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History of the Flintlock
In 1608, a Frenchman, Marin le Bourgeoys made the first true flintlock for King Louis XIII in 1610. Bourgeoys took several existing innovations to assemble the first flintlock. By 1630, the flintlock was well known throughout Europe. The flintlock design was a dramatic improvement over the previous designs, it remained a mainstay ignition system for nearly 200 years! The flintlock system was effective enough that it was used for other purposes, including firestarting. Many gunsmiths produced a pistol-like device for firestarting. It used the flintlock mechanism with an oversize pan, but lacked a barrel and ramrod. The flintlock's replacement was the percussion system, invented by Reverend Alexander John Forsyth in 1807. A Scottish minister, his invention didn't catch on right away. The changeover was a slow one, and the flintlock saw some use in the early days of the US Civil War (1861-1865). The last major conflict that saw widespread use of the flintlock was the Mexican War (1846-48). Shooting flintlocks
Flintlocks have more loading details than the newer percussion ignition firearms, and the percussion firearms require more detail than the modern cartridge firearms. For users familiar with modern firearms, it may seem like a lot of work to get one shot, and no assurance of a successful discharge. With experience and patience, a flintlock can make a rewarding and nostalgic experience at the range. Keep a few points in mind, though: wet powder, a dull flint or soft frizzen will greatly increase the chances of a misfire. Experience will go a long way towards proficiency. Practice a lot. Start out with a wooden replica of the flint in the hammer jaws to practice basic drill & operation. Then replace the flint, and try a little flash powder in the pan, nothing more. When accustomed to the pan flash, try a little powder in the barrel without a bullet. If you can hold the sights steadily on target with powder in the barrel & pan, try a bullet at the shooting range. People with experience in arts & crafts seem to do well, as they already have a background in maximizing local resources as well as finding creative solutions to challenges. Acquistion-storage-care
These firearms are not recognized as modern guns, and are specifically exempt from Federal and most state gun laws. This also includes the reproductions as well. Due to the unlikelyhood of crime use and the strong collector interest, there is no age limitation on ownership. So, most of these firearms are readily available. Common places to look are reenactments, some historic districts (Gettysburg in particular) and internet "sutlers" (suppliers).
NOTE: Despite the ease of purchase, basic safety must be observed with handling and use of both black powder and black powder firearms. CleaningFlintlocks require periodic maintenance. They need cleaning immediately after each use, since the powder creates corrosive deposits in the barrel after each shot. Cleaning is easy -- often all that's required is simply pouring boiling water down the barrel until the water comes out clean. Since water promotes rust, the barrel needs to be dry as soon as possible and oiled for protection. Maintaining the sparkOccasionally the sparking mechanism needs adjustment. The two most common causes for sparking problems (other than moisture) are a dull flint and a soft frizzen. |
Extra flints are a necessary item, as are jaw pads made from leather or lead sheet.
The striking surface, called the frizzen, must be extremely hard to generate hot sparks. As the flint strikes the frizzen, it shaves the hardened surface, peeling off tiny pieces of white-hot steel. After enough strikes, all that's left is soft steel. To correct this, the frizzen must be re-hardened. Hardening the frizzen requires heat -- enough to make steel red hot. While hot, the steel is quickly dunked in water causing it to suddenly harden. Casehardening with hydrogen-cyanide compounds (use care-poisonous!) improve the surface hardness, and the spark quality. Wet weather protectionWet weather can cause the flintlock action from sparking. The best cure for this is preventing contact with water. The solution early American settlers found was a water resistant cover that tightly tied over the action. It resembled an animal's leg when attached, thus the "cow's knee" name. PowderEarly black powder was a simple mix of three chemicals: sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate. Ideally the charcoal should be young willow, limewood, alder, or maple, burnt so that it is reduced to 60 percent pure carbon, 38 percent carbohydrates, and 2 percent ash. There are a few different recipies for it, but most closely approximate these percentages:
Today, black powder is commercially available in one pound cans and should be stored in the original can, and in a cool, dry location. Always keep it away from sparks, flame and any other source of ignition. The by-products of black powder cause corrosion, so black powder arms must be cleaned as soon as possible after firing. Cleaning is easy and usually doesn't require much more than boiling water and a preservative (such as oil). Ideally the firearm should be completely disassembled, wiped down with a dry cloth and them washed out with boiling water. The barrel may require a swab-tipped cleaning rod with several boiling water rinses. Commercially available cleaning solutions for black powder provide good alternative methods. When done, dry all parts and treat with a preservative. See manufacturer's guidelines for specific product recommendations. The firearm should be checked for several days for corrosion formation, and then once every month afterwards (more often in humid environments). FlintsFlints are a naturally occuring mineral found in many places. English flints are considered to be the best. Flint is a very hard stone that is very hard to cut. Flint breaks a lot like glass, making a very sharp and jagged edge. This edge eventually wears down, and requires resharpening. Over time the flint will become too short for resharpening, and will require replacment. So, extra flints are a necessary part of the shooter's kit. The edge has a scalloped appearance, resembling old arrowheads. Skilled flintknappers have taken this skill to an art -- see flintknapping.com This edge is hard enough to shave steel, which heats the steel shavings enough to burn.
Two very good online sources for flintknapping are: Bullets and casting with leadA steady source of bullets is a basic requirement to keep any firearm in service. Since few firearms in the 18th century were made with standardized patterns or parts, each firearm required a different size bullet. Most gunsmiths made a special bullet mold for each rifle when they were finished with the rifle. The mold would be specially sized for the rifle, and would be kept with the rifle as an accessory. The owner would cast bullets from lead as they needed them.
The lead is the same type of lead we have today, although health concerns have reduced lead applications down to only a few applications. In the 18th century, lead was a common material for window sealing and small toys. During the American Revolution, soldiers and others supporting them would take lead from window frames. The lead would be melted down and re-cast as either bullets or musket balls. Lead melts around 625° fahrenheit, so it's an extreme burn hazard and should only be performed by persons with casting experience or handling high temperature liquids. Today lead is harder to find in raw form, so muzzleloading enthusiasts find creative solutions. First, they try to recover bullets when possible, and look for lead in unconventional places. A common source of lead is automotive tire stores, as they frequently have used wheel weights as a by-product of balancing tires.
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