beast44k

I recently purchased a Traditions Shenandoahflintlock and am having problems shooting it.
I'm using an English knapped flint and 3f Triple Seven powder.
When I shot it was cold and most of thetime I wasn't getting a spark from the steel andthen a few flashes in the pan.
When it did fire, it was after about two seconds of flash....which seems to be an eternity to hold on target.
Do I need to pick some finer powderto use inthe pan?

cayugad

First thing you do it get rid of the Triple Se7en powder. I hate to tell you but it just does not perform will in a flintlock. Get some Goex 3f powder. You can use the Goex 3f as your pan primer as well. About 3 grain in the outside edge of the pan. If the flint is sharp, the vent hole picked, and Goex as the main charge, that flintlock will ignite as fast as any percussion cap rifle out there. Also your accuracy will be amazing. The substitute powder just do not work in rock locks...

frontier gander

you need to use real blackpowder. all that other stuff will not work. It will take a little while for the flint to start biting into the steel and making sparks. 3f or 4f blackpowder will work in the pan. i shoot a traditions kentucky rifle and love it.

beast44k

I use triple seven pellets in my inline, and love the simplicity,it clean up easy with soapy water.

How well does the Goex clean up?
Is there a good quick method of cleaning this puppy, keeping in mind, it's not designed to be taken apart often.

cayugad

#03304 E-Z Flintlock Cleaner from Cains Outdoor Inc. Or you can get a vent plug, take that to Wal Mart and find some fish tank hose that fits over that vent liner. Then epoxy that to the vent liner. You then take out the one in the dirty rifle, screw that into the barrel and with the extended tube, weighted, drop that into a bucket of soap and water. This will allow you to pump water through the flintlock without removing the barrel from the pinned stock. http://www.cainsoutdoor.com/cart/asp/catalog_index.asp

Goex is dirty. All of us Goex shooters know that. It will clean out though with some simple flushing action through the rifle. Then a solvent patch or two, and finally some dry patching and your ready to oil it back up.

Your rifle is not nor ever was intended to shoot pellets. I am kind of surprised you got any consistant ignition at all. Even if you duplex the loads.

Get some Goex, and the cleaning kit. The speed a sharp flint and Goex will make in your rifle will bring smiles to your face and excellent accuracy with power down range...

beast44k

The Triple Seven I purchased is an fffg powder, not pellet.
I've since tried some Pyrodex fffg, and got about the same results.
I'm getting good sparks after cleaning, but after one shot,the flint gets coated and sparksare less.
I get afew flashes in the pan,and an occasionalboom, maybe one is five clicks.

Looks like Goex fffg is on the to buy list.

To think, I haven't even gotten two shoots together to see if the sights are even close......"oh the humanity!"

frontier gander

Clean up of goex takes only a few minutes and few more patchs longer than with the other fake blackpowders. After im done shooting my flintlock i just run 2 or 3 windex soaked patchs down the bore to get alot of the stuff out and to wet things and then use my bore brush with windex. Scrub the heck out of the bore. You got a looong barrel on that rifle so it will take some time. You'll love the goex once that rifle starts cracking off on your demand. I tried pyrodex and i could listen to it burn and then the rifle would go off lol. a good 2 1/2 second delay. When you wre using pyrodex, did you get all that white cakey build up on top of the barrel and lock area? My flint used to be covered with with after i shot pyrodex.

beast44k

I don't think this right,I just did another inspection of the gun, and the touch hole is a good 1/4" back from the where the ramrod stops in the barrel.
The last1/2" of the breech end is tapered down from .50 cal to maybe a 1/4" inch.
Is thiscorrect orcould it bea lack of powder to ignite?

keyshunter

Beast,
I believe that what you are seeing is what is called a patent breech. This is found on most "modern" flintlocks. There is a short section that is smaller in diameter than the bore. The jag will not fit into this area, hence the only way to thoroughly cleanit, is either the method Cayugad mentions, or the traditional method of removing the barrel, submerging the breech end into a bucket of hot water and using the rod with patch and jag to "pump" water (and soap if desired) through the barrel. The water should be very hot, since the heat will dry the barrel when set aside after cleaning. When dry, apply whatever rust preventative you want to the bore, and reassemble the rifle.

My oldest flinter is a 30+ year old T/C Hawken in which I have always used the traditional method. It's bore is still as bright as new.

Oh, and I second that you shoulduse onlygenuine black powder (Goex, Swiss, Elephant, etc.)in a flintlock. Even after all these years, I am still amazed at the speed with which a properly set up flinter will fire.