Anyone have a flintlock muzzleloader?

[OneBadV8]

wow, thanks for all the info so far. Sounds like we could have our own INGO flintlock shoot.
I think I might have to look into the friendship thing this year.

 

[Smokepole]

How did the pioneers handle cleaning issues? I'm pretty sure I have never seen a reference to Danial Boone packing a bathtub to clean his rifle.

I think he was talking about using the cleaning supplies in the bathtub. Not dunking and/or soaking the gun in the tub. You can clean it out on the deck or in the garage, wherever. Some HOT soapy water down the barrel with a flintlock cleaning kit and scrub it with a barrel brush and then run a few cleaning patches until the bore is clean and dry. Never use chemical solvents in/on your traditional black powder weapon. Remington and Birchwood Casey make good natural liquid cleaners. I prefer the Birchwood Casey.

Your cleaning kit will have a tube that you will affix to the barrel over the touch hole and the other end into a bowl or tub of hot water. Run a tight fitting bore swab down the barrel and when you pull it up the barrel the suction will pull the cleaning solution up the barrel. This will clean the barrel and the touch hole. When you push the swab back down the hole it will push the cleaning solution out and back into the tub. Run a bore brush down the barrel a few times to scrub then rinse the barrel using the same method. Run a few cleaning patches up and down until they come back clean and the bore is dry. Then use a cleaning patch to coat the inside of the barrel with Bore Butter or another anti rust coating. Prefer something that is made for muzzleloaders.

Some advocate using window cleaner with ammonia, but I don't because ammonia is an oxidizing agent and not something that I want to risk exposing high carbon steel to.

Traditional muzzleloaders are a bit more involved than modern weapons and modern muzzleloaders, but I think they are more fun. And they are more cool looking on the 4th of July when you touch off a flintlock. Careful though, they tend to attract attention.

 

[ru44mag]

I think he was talking about using the cleaning supplies in the bathtub. Not dunking and/or soaking the gun in the tub. You can clean it out on the deck or in the garage, wherever. Some HOT soapy water down the barrel with a flintlock cleaning kit and scrub it with a barrel brush and then run a few cleaning patches until the bore is clean and dry. Never use chemical solvents in/on your traditional black powder weapon. Remington and Birchwood Casey make good natural liquid cleaners. I prefer the Birchwood Casey.

Your cleaning kit will have a tube that you will affix to the barrel over the touch hole and the other end into a bowl or tub of hot water. Run a tight fitting bore swab down the barrel and when you pull it up the barrel the suction will pull the cleaning solution up the barrel. This will clean the barrel and the touch hole. When you push the swab back down the hole it will push the cleaning solution out and back into the tub. Run a bore brush down the barrel a few times to scrub then rinse the barrel using the same method. Run a few cleaning patches up and down until they come back clean and the bore is dry. Then use a cleaning patch to coat the inside of the barrel with Bore Butter or another anti rust coating. Prefer something that is made for muzzleloaders.

Some advocate using window cleaner with ammonia, but I don't because ammonia is an oxidizing agent and not something that I want to risk exposing high carbon steel to.

Traditional muzzleloaders are a bit more involved than modern weapons and modern muzzleloaders, but I think they are more fun. And they are more cool looking on the 4th of July when you touch off a flintlock. Careful though, they tend to attract attention.

Thanks. Right I never dunked them. Always wanted to get more serious with them, but really only bought them for extra days to deer hunt and at the time they were the most accurate thing to hunt with in Indiana. I removed the barrel and poured hot water down it and ran soapy patch with the jag. The tub was used so I didn't make a mess. Started with patched round ball. Never used Black Powder because they were caplocks, until I started shooting the revolvers. Your right though, something about the smoke. Pretty fun. The morning of a hunt I would always blow excess oil out of the barrel, then run a dry patch, then shoot 3 or 4 caps so as to avoid a miss fire or hang fire. Wow... its been 23 years since that first deer dropped to the 50 cal round ball.

 

[Dirty Steve]

This is a simple primitive cleaning method. I have been doing this for every and it works well. I have done it in the woods around the fire, after hunts and on my back deck drinking a beer. We don't know for sure as it was a common thing to do and no one wrote down common things they did, but suppose this is how our forefathers (aka Daniel Boone, James Knox, Kasper Mansker, Isaac Bledsoe, the Harmons, Henry Skaggs, all other longhunters, etc....) did it.

Remove the lock. Plug the touch hole with a bird feather or toothpick. Pour scalding hot water down the barrel. This will make the barrel hot to the touch so you will need a rag or gloves to hold it. Wrap a piece of cloth around the jag on your ramrod and push it into the barrel. Pull it up and down and you will hear the water slogging around. After doing this several times, pull the feather or tooth pick out of the touch hole and push the ramrod with the piece of cloth back down the barrel. You will shoot the dirty water and crud left out of the touch hole. Repeat until the water comes out clean. Now wipe every single surface down on the lock until it too is clean. Remember to remove the flint as the jaws of the cock will get covered in crud as well. Wipe the barrel around the touch hole and under the touch hole where the lock fits against it. Turn the gun upside down and let it dry so that any moisture left runs away from the breech and touch hole. Finally, oil the snot out of the barrel, and the lock. Wipe the outside of the barrel down as well.

Dirty Steve

 

[Flinttim]

I clean somewhat like Steve. I don't take the lock out every time. It wears on the inletting. But after a normal monthly shoot at the club or down at Friendship after the last match is shot I'll take out the lock, plug the touchhole and fill the barrel with whatever solution I'm using. Simple Green and Windex w/ammonia are the two I use. The old timers likely used a worm on the ramrod and a piece of tow and probably not much in the way of water based cleaner but rather "fat" based stuff. Tallow, bear grease lard etc. The thing you have to remember, barring an Indian attack, I probably shoot mt flintlock more at a regular monthly shoot than my ancestors did in two or three years. They just normally did not shoot enough to warrant the cleaning we do today. One caveat, if you are not willing to clean, clean, clean a M/loader be it an inline or flintlock, DO NOT BUY ONE. When I started shooting vintage WW2 era rifles using surplus ammo I was warned about the cleaning, but hell, I'd already been doing that for 30 years anyway. Those bolt guns get cleaned just like my flintlocks.

 

[D-Bo]

I get my flints from Track of the Wolf and powder from The Outdoorsman and some times Bass Pro. I only use real black powder.

 

[Cerberus]

If y'all are intereested in some detailed flintlock discussions head on over to this place and enjoy the eye candy. American Longrifles - Home - a site dedicated to the study and building of the American longrifle

 

[Flinttim]

Several years ago I attended a winter shoot and brother was it cold. When I got home my wife was out so I got the idea to clean the barrel of my trade gun in the commode. Great plan, right. Just flush the dirty water down when done. All was well, the touchhole was down in the water, soap in the commode, running the ramrod up and down, dirty water filling the commode. I got too rambunctious with the "up and down" part and at some point raised the barrel too far out of the commode, the down motion took place and SQUIRTED FILTHY DIRTY WATER ALL OVER THE BATHROOM !!!It took me an hour to clean up the mess . LOL Be careful out there boys and girls !

 

[Pete]

In high school My buddies & I haunted the LGS on the north side of New Castle (maybe it was called Ramrod). I always admired the 32 cal rifle kits they had. I never went so far as to get one but they had a spell on me.

We all built 45 cal Philadelphia derringers, I had not seen it in many years until dad brought it over last summer.

I picked up a TC Renegade last fall. While it is no flintlock I have enjoyed shooting it.

I use an in-line for deer hunting & need to use the Renegade also. I need to put some time in at the range dialing in both muzzleloaders.

I think a flintlock is very much in my future. What rifles/calibers/game do you shoot?

 

[Cerberus]

I think a flintlock is very much in my future. What rifles/calibers/game do you shoot?

Most of my flintlock experience was with a repro M1816/22 musket I had a few years ago. I enjoyed shooting that thing. I currently have a couple of builds in progress that I work on when family and work allows. If I would just go knuckle down, I could have the trade gun done in a couple of evenings ready for the finishing, the .45 cal rifle that I have about 50% done is a bit more complicated and I keep trying to hit a "homerun" with that build when I should be more concered with just getting a good "base hit". Sometimes I nitpick myself too much. Been shooting the real BP for 30 years and love the stuff. I need to buck up and go get them ready, so my son and I can use them for deer this fall. I shoot only .45 and up, prefering those over .50 cal.

 

[Flinttim]

.32,.40,.45,.50,.54 rifles 20 ga,12ga 28 ga fowlers, 50 and 54 pistols. Squirrel, deer, rabbits and birds.

 

[Pete]

Sounds neat, Thanks for the replies. It looks like I derailed the thread, Sorry OP

 

[ru44mag]

Sounds neat, Thanks for the replies. It looks like I derailed the thread, Sorry OP

I think he bugged out. I have TC New Englander in 50 cal. Took a lot of deer in IN and an elk in CO. Several years ago I was deer hunting and I ran into these guys rabbit hunting. They were both in there 70s at least. They had 2 beagles. We talked then split up. The beagles got on a rabbit and chased it past me then headed back to the 2 guys. I heard the shots and kept listening for the beagles(I have 2 of my own). I knew they had missed by listening to the little hounds still going past where the shots came from. Pretty soon they were headed back towards me. When the rabbit ran by this time, I shot him with a 50 cal round ball at about 10 yards. Completely gutted him. No deer that day, but at least I got a rabbit. The little hounds came right to me, so I gave them a little treat. They had done their job. I also have a TC inline thats scoped. It has taken several deer as well. I really like the power belt bullets, but they are just stupid expensive. I took my Traditions Hawkin 54 cal out once. Missed a deer at close range and it has been on the wall since. I've been thinking about giving it a second chance. We will see. I guess 10 or 12 years is long enough to hold a grudge. Lol. Oh, almost forgot 1860 Colt Army in 44 cal and 1858 Remington New Army in 44 cal. Both replicas.

 

[OneBadV8]

nope I'm reading every post and learning a lot. I think I need to check some flint locks out in person next.

Probably time to look up info on the events in Friendship

 

[Hookeye]

My buddy built a VERY nice 16 gauge flinter.
I hope he gets a turkey with it when we go end of the month

 

[Dirty Steve]

Hunt deer, turkey and small game. Have not taken the flinters out west to hunt yet as those trips are strictly to feed my long range addiction. Down to two right now, but I always have an eye out for one that catches my fancy and is under priced for who the maker is. Had a few production guns in the early years, but I don't count those.

Have or have had:

.32 cal Tennessee mountain rifle. Squirrel killing machine and paper puncher extraordinaire. Sold it, stupid move.

.45 cal Tennessee mountain rifle. Good rifle, just never grew fond of it. Sold it.

.50 cal Jacob Dickert. Nice rifle, too fancy for my taste. Sold it.

.58 cal Virginia smooth rifle. Mike Brooks built, wish I still had it. Stupid move.

.75 cal cut-down Brown Bess "Indian Gun". Was a deer killing machine. Traded it off for two 3rd generation Colt BP revolvers. Previous owner never shot the Colts and neither have I. Still have them. Traded that gun 15 years ago and then found last summer that one of my neighbors now owns it. I WILL get that beast back. It had "the look" and was tough on deer. Fun to hunt with.

.62 cal English Horse pistol. Interesting piece. Was 1 of a matched set made by William Kennedy. Was told that Kennedy made the matched set from an original in trade for the original. Sold it on Track of the Wolf several years ago and heard that Kennedy bought it back. Don't know for sure, but it was a beautiful piece. WAY to fancy for me.

.62 cal Tulle "Indian Gun". This is my woods gun and turkey killer. It goes out when it's messy. It's a beater, looks ugly and could probably pass as an original. It is well worn and well used, just the way I like 'em. Probably will never let this one go.

.54 cal SW Virginia, my pride and joy. A true thing of beauty with a killer piece of curly maple and almost jet black in color. All hand forged iron mounted, poured nose cap, nicely incise and relief carved, sliding wooden patch box, swamped 46" barrel. Could pass as an original, nicely aged. Looks like a Herschel House rifle, but it is not. (Wish it was) I will never let this one go.

Dirty Steve

 

[indiucky]

4F in the pan. There is/was some 7f floating around but getting hard to find. GOEX made it up for the International team. I don't think they make it anymore and I'm down to my last 5lbs. 4f will do fine. As Dirty Steve said , factory flintlocks are not very good. There might be a couple out there that are "OK", but none will come close to equaling a custom flintlock.

I did alot of 18th century reenacting and have shot flintlocks for the last 30 years give or take...The first 10 years I used 4 f for my pan and a couple of guys told me to just use 2f or 3f in the pan...I tried it and they worked with no appreciable lag time in the lock...My Pedersoli Bess (which hangs prominently behind me at the shop) always used 2f in the pan and it never misfired.

 

[Pete]

OP, I think you'll like Friendship. I went a few years ago, the year the highway washed out. It was really interesting to see the different shooting disciplines at various ranges - handgun, rifle, skeet.

There is a vendors row that has everything from complete firearms to pieces/parts to accoutrements & primitive camp items. That was pretty neat in itself. Also since it is outside we did not get crop dusted!

The whole are is divided up by various ranges. Flea market is located across the creek from the ranges the year I was there. Everything is within walking distance if you are in OK shape.

My son & I spent the day there & had a great time. This is making me think about getting back there this September!

 

[indiucky]

I almost get a flintlock every time I go to 1812.

Can I borrow your time machine? I want to tell our forefathers WTF our politicians have been up to as of late regarding...Well....Everything!!!

 

[Pete]

Can I borrow your time machine? I want to tell our forefathers WTF our politicians have been up to as of late regarding...Well....Everything!!!

LAMO.

What do you want me to pick up next time I go?