What a difference the patch makes.

[dromia]

Just thought there might be the odd viewer interested in the fine art of shooting the patched round ball.

Over the past few weeks I have been working with my latest flintlock acquisition a Pedersoli reproduction .54 calibre Mortimer flintlock target rifle. I acquired this gun early in the new year second hand for a very friendly price and have been impressed with it ever since.

It is a finely made piece that certainly looks the part as I don't have an original to compare it to I cannot vouch for its exactness, the lock seems faithful from photos I have seen both inside and out. The Mortimer was seen to be the pinnacle of flintlock development before it finally gave way to the percussion systems, the lock is finely polished on the inside complete with half cock safety, trigger release adjust screw, separate water proof pan and a roller bearing frizzen.

The lock is very fast in deed and with the pan loaded correctly it seems almost instantaneous, with Nothing B primer powder it is instantaneous or near enough as I can't tell.

Previously I had settled on 70 gns Swiss No2 FFFg as a good starting charge under a 0.535" cast round ball for 100yrds with all balls hitting the black, today I set the target up at 50 yrds to see if I could tighten up the groups by playing with patch thickness. I use dry lubed Aquoil patches from Jeff Tanner.

The first three shots were with a patch thickness of 0.010", these are the three patched holes on the target, even although they needed to be seated with a starter I still felt that they were to thin so I jumped to the thickest patch I had with me at the time 0.015" and shot the next three holes which went in at point of aim. As always the target speaks. Phwoarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[HALODIN]

Yeh right, I bet this was a 6 shot group and you just patched up the 3 worst holes...

Looks very nice and a good group to boot.

[ovenpaa]

I am always impressed with such neat holes. Any chance of a close up of the lock with the adjusting screws and is the roller a bearing or a bush type?

[WelshShooter]

Cue "three shots isn't a group" discussion Good shooting though, darn sight better than I could do with this kind of rifle.

Do you have any piccies of the waterproof pan? This is interesting, I didn't know you could water proof them!

[1066]

That's an amazing difference.

A few questions Adam:

I've never had anything to do with flintlocks, although I can well see the appeal. Something I've thought about in the past - When the powder in the pan ignites and transfers through the touch hole to ignite the main charge, isn't there a lance of hot gas/fire blasted back out through the touch hole under x thousand PSI?
Is there anything to deflect this gas? Was this a problem when firing in ranks?
Does the touch hole erode and enlarge quite quickly?
With careful loading, how reliable was a good flintlock, more than 90% chance of ignition?

[dromia]

Cue "three shots isn't a group" discussion Good shooting though, darn sight better than I could do with this kind of rifle.

Do you have any piccies of the waterproof pan? This is interesting, I didn't know you could water proof them!

You can see the pan in the photo, its separated from the frizzen and the fence so that when the frizzen is lowered onto the pan it totally covers the pan, the most usual pattern is for the lock, frizzen and pan to be joined along the top thus creating a "shelf" for water to run along into the pan in the Mortimer this "shelf" has been removed thus isolating it and allowing the frizzen to completely cover it thus shedding the water.

A thin smear of grease can also be carefully applied to the rim of the pan thus further sealing that join.

[dromia]

I am always impressed with such neat holes. Any chance of a close up of the lock with the adjusting screws and is the roller a bearing or a bush type?

You can see the roller bearing on the frizzen spring screw that the Frizzen hook resting on it.

[dromia]

That's an amazing difference.

A few questions Adam:

I've never had anything to do with flintlocks, although I can well see the appeal. Something I've thought about in the past - When the powder in the pan ignites and transfers through the touch hole to ignite the main charge, isn't there a lance of hot gas/fire blasted back out through the touch hole under x thousand PSI?
Is there anything to deflect this gas? Was this a problem when firing in ranks?
Does the touch hole erode and enlarge quite quickly?
With careful loading, how reliable was a good flintlock, more than 90% chance of ignition?

Yes there is an escape of gas through the touch hole as there is with all such externally primed firearms, It rarely bothers the shooter on the next bench. Re-enactors firing in line close together fit little brass flashguards to the frizzen spring screw to protect the fellow in the next file. I don't think they were contemporary issue with flintlocks.

The gas escape is no more or less than that with a nipple and cap for the same charge.

This gas escape through the touch hole is also very effective at keeping the patent breech consistently fouling free.

The touch hole is bushed for replacement but dosen't need replacing often I suspect thousands of shots before the hole becomes too big to retain the powder.

With a good lock, fizzen and flint, with the firer paying attention to maintaining same when loading and consistent loading and pan priming then I would expect nigh on 100% ignition. It does require attention to the details, a failure to fire is due to loading error and/or poor lock maintenance and attention.

If it don't go bang then mea culpa.

[dromia]

Obviously safety glasses are compulsory for the shooter and those near him when using these black powder firearms.

There have been the odd occasions when I have touched off flinters without remembering to put on my glasses and never noticed till after I'd shot so the fence does its work and does it well especially as I shoot rifles left handed so the lock is in my face.

Not something I'd recommend by the way and I was shocked when I'd realised the risk I'd put my sight to with my inattention.

[bradaz11]

I've never used a patch and ball rifle before, only 1860 types with minnie ball. you mention swapping between thickness of patch, from your thinnest to thickest in one swoop. How do you judge the thickness of wad? how much pressure on the rod is too much and how much is just right? or is it just a case of learned feel?