Target shooting is less of a problem, though some may argue the detonation of the priming charge may cause some slight wobble and distraction, which is a fair argument, though not really a consideration when shooting recreationally over a fairly short distance. Never load a muzzle loading gun with smokless powder and never exceed the maxium load recommended by the gun's maker. As a non-scientific example, in our club, we shoot for a flintlock clays competition, and a percussion competition separately. The face of the breach is not flat as most flintlocks were. The advantages of percussion over flintlock are profound. Flintlocks have a long lock time compared to percussion caps. The drum is threaded into a hole drilled and tapped into the side flat of the barrel. The shooter must still be vigilant to ensure no double load or air gap, but with diligence, the practised hand can accurately fire a round every two minutes. Loading flintlocks can be more frustrating than percussion. Competition shooters will wish to use percussion guns, unless the competition specifies otherwise, as the handicap flintlock guns impose on the shooter are difficult to overcome by skill. Im looking at a Lyman Deerstalker in percussion cap. For a muzzle loading rifle, the variation should read ‘Muzzle loading rifle, calibre X’. As with percussion, flintlock is now exclusively the province of enthusiasts and re-enactors, though Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan War reported being fired upon by tribesmen, well into the 20th century. For new shooters, looking to get into muzzle loading guns, I would recommend a percussion gun first. I am considering using musket caps lnstead of percussion caps this fall on my .54 for the almost totaly guarenteed ignition. Upgrading The Sights On Your Pedersoli Rifle, Miniature Slice Of History: Norinco The Mini Mauser, Join Sharpe’s Ranks, Buy Your Very Own Musket, Still slow loading & shooting compared to breech loading guns. For pistols (revolvers included), substitute rifle for pistol. As the lock time of percussion guns is still far slower than breech loading guns, shooting with a percussion gun at either clays or targets can still be a challenge, and loading takes care and attention to detail. There is no need to specify flintlock or percussion. When the trigger is pulled the cock is released to move forward and down, the sharp edge of the flint scrapes the steel frizzen, simultaneously opening the pan and throwing a shower of hot sparks into the priming charge. Sure the lock on a flintlock is more subjected to the elements, but that's not the reason to choose a cap lock. You are responsible for knowing what may or may not be a safe load for your gun. RL0805 Tap-O-Cap Percussion Cap Maker. Here is an original Ketland flintlock musket lock that has been converted to percussion via the drum method. Here's a video of a guy shooting a percussion cap rifle followed by a flintlock musket. The percussion cap offers some advantages over the flintlock. stevesells1955@gmail.com. This gives percussion significant advantages over flintlock in pretty much all shooting disciplines. Loading a percussion gun is as simple as loading the main charge, wad and shot, drawing the hammer to half cock, and placing a percussion cap on the nipple. The flame created by the cap passes through this channel to ignite the powder charge. Our Price: $54.95 Compare. The percussion cap contains a small amount of fulminate of mercury. The smith I had look it over guesses they used the mechanisms off the double shotgun by Pedesoli. The percussion lock is exactly the same as the flintlock in terms of the mainspring, hammer, tumbler, sear and sear spring. The percussion cap ignition system was developed around 1818. Percussion fell out of favour with military and commercial markets in the late 1860s – early 1870s, as fully self-contained cartridges became more viable. The hot gases from the burning priming charge travel through a small flash hole drilled through the side of the barrel to ignite the main powder charge. The musket dates from around 1800. Projectiles for black-powder firearms vary to include traditional patched round balls, modern saboted copper-­jacketed and solid-­copper-tipped projectiles. Add some to cartor Login. It’s nice to see these two guns making meat in this era of plastic-stocked inlines. And FWIW, a percussion rifle can misfire in damp, humid environments just like a flintlock. If so is it verry little or a lot of difference in group size Tnx Jim Email Me 2. The nipple is threaded into the drum. Where adopted, militaries were, until the mid-17th century primarily using matchlock muskets, but developments in arms technology before and during the English Civil War led to the adoption of the doglock musket. Some might argue the process is long and laborious, but this is part of the joy of shooting muzzle loading guns. It doesn’t matter your experience, the Deerhunter muzzleloader will fit your needs. Given how flintlocks are loaded, this kind of competition is a real exercise in concentration and repetition. Percussion caps were readily available in St. Louis by 1830. The Model 1840 U.S. musket was the last flintlock … Hi Andy, no Sten's sadly. They not only had an aspiration to gather numerous small states of the German Confederation under their rule, but also a desire to build an empire that would dominate the continent. But we have plenty of Lee Enfields. It can make usable percussion caps from aluminium drink cans and cap gun roll caps. Unlike the Brown Bess, the U.S. Army weapons were not only rifles but were fired by the percussion cap system rather than the flintlock system. Check out this design blueprint for our Indian Charleville Musket... Muzzle Loading Flintlock Rifles & Shotguns, Muzzle Loading Percussion Rifles & Shotguns, Lee Enfield Military Surplus Rifles Now Available. The flintlock, introduced in France in the early 17th century, was the first method of firing a gunpowder weapon without using a burning match that was suited to mass production (wheelocks having always been prohibitively expensive due to their complexity). The main instigator of German unification was the Kingdom of Prussia. You could load a cap lock and slip a plastic sleeve around the cap and hunt in pouring down rain, but then you could slip a cow's knee over a flintlock and do the same. The percussion cap offers some advantages over the flintlock. Get the latest information about new products, special deals, news, top-rated items, promotions and more! It is more restraint to weather, can be faster to load, and because it generates a hotter flame than a flintlock can it offers more reliable ignition with powder of questionable quality or substitute black powder. Excellent article Keith!! The percussion cap or percussion primer, introduced in the early 1820s, is a type of single-use percussion ignition device for muzzle loader firearm locks enabling them to fire reliably in any weather condition. Six thousand rounds were fired under all kinds of weather from six of each type of musket. Percussion lock guns are less complicated, faster to load, have a quicker lock time, and are more reliable. Due to the difficulty and great expense of manufacture, these were only found on very high quality firearms, and were therefore not suitable for military adoption. This creates a channel from the nipple to the powder charge inside the barrel. antique flint & percussion guns - "blackpowder" "muzzle-loaders", etc: Original hand made flintlock & percussion ("cap & ball") firearms . The flintlock system is one of the earliest ignition methods of guns. Percussion lock guns are less complicated, faster to load, have a quicker lock time, and are more reliable. Percussion rifles are still very capable, guns such as the .451 Whitworth rifle is capable of 1000 yard shooting, and is probably a more accurate rifle than the shooter. Don't Miss Out on News from Dixie Gun Works! Same for a flintlock vs. cap lock. Javelina hunt in the Gila National Forest, Loading a muzzle loading shotgun and smoothbore, Developing an accurate load for a black powder muzzleloading rifle, Dry fire practice without damage to the gun. At Forsyth’s request, a series of flintlock vs. percussion cap tests were conducted in 1834. This cap is placed on the nipple and when struck by the hammer the fulminate of mercury explodes sending a hot flame into the powder charge inside the barrel. It takes away the frustration that flintlock can sometimes have, and is the easier foray into the world of muzzle loading. Flintlocks and vintage percussion-cap firearms often require a lead ball and patch, while contemporary muzzleloader designs shoot either conical bullets or sabot slugs. Percussion firearms did make their way into the mountains but not all the mountain men were quick to adopt their use. 8. This started out as an EU regulation which is clear not that the UK had no... How many uses beyond 14 do you expect from the brass, if that? I do like the fact that there's no need for caps with the flintlock though. View Cart / Checkout Wish List Login You have 0 item s in your cart. Nathaniel Wyeth noted in his journal that in December, 1834 they had converted 3 flintlock rifles to percussion because the condition of their powder was such that the flintlocks would not ignite it. Smokless powder is never a safe substitute for black powder. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Is It Cheaper To Buy .38 Special Factory Ammunition, Or To Reload Your Own With Bought Or Cast Bullets? Prior to 1826 all trappers and mountain men were armed with flintlocks. The Romantic Era of the early 19th-century was the period when European nations rose up with hopes of making their way onto the political map. A good flintlock w/ clean touch hole and proper frizzen and hard flint is entirely as fast as percussion..Not dependent on iffy capps and the unavailability of such.. Henry Krank - Everything for Shooters & Collectors, You have no items in your shopping cart. The invention of the ‘scent bottle’ percussion system, using fulminates of mercury, by Rev. Regards Matt 24 November 2015 at 20:32 Flint locks are addicting. It takes away the frustration that flintlock can sometimes have, and is the easier foray into the world of muzzle loading. This means that you will see the flash and then there will be a noticeable amount of time before the gun goes off. Unfortunately, your browser doesn't support HTML5 canvas. Flintlocks are the way to go.. One less ignition system relying on expensive caps and laws controlling them!! Given the reliability and consistency of the percussion action over flintlock, percussion guns give new shooters less to worry about and control, there is therefore less to go wrong. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Loading from the muzzle is the same, though ideally a separate (finer) powder will charge the priming pan. A fresh cap cured it, but it was too late by then. Here is an example of the patent breach percussion system. He loads and fires the rifle twice in 1m21s, and the flintlock twice in 2m, counting two misfires which took up 15s. Many flintlocks were converted to percussion using this method. Available in flintlock and percussion versions. Anyway, assuming the above is the right direction, what should i get..... .50 or .54 cal? When choosing a muzzle loading pistol or rifle, probably the biggest decision to make, is whether to buy a flintlock gun, or percussion. The flintlock ignition system came into use during the 1600’s. It is more restraint to weather, can be faster to load, and because it generates a hotter flame than a flintlock can it offers more reliable ignition with powder of questionable quality or substitute black powder. Results for the flintlock; 922 misfires (1 in 6.5 attempts), and for the percussion cap; 36 misfires (1 … Percussion continues today as an enthusiast’s hobby, it is now long obsolete, though this is not to suggest it is not fun to shoot! The drum system allows easy conversion of flintlocks to the percussion system simply by drilling and tapping the vent hole in the barrel to accept the drum, removing the firzzen and pan from the lock and changing the cock for a hammer. It is essential the flint is decently sharp, and the frizzen sparks well. This is not to say this is comparably easy as breech loading guns. An expedient method of getting some more life out of a blunt flint is to tap the striking surface with a penknife blade, chipping off small pieces of flint and bringing the edge back to a useable condition. The advantages of percussion over flintlock are profound. For any further questions, or clarification, please email sales@henrykrank.com or telephone 01132569163. The Thinking of buying a tang sight for your Pedersoli rifle? Yes I said flint lock someone had swapped the percussion cap system out for flint lock. But a percussion cap rifle would fire in any weather. Flintlocks aren’t much used outside of flintlock only competitions, as the lock time puts it at a serious disadvantage and handicaps shooters, compared to those using percussion guns. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes the cap, igniting the chemical which sparks through a hole in the nipple into the main charge in the barrel, firing the gun. Gun Parts: for flint, percussion, & early cartridge guns. Once the correct powder charge and ball combination is found, a new shooter should be able, with diligence and attention when loading, to put up a respectable group without much bother. As with all shooting related decisions, it will rest mainly on what kind of shooting you intend on doing. Deerhunter Rifle .50 cal Flintlock Select Hardwood/Blued We have designed this muzzleloader to be lightweight, easy to shoot and incredibly accurate for a very modest price. Summer time on a river bottom woods walk with flint, cap and ball. A portion of the powder charge will fill this chamber in the breach where it is exposed to the flame from the exploding cap. Percussion Lock. There are your choices: flintlock versus percussion, and .50 versus .54. As nouns the difference between flintlock and percussion is that flintlock is an early type of firearm, using a spring-loaded flint to strike sparks into the firing pan while percussion is (countable) the collision of two bodies in order to produce a sound. Musket competitions are fun, shooting 13 shots within 30 minutes. Recharging primers is now, again, a thing. For new shooters, looking to get into muzzle loading guns, I would recommend a percussion gun first. The differences in average scores between the two are significant. The lock time on flintlocks is slow, as two separate detonations take place, this means a lot of lead is required to hit clays consistently. The Lyman Great Plains Hunter rifle is very similar to their Great Plains … Additionally, the improved ignition systems (percussion cap) of the more modern rifled musket was a great improvement over the earlier flintlock systems, allowing soldiers much less chance of misfire…which at minimum forced the soldier to recharge his weapon, and actually could take the soldier out of the battle altogether to find another weapon. The most vital problems were: 1. Hi All, Im about to purchase my first muzzleloader!! some place it is cap or flint only, some must have iron sites, others if you are shooting muzzle loaded weapon you are good, I have both a cap and ball and an inline, Percussion cap is a TC renagde in .54 deadly to 125yds (2.5 inch groups) TC Encore .50 inline with scope can shoot to 250yds (2.5 inch groups) The percussion ignition system was more weatherproof and reliable than the flintlock, but the transition from flintlock to percussion cap was a slow one, and the percussion system was not widely used until around 1830. Flintlock development continued with the adoption of the Brown Bess in 1722, which remained in service (with British forces at least) until 1854, a staggering 132 years, before finally rendered obsolete by the percussion system. There were several variations of percussion ignition systems developed in the early 19 th century, but the invention of the percussion cap around 1820 brought about the first significant change to firearms ignition since the invention of the flintlock. Shooters new to black powder muzzle loading guns may wish to start on flintlock, if they are prepared to work to achieve good results, it is foolhardy to expect a flintlock gun of any kind to shoot perfectly straight out of the box. Dixie Gun Works 1412 West Reelfoot Avenue Union City, TN 38261. Flints had to be sharp, otherwise they will not shave metal off the frizzen and create the shower of sparks needed for ignition. The very earliest form of flint ignited gun was the very complicated and expensive wheellock mechanism, invented around the start of the 16th century (debatably by Leonardo Da Vinci), which used a piece of pyrite held against a spring loaded roughened steel barrel, similar to a cigarette lighter, which required rewinding after each shot. With the hotter ,stronger musket cap is there a tradeoff in accuracy compared to a percussion cap? Flintlock vs. Percussion ... With the percussion cap, there was no priming powder to blow away or get wet. Forsyth revolutionised firearms manufacture in the very early 19th century, and this was quickly evolved into the more convenient percussion lock system (allegedly) by the renown firearms manufacturer Joseph Egg. So you could perhaps chalk up time differences to that and to training, as well as he isn't going for speed. The frizzen would not fail to spark during humid conditions. Percussion caps have a lock time, but its much less than flintlocks. It was a Pedersoli Kodiak Safari in .72 Caliber. For more information on buying, and the use of particular muzzle loading guns, please see the blogs below. One such was the German Nation. Lyman Great Plains Hunter. Percussion rifles are still very capable, guns such as the .451 Whitworth rifle is capable of 1000 yard shooting, and is probably a more accurate rifle than the shooter. Any load data posted on this site is safe in my guns. The transition from flintlock to percussion cap is very minor, and many flintlocks were converted. Along with the usual considerations of the correct charge and ball size, flintlock shooters may wish to try different priming powders, or shapes of flint, which can make all the difference in terms of consistent ignition. The trick to shooting flintlock guns, along with any guns really, is consistency, and with careful loading and consistent practise, this can be achieved, and flintlock guns can be made to shoot very well. The Tap-O-Cap is a tool that was made by Forster. That’s as a hundred million additional firearms have been added to the … I… This simple, convenient, and more self-contained method of ignition paved the way for repeating firearms such as Colt’s single action revolvers, military rifles, and target rifles manufactured up until the very late 19th century. Just because flintlock guns were the best you could have for over two hundred years does not mean it was a perfect mechanism. I had a unique one years ago I’m sad I got rid of. As mentioned previously, flintlock is onerous and unreliable in comparison to percussion, so is not terribly well suited to general muzzle loading competitions, but I would argue it is just as fun, if not more so, to shoot. Absolutely disgraceful. It consists of a sharp flint held firmly in the jaws of the cock. In this case, the flintlock cock has been removed and a new hammer was installed at the time of conversion sometime in the 19th century. seems like an affordable option for my first one, and percussion cap might be easier to get the hang of over flintlock. The channel from the nipple to the powder charge is contained in the breach plug that threads into the end of the barrel. A flintlock is a musket. More specifically any smoothbore long gun loaded from the muzzle is considered a musket, no matter if it works with a matchlock, a flintlock, wheel lock, or a percussion cap. Flintlock vs Percussion. These are original antique muzzleloaders that are made by individual gunsmiths or small manufacturing concerns, usually prior to the era of mass production, but sometimes well into the mid-19th century. If you haven’t seen or read Sharpe, give it a go, it’s now on Netflix. Reproduction of a target pistol, of Central European style, with simple and essential lines. The hammer has uncocked, half-cocked and fully cocked positions just like the flintlock. It has a chamber, smaller in diameter than the barrels bore, connected at right angle to the channel leading to the nipple. A flintlock weapon like the Brown Bess would be unusable in rainy or humid weather; the gunpowder to fire it being exposed to the moisture. This style percussion lock utilizes a drum which is a hollow, threaded tube. My .54 percussion Lyman GPR failed me last deer season on a day when it was 'misting' all morning.