Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders Additional equipment

I am getting (impatiently waiting for the arrival of) a new Flintlock rifle in 50 cal.<P>I already have a caplock rifle.(so that tells you I already have pleanty of useless stuff I thought I'd need for BP shooting)<P>What additional equipment will I need for a flintlock rifle? Please do not recommend any unnecessary stuff as I am trying to gather only the necessary equipment to take with me in the field for loading, cleaning, fixing, shooting, etc...<P>As it stand now with my caplock rifle I think I have too much, I am beginning to feel like Lewis and Clark before their expedition.<P>Currently I carry to the field:<BR>1. Inline capper full of caps and (more in pouch in cap container)<BR>2. Hinge pin puller/nipple loosener/tightner combo tool<BR>3. Powder- premeasured in plastic tubes-usually about 10. When I get cold or excited I might drop a few before being able to reload one correctly.<BR>4. Bullet starter/ball thingy<BR>5. Nipple pick<BR>6. Patch puller can attach to ramrod<BR>7. Jag attachment can attach to ramrod<BR>8. Small eye dropper filled with soapy water<BR>9. RB and patches or lubed maxi's or sabots/bullets (depending on which I want to take hunting at the time)<BR>10. Hankerchief<P>Maybe it's not a lot but I feel akward searching for each thing I need when I need it.

Blammer: It is a federal offense to carry anything made of plastic when handling a flintlock rifle Unless you want to risk incarceration by the "frizzen police" please rid yourself of those dastardly PLASTIC quick loads! Your nipple pick will work nicely as a vent pick.(Cogratulations, now it will be socially acceptable for you to "pick your vent" in public!) In addition you'll need: A wooden loading block to hold patched round balls (you are going to use round balls aren't you)-----A priming horn(they work a lot better than the charger thingies)-----A napping hammer(this is not to put the better half to sleep, but it is tempting sometimes) A primitive screw driver for the cock srew(remember no plastic, it's the law!) A flint wallet would be handy. You can get everthing you need, and be insulted with no prejudice, at "Flintlocks Inc. 317-933-3441 Talk to Gerry Eder. Tell him I sent you, and he will slander me without prejudice. Gerry is a character but he knows his stuff and can answer any questions, and give you lots of unwanted opinions to boot!<p>[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited February 26, 2001).]

Keep the speedloads, they are quite handy. All that I can think of is a priming horn (for the 4F) and a touchhole pick. You should also get a ball puller if that wasn't what you meant by the ball thingy. That may come in handy for both. And, of course, buy a good supply of flints.

I have a bullet puller just forgot to include it. That ball thingy is now (after I was educated) the bullet starter.<P>How many flints should I get? How soon do they go bad?

blamer: The flint question is hard to answer because you really don't know what kind of flints your gun will prefer, as there are several types. Some "production" flinters can be hard on "grey english" flints, and you moght be better of using "cut" flints if that's the case. What kind of rifle is it?------blammer: I just read your other tread. A word of advice. Fiberglass ramrods are ABRASIVE, and will ruin the rifleing at the muzzle, and accuracy, in short order.<p>[This message has been edited by wildcat junkie (edited February 26, 2001).]

It is a LYMAN Trade rifle and I just got it today!<P>I misquoted, it is not a Fiberglass rod but a unbreakable plastic rod.

blammer: My advice on the flint would be to buy a FEW of several types. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR GUN LIKES.

ok, here's some pockey items I use that are found around the house.<BR>A) Several paper clips. Used for vent hole picks<BR>B) A screw, you can use it to make a flint fit better, or sometimes give it a little edge.<BR>C) I don't have one yet, realised it'll come in handy: a ruffed grouse tail feather or similiar feather. I heard if you put it in the touch hole (the shaft of course), it helps.<BR>D) A toothbrush. This helps clean off the lock at the range. Although a patch can be substituted, the bristles get those "hard to reach places." Colgate thinks it only applies to teeth <BR>You'd be amazed at how much stuff you can actually make yourself.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Rattlesnake Mtn. Man:<BR><B>ok, here's some pockey items I use that are found around the house.<BR>A) Several paper clips. Used for vent hole picks<BR>B) A screw, you can use it to make a flint fit better, or sometimes give it a little edge.<BR>C) I don't have one yet, realised it'll come in handy: a ruffed grouse tail feather or similiar feather. I heard if you put it in the touch hole (the shaft of course), it helps.<BR>D) A toothbrush. This helps clean off the lock at the range. Although a patch can be substituted, the bristles get those "hard to reach places." Colgate thinks it only applies to teeth <BR>You'd be amazed at how much stuff you can actually make yourself.</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Ok, goto <A HREF="http://www.rmcsports.com" TARGET=_blank>www.rmcsports.com</A> get a brass rod (with a t on the handle) or get a brass one made to fit where your ramrod is on your gun.<BR>Get a bore protector from rmcsports as well. Not much money, like 3 bucks. Spend a little to save a lot.<BR>Now you need a ponytail, possibles bag, and a powder horn.<BR>try many flints. American flint is dirt cheap, but a little harder than English flint. French flint (the most used in the rev war) is expensive. Quite frankly, as long as it doesn't eat your frizzen and it sparks, it's all good. Get many flints, especially if you a nut like me and shoot around 200-300 roundballs per month (well, not lately, car wreck has kept me on the disabled list). Get some leather to hold that flint. <BR>If you can't find 4f right away, threef will work in the barrel and in the pan.<P>Don't overfill the pan. Use just enough to get the gun to fire. About 1/3 should do it. After you put the powder in the pan and close the frizzen, turn the lock towards the ground. This moves the powder to the far side of the pan, and makes the gun go off faster than you'll ever notice.<BR>I hope you read that above paragraph. I see too many guys overfilling their pans and then they complain about the flash and the hang time between flash and boom. If you only put enough in the pan to get your gun to go off, you won't even see a flash and there won't be a hang time. <BR>READ THE ABOVE YOUNG GRASSHOPPER.<BR>Also, you don't have to put huge amounts of powder down the hatch to have fun. Develop a middle of the road load for plinking. This allows for longer shooting periods between swabbing the bore, and amounts to less powder consumption. Trust me, when you run out of powder in the middle of shooting, and the three gun shops are either closed or don't carry it, you'll get mad.<BR>Have fun, shoot safe, watch yer top knot and all that happy stuff.<BR>AND READ ABOVE!!!!!!!!!!!<BR>Anyone else have problems with ladybugs? Darn things like the keyboard and occasionally land on my arm and startle me. Gotta go and get one off the z key!<P>Also, with a heavier ramrod such as a brass one, you can seat your bullet/ball after you gently start it. Note, gently, don't disform the projectile too much. ONe firm stoke and the brass ramrod seats the projectile (in my case, only roundballs). None of that bouncing and jamming stuff I see guys doin' HA, then they wonder why they can't get groups, heck, they beat their projectiles out of shape.<p>[This message has been edited by Rattlesnake Mtn. Man (edited February 28, 2001).]