maybe a new side job? Anyway, most flint or chert has too many fractures or is too brittle to work. You can fix this by heat treating your flint. Yes you heard me correct. Native tribes did it for a LONG time here. You can tell bc it often changes the colors. I once 30 yrs ago found what I think was flint on the side of a hill on the Vt. side of Lake Champlain where a soldier or indian tried making some? It was the site of a major battle so it's possible (Ft. Ticonderoga) you may have heard of it. Well, I could go on but I'm sure your all board by now!
16:27 Your terminology is wrong. The bevel is the sloped face of the flint, so you began with 'bevel up' (because the bevel is uppermost) and you changed it to 'bevel down'. Plain English always the correct way to describe things.
I grew up not far from Flint Ridge Ohio. In fact my great great grandfather and two brothers migrated from Pa over into Ohio and settled at Flint Ridge in the early 1800's. My dad thot somewhere around 1820-1825. My GGGrandfather left there and went over to what is now Bbellefontaine Oh in the 1830's and the family gradually worked back east to Columbus, Johnstown, Alexandria,Granville and Newark.. I was fascinated by this, but I digress. Sorry. PS Dixie Gun Works in Mo is a source of the lesser agate flints.
When I started shootimg MLs in the 1960s I never noticed anyone putting a flint in upside down. With some locks putting it bevel up with cause the top jaw screw to impact the frizzen. When the Brown Bess was using spall flints (as opposed to the flaked flints used today) the cock was designed to have the flat surface up the cock jaw had a "cup" to accept the bulge on the spalled flint or so I have read. I think the bevel up comes from poorl;y designed locks (this was common with cheap locks in the 18th-19th c to today) or locks that are out of tune. cock has too long a "throw" etc etc. AND the British army used French flaked flints in the American revolution or so I have read.
Surprised you haven't made a video about Hodgdon's closing down the GOEX plant in Louisiana.. The last black powder plant in the Americas.. Gonna put the real hurt on the Flintlock community.. Swiss BP is universally impossible to find in stock for almost a year now..
Interesting video, even though I do not shoot muzzle loaders. I was wondering if there are any form of modern substitutes for flint, such as materials used in modern fire-starting steels used in camping? Just curious. Keep,up the fascinating videos.
Is the purpose of wider flints and larger frizzens, that the flintlock will produce more sparks and give more reliable ignition? Mine only has like a 5/8” and it works but doesn’t make a huge shower, like I see on some others.
There is no such thing as cave men. That is a lie from the enemy. We came straight from God with knowledge from God. Read the Bible. It's the Word of God and it is the only truth we have.
I think that your be tutorial on placemt of a flint is based on many years of practical BB application. I would take your advice on this subject rather than alot of armchair warriors! I have found your advice to be be spot on. Without exception!
I've been using flints that are a size down in my Pedersoli Bess lock, averaging over 50 shots with no issues. Possibly due to the fact that the flint isn't hitting as much of the hammer as is recommended? I am not sure, but it has been working for me.
I've been thinking about a better idea to make a flintlock rifle go bang . This idea is what I came up with . Take a fire steel and cut it to the size of a piece of flint . Use that instead of a piece of flint . Don't know if it will work . If Anyone is willing to try it , please let Me know ( I don't have a flintlock rifle , or access to one ) !
I usually put my Flint in with leather I've used leather from old glove fingers I've got my Frozen cover made out of a thumb leather thumb piece from a glove fits right over perfect but I load my Flint normally with the bevel down with the flat side up cuz I get a longer like you said a longer stroke and it normally goes off every time the old sitting Fox 12 gauge smooth bore
I had originally thought that object flying towards the camera in the one video was your frizzen cover having come off its lanyard or something. I didn’t realize it was the flint deciding to start looking for a new home.
the video seems very interesting, too bad i simply don't have the time to watch it all, what i'll say though is while flintlock was amazing for a few centuries i think its great that caplock took its place as percussion caps solved all of the problems with flintlock and were also the key to modern cartridges (as seen in primerless rubber cartridge rifles during the civil war, for those of you who don't know the first cartridged rifles were breechloaders/break barrel rifles that fired rubber cartridges, the cartridges didn't have primers and instead had small holes in the bottom, too small for the powder to escape but big enough for some of the fire from a percussion cap to get inside and set it off, as far as im aware those were the first cartridged weapons, skallagrim has a video on them)
Once again as a history nut I find this fascinating. The things our ancestors had to do simply to survive day to day really do amaze me. Thank you, Mike for another great video.
Agree. They did not have the daily "grind" that we have as well. Their job was to survive, not to pay taxes to the man. Wish I had lived then instead of now...👍
Many of you are correcting me on my definition of bevel up vs bevel down. So, I’ll concede that I must be in error.
My way is how I think of the bevel position based on the position of the edge of the flint pointing up or pointing down.
But so many people are correcting me, I have to concede that I my thinking is backwards.
Which one came first ? Since it is a video and you show what are you trying to say, i never think about it. But if i have to, i will go after the woodworking chiesel concept about bevel up and down. Just my 2 cents. BTW, my reference in woodworking is this guy. th-cam.com/video/ukJ2GgL50OQ/w-d-xo.html
bevel down ... point up, ok !!!
Personally, your way looks right to me. I only have 1 flintlock,( it's a Double Barrel pistol so I guess that's 2 Flintlocks) came with out flints. When they came in, size 5/8" I followed your methodology bevel up. I really need to fire that one of these days. Good video, it is much nicer these days with all the info on you tube. Back when I got my first black powder revolver, the only good info came in the back of the Dixie Gun Works catalog.
We all know what mike means regardless of which is “correct”.
Try rubbung a smidgin of pine sap sticky on your leather rap--it holds.
Useful, ✔️
Interesting, ✔️
Entertaining, ✔️
Thanks Mike
Great series on flintlocks Mike! Perhaps the new standard on the subject. Well done. One footnote on flintlocks in particular is the importance of eye protection. After shooting flintlocks steadily for a year with my new glasses.
It was evident that tiny chards of flint were pitting my glasses! Just a friendly reminder.🤓
Luckily, I need glasses to see, but you’re right. The same thing happens to my glasses.
I do not like them but I wear "oversized" safety glasses over my 900USD script glasses{I'm far sighted}when shootin the fire beathin dragon. I agree, my glasses were pitting as well...@@duelist1954
good video, fyi the cup style 'lighters' welders use for the gas torch uses flint, in the match portion of the tool, so we have seen flint before, just not known it, also a cigarette lighter uses it too (the sparker wheel)- is used up until the pietzo crystal style lighters in LNG and Barbique stoves, this is what happens when you press the lightening bolt button, not Flint, but another 'electrical' spark to ignite the gas.
Very informative and understandable. Good job.
Ben
Very clear directions and clear camera angles. Thank you.
Mike a lot of good information on flints please keep this good infomation coming
I use both English and French flints , I find black Norfolk flint , that I've knapped myself ,lasts at least twice as long as French.The French loses big chunks from the edge after around 15 shots and needs re-knapping.
There is flint rock lying around most of deep south Texas…I just pick up the size I want and break it to size or scrounge around until I find one just the right size…
I have done many searches and read several books that covered the topic of flints, installing and knapping them. No instruction has been as clear and helpful as this. Mike has such a organized way of thinking and communicating. Thanks so much for your excellent work again!
Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.
Great job as always, you are a wealth of knowledge, and a excellent teacher. Keep up the great work.
Hello, I like your show Mike on the flintlock rifle , lock operation and flint maintenance. I really enjoy shooting a flint lock , as you do, and developing the best lock set-up and loading methods for it. I recently purchased a Virginia, James River, Long Rifle from Track of the Wolf and am anxious to take it out. This it is my first venture into purchasing hand-made rifles on-line. It is truly a beautiful 50 cal. rifle (44", "B" swamped Colerain barrel; has a fast, Chambers, Rounded surfaces , Southern style, early single trigger lock; curly maple stock and early style iron furniture. I like it also because the lock is like a fowler and holds flints that are a bit wider than typical rifles of the later period and the curly maple stock combines early features (Wider, fowler butt; Jaeger style patch box & lid; tapered and stepped sides in the lock area with light engraving in the cheek, wrist and forearm areas).
I have one other hand-made rifle; a 50 cal. rifle made by Michael Beathe (Started the file-knife craze in the 80"s). He made the custom rifle for a movie and also provided an accompanying file-knife with the same curly stain and German silver metal as he used for the thimbles and nose piece of the rifle.
The beauty and artistic endeavor in these old repro rifles far exceeds what is typically made today and offers a degree of satisfaction that brings a smile to your face when you handle them.
Those sound like a couple of great rifles.
I use flint from Ohio I collected myself. Collected it for jewelery originally, but found it quite effective for my flintlock. I test pieces for good spark some obviously spark better than others. Cut into the basic shape on lapidary equipment to save time and then nap the striking edge for good spark. Works for me to hunt with just fine…
My dad knaps and makes flints my favorite is jasper then english
Good stuff Mike. I have several percussion pistols and muskets, alas not a single flintlock. Perhaps it is time.....Thanks for the information.
Very educational, I'm starting to want a flintlock.
This is a great video. I have a couple of flintlocks and this will help me if i have any problems with the flints. Keep up the good work.
This may be long !
I was a member of the 1st Va Regt for 15 years. -- Many opportunities to shoot at some of you !!!
( ... also did some MD Militia & Roger's Rangers F&I War events )
I've collected stone age tools for 60 years and I have had a fascination with flint knapping since I was a kid.
My collection probably contains several hundred old, original flints, some from casches found in India, some from 19th C shipwrecks and many individual pieces found by arrowhead collectors in PA & NY.
Many of these are musket flints and many are rifle flints; a few are apparently pistol flints due to their small size.
( I own a couple pocket flintlock pistols with locks so small that I've never found a flint small enough to fit into the cock properly ! )
In our Regt. most guys used leather and some used lead --- we often hammered a ball flat to make our lead pads.
My very favorite flints are native made ( Iroquois ) NY flints that some collectors call pillow flints - these are mostly made of Onondaga chert from western NY. ( quite rare )
When I fitted a flint into the jaws I always knocked a bit of the outside corner off so nobody could get cut on that sharp corner ( Learned that the hard way in my 1st battle ! )
When I was on my own I liked to let children hold the weapon for family photos so this was important.
It's always a good plan to notch the pad whether it is leather or lead - better geometry when gripping the stone.
I have several old, original musket flints that have a notch in the back edge; I suppose it was either to shorten the length of the flint or to prevent it from going squirrely in the jaws.
When buying flints from the suttlers at events I always looked at them straight on to find the ones with the top & bottom faces parallel so they had a better chance of staying straight in the jaws - many flints are oddly shaped at the end of their serviceable lives because they rotate in the jaws.
During long battles I often did, as Mike shows, serrate the flint's edge to get better sparks - in battle it's much quicker than changing out a flint & you don't get left behind as your unit advances !
If you want to have comradery, fun & visit historic sites join a regiment - I always said when we were at those sites and battlefields that it was like being on the "inside looking out" rather than the other way around as you would be as a tourist !!!
Keep your powder dry !
Thank you mike
thanks, very informative. We use rose quartz around my area of Northern Alberta.
You do a very good job thank you!
Very interesting. Thanks
It’s a part of muzzle loading I never see discussed elsewhere.
Mr. Flint Eastwood himself !
another very good informational video
thanks Mike
I think it would be a fun project to make a flint lock. Finding the flint would be hard. I’ve used whatever I can find for my flint and steel and it usually sucks.
VERY useful, good info THANKS
Thank you for posting. I enjoyed it. Learned quite a lot.
Going to Bois-de-Arc Knapp in this weekend here in Missouri to look for English flint and chert all over the place here white,pink and purple too.
By the way got duelist den stickers and t-shirt love them
I’m glad you like them! Thanks.
For more recreational shooting where tradition or convention doesn't really matter, is there anything you could use as a substitute for flint, say for somebody who just likes to shoot with friends at a range and doesn't necessarily want to have to nap a flint? Not really asking about replacing the flint entirely, but just a substitute and save the flint for other times.
Really interesting, thanks Mike.
Thank you for your information I,m just really getting into black powder and being so young 73? I need all my info Quickly! Thanks:)
Good info as always. Thanks!
Thank you.
Track of the wolf for flints, I should have finished the video before sending my first comment.
Great video!
I’m interested in getting into flint lock shooting. I know so little about that buying a kit is premature as is a custom made gun. Do used guns ever become available? That seems like that would be a good thing. Who could I contact? You’ve shown me alot thanks
Great video. I reenact the war of 1812. What size flint would you recommend for a 1795 Springfield? I usually just use whatever I can find at an event. But I would like to actually start live firing it later this year.
Thanks Mike, looking to get into Flintlocks very good information.
Hi Mike, I have a question on the correct width of the flint. Do you want the flint to match the width of the frizzen? If slightly narrower than the frizzen, by how much! Thank you for your kind help!
Very useful information, Mike. As a new flintlock shooter, I find your videos very helpful. Do you think a small patch knife would be effective in sharpening flints? What about the small brass hammers you often see? Many thanks!
Really, any decent striking surface will do the job.
@@duelist1954 Many thanks, Mike. One more question. I've watched a number of videos now on flints and flintlocks, but I'm confused about flint sizes. Does the "size" refer to the length or the width of the flint? Thanks again, AL
@@howeymusic4091 Length
I have a flintlock pistol that I refurbished. Looks beautiful, but when I put in a new English flint, it will not spark at all. I tried everything, and it is driving me crazy. I adjusted the main spring, and the frizzen spring, trying to make the lock tighter, thinking that would knock the frizzen open easier, while I adjusted the frizzen spring looser to make it easier to open. No matter how much I do, it will not spark at all. What the hell am I doing wrong? The flint I tried the edge up and down, (best down), but nothing works. Help!
Is it an old pistol, either original or replica? The frizzen may be worn out. It happens.
So the colonists fighting the British were also relying on the British for flint? Or did they get it from France who was a big supporter of the revolution?
Mostly from France
👍👍
The bevel terms are counterintuitive. I would think "bevel up" means the beveled surface is on the top.
You are probably right. What I said is how I think of it based on the position of the edge of the flint. But so many people are correcting me, I have to concede that I my thinking is backwards.
@@duelist1954 I did not mean that as a correction. There are many terms of art that I find counterintuitive, like the way a disease “progresses” as the patient’s health worsens.
I always wondered if I could just use the flint from a cigarette lighter for a flintlock.
In a wheel lock you could, but I doubt it would spark in a flint loch.
@@duelist1954 would you say because the flint isn't sharp enough or wouldn't make good contact with the frizen, or both? Also another thought I had was in wondered if pyrite would work since I have gotten it to spark hitting it with a hatchet. I learned that was a way to start fires in the scouts
@@tommywills4891 cigarette lighters use a serrated steel roller to strike sparks off a piece of iron pyrite, just like a wheel lock gun. I don’t think that piece of pyrite will spark against the flat face of the frizzon, but I’ve not tried it, so I could be wrong.
@@duelist1954 that's a good point I didn't take into account. Thank you for your in put. Hope the weather isn't too rough in PA, we're getting our first real cool snap down here in central North Carolina.
@@duelist1954 on a different note I'd love to see a video on a matchlock if you ever have a chance to do one. I've been watching your videos on and off for about 10 years now, you give good information. It's given me some good things to know when looking at and messing with cap and ball revolvers
Hey Mike, I have a flintlock Kentucky rifle with a very stiff trigger is there any way for a gunsmith to lighten the trigger pull? It’s not a double set trigger just a single trigger
Sure. A gunsmith can work on the sear engagement, and he could lighten the sear spring a bit.
@@duelist1954 Hi Mike, I have one more question I have a 50 caliber flintlock and I’m having trouble with patch material thickness if I’m using the 490 ball in a 50 caliber bore… what thickness patch material should I be using?
@@thebladerunner49 That depends on bore diameter and rifling depth. What problem are you seeing?
Hi Mike thanks for getting back to me, I’m new to this whole black powder thing all I know is it’s a parasol he 50 caliber flintlock not sure what the rifling is but I could look it up if it’s going to help I was using a cleaning patch for a ball patch because the ball patches I bought were too thick they were .02 i’m shooting a .490 ball so I called Dixie Gun Works today and they told me that I should be shooting with the .010 patch so I ordered some… I bought some pillow ticking material at the fabric store that I think is about .017 but I haven’t tried to use it yet… Track Of The Wolf told me they sell them in .01 .15 and .02 thicknesses so just wondering what your opinion on that was..Because I’m new the first thing that I did was load a patch and wall with no powder then I had to use the ball extractor and my range rod to try to get the ball out we did get the ball out but I think I kind of ruined my range rod because it was so tight… The knob popped off
@@thebladerunner49 for Italian or Spanish guns with shallow rifling 0.010” patches are correct.
Thanks for another excellent video, Mike. You're the only guy I know who can talk about a rock and make it interesting.
I will probably never shoot a flintlock, but I’ve sure enjoyed learning about them. Thanks for the series!
Carful, they are like Fire Arms Crack, "Just say No!" or you will be All In!
I’ve been a flintlock rifle owner for all of 4-5 months, so this video series has been incredibly helpful for me, so thank you!
I'm glad it is useful to you.
Great stuff mike. I always wondered about flints and all the logistic aspects. Thumbs up
You definitely answered my question on sharpening flint. Thanks Mike!!👍
There are 3 tips of English flint there's a red flint. often seen in housing wall's often we see it used by yeomen farmers god Red Flint lasted quite some time. Flint is commonly found in fields in the south of the country, the les common red flint is abundant and is what was used to build flint walls with some size used to fill in wall their is a whit quirts we often use to
fond in the welsh mountains.
You take the time and go into great detail which make your information very interesting. I always look forward to your videos; keep up the great your great work.
Can't find any Flint naturally around here where I'm at least I don't and I've looked everywhere so I usually buy a bunch from Cabela's when I go there and yeah they last a long time at least for me
I know this video was about flints, but that fowler is downright handsome. I am looking forward to seeing it in action in the upcoming video.
I enjoy everything about flintlocks. That's all I have now. Modern guns are boring. I hunt and use them for food not a range guy. I have followed Mike for years and he does the best informed videos . It's simple thing like flints sights loads etc. That helps everyone from experience to inexperienced people. Great video like always God bless. 🙌
Great series for beginners. Now I just need some $$$ lol
If Pedersoli would just make a copy of the 1756 British Sea Service Pistol I'd be all over it to get my Horatio Hornblower fix.
I’m a big Hornblower fan too.
TRACK OF THE WOLF IS VERY GOOD FLINT
Is there a point where a flint will simply get too short to be used even if it can be knapped sharp?
Thank you so much for this! Flints are the biggest unknown at this point.
Yes they will eventually wear to the point they aren’t reusable.
Too short for the lock it was in, yes. But it can be reknapped into the proper size for a smaller lock.
I wonder whether the word "skinflint" is derived from this: i.e., someone so cheap that they would try to re-sharpen a gunflint past its usable life...?
Thanks again for the teaching. Good video as always.
Hi from Syracuse NY brother and thank you for sharing your thoughts and adventures and history and information
I know you told me you have not made your own black powder but have you ever been interested in doing so?
Not really.
You forgot Kansas 90% of the Rock in Kansas is flint. Kansas has literal flint hills.
It’s chert though, instead of true flint.
In a gun, I can’t tell a difference
We have a lot of flint/chert here in the Ozarks ind they throw real good sparks
Mike, as a geologist-gun-guy I have a bit to offer on the subject. In terms of deposits in the U.S. there are thousands. Some is of much better quality, some worse. Flint is the same as chert except for color. In fact jasper, and petrified wood are also in the same category and should work in a pinch as well as agate. In fact it's all a form of SiO2 or quartz. It's all near a 7 on Moh's scale of hardness. Crystal quartz would work too. There are other rocks such as quartzite that will work, anything harder than the hard frizzen steel that breaks with a sharp edge. Here in my state of NY we have LOTS of it. There is one of the largest deposits of native flint mines on the east coast here in the Hudson valley and it will work as well but no one "makes" flints out of it. Maybe a new side job? Anyway, most flint or chert has too many fractures or is too brittle to work. You can fix this by heat treating your flint. Yes you heard me correct. Native tribes did it for a LONG time here. You can tell bc it often changes the colors. I once 30 yrs ago found what I think was flint on the side of a hill on the Vt. side of Lake Champlain where a soldier or indian tried making some? It was the site of a major battle so it's possible (Ft. Ticonderoga) you may have heard of it.
Well, I could go on but I'm sure your all board by now!
Great info! Thanks.
16:27 Your terminology is wrong. The bevel is the sloped face of the flint, so you began with 'bevel up' (because the bevel is uppermost) and you changed it to 'bevel down'. Plain English always the correct way to describe things.
I grew up not far from Flint Ridge Ohio. In fact my great great grandfather and two brothers migrated from Pa over into Ohio and settled at Flint Ridge in the early 1800's. My dad thot somewhere around 1820-1825. My GGGrandfather left there and went over to what is now Bbellefontaine Oh in the 1830's and the family gradually worked back east to Columbus, Johnstown, Alexandria,Granville and Newark.. I was fascinated by this, but I digress. Sorry.
PS Dixie Gun Works in Mo is a source of the lesser agate flints.
Thank you for the information. I didn’t realize how little I knew about flint and my Cabela’s flintlock rifle.
When I started shootimg MLs in the 1960s I never noticed anyone putting a flint in upside down. With some locks putting it bevel up with cause the top jaw screw to impact the frizzen. When the Brown Bess was using spall flints (as opposed to the flaked flints used today) the cock was designed to have the flat surface up the cock jaw had a "cup" to accept the bulge on the spalled flint or so I have read. I think the bevel up comes from poorl;y designed locks (this was common with cheap locks in the 18th-19th c to today) or locks that are out of tune. cock has too long a "throw" etc etc. AND the British army used French flaked flints in the American revolution or so I have read.
Surprised you haven't made a video about Hodgdon's closing down the GOEX plant in Louisiana.. The last black powder plant in the Americas.. Gonna put the real hurt on the Flintlock community.. Swiss BP is universally impossible to find in stock for almost a year now..
Interesting video, even though I do not shoot muzzle loaders. I was wondering if there are any form of modern substitutes for flint, such as materials used in modern fire-starting steels used in camping? Just curious. Keep,up the fascinating videos.
Is the purpose of wider flints and larger frizzens, that the flintlock will produce more sparks and give more reliable ignition? Mine only has like a 5/8” and it works but doesn’t make a huge shower, like I see on some others.
That was great! Interesting! Useful! Thank you sir, as always a pleasure! 👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸
There is no such thing as cave men. That is a lie from the enemy. We came straight from God with knowledge from God. Read the Bible. It's the Word of God and it is the only truth we have.
Very interesting. Very VERY tempted to get a flinty! No thanks to you and British muzzle loader!
I think that your be tutorial on placemt of a flint is based on many years of practical BB application. I would take your advice on this subject rather than alot of armchair warriors! I have found your advice to be be spot on. Without exception!
I wish I knew what happened to Rich Pierce. My Queen Anne lock really liked his flints better than Tom Fuller's.
Thanks Mike. Good info. I recommend this video to all new “Click-poof-whiz-bang” shooters
I've been using flints that are a size down in my Pedersoli Bess lock, averaging over 50 shots with no issues. Possibly due to the fact that the flint isn't hitting as much of the hammer as is recommended? I am not sure, but it has been working for me.
Funny that you write/ say that.
I too use one flint size down in my first model Brown Bess. It really does work BEST!
@@ENIGMAXII2112 Interesting, glad I am not the only one doing it wrong! ha
@@chickensandwich1589
Oh YES!
But we have better results. So our "mistakes" are good ones.
Don't you just LOVE Black Powder Shooting!
Missouri chert isn’t all just white. It could be tan, pink, red, brown dark almost black.
I've been thinking about a better idea to make a flintlock rifle go bang . This idea is what I came up with . Take a fire steel and cut it to the size of a piece of flint . Use that instead of a piece of flint . Don't know if it will work . If Anyone is willing to try it , please let Me know ( I don't have a flintlock rifle , or access to one ) !
flying flint is caused from hitting the frizzen too square?? & too strong of frizzen spring?? (instead of downward & correct frizzen tension)??
I usually put my Flint in with leather I've used leather from old glove fingers I've got my Frozen cover made out of a thumb leather thumb piece from a glove fits right over perfect but I load my Flint normally with the bevel down with the flat side up cuz I get a longer like you said a longer stroke and it normally goes off every time the old sitting Fox 12 gauge smooth bore
I know this was done a long time ago but I still enjoy the video. Question for you. Have you ever found a functional or any use for used up flints?
I'm new to flintlocks, your videos have helped me tremendously.
I’m glad I could help out.
Fascinating, cant wait to get my first flintlock. Moving on from percussion 🇺🇸
I had originally thought that object flying towards the camera in the one video was your frizzen cover having come off its lanyard or something. I didn’t realize it was the flint deciding to start looking for a new home.
the video seems very interesting, too bad i simply don't have the time to watch it all, what i'll say though is while flintlock was amazing for a few centuries i think its great that caplock took its place as percussion caps solved all of the problems with flintlock and were also the key to modern cartridges (as seen in primerless rubber cartridge rifles during the civil war, for those of you who don't know the first cartridged rifles were breechloaders/break barrel rifles that fired rubber cartridges, the cartridges didn't have primers and instead had small holes in the bottom, too small for the powder to escape but big enough for some of the fire from a percussion cap to get inside and set it off, as far as im aware those were the first cartridged weapons, skallagrim has a video on them)
I'm new to flintlocks just picked up a lyman deerstalker flintlock made investa arms
Al Gorithm, ain't he the president of Kookamunga?
“If it’ll throw a spark it’ll spark the charge!”
Anybody have any suggestions on where to find black powder?
utub unsubcribed me. I was hard to find you again. I appreciate your information.
utub unsubcribed me. I was hard to find you again. I appreciate your information.
Old broken arrow heads make good flints. The old T/C ones weren't reliable and wore out fast.
WHY WOULD YOU KICK OTHER FLINT COMPANYS I NEVERHAD ANY PROBLEM WITH TRACK OF THE WOLF FLINTS. BUT I USE REAL FLINTLOCKS NOT REPROS.
It's cool don't get me wrong but cap and ball is all the way for me set the cap and click cuuuuubooooommmmm
Once again as a history nut I find this fascinating. The things our ancestors had to do simply to survive day to day really do amaze me. Thank you, Mike for another great video.
Agree. They did not have the daily "grind" that we have as well. Their job was to survive, not to pay taxes to the man. Wish I had lived then instead of now...👍
I have several black French flints. I rate them better than the amber which are also good. I can tell no difference between the black flints.