Flintlock Rifle Breakdown and Cleaning
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- Опубликовано: 17 ноя 2024
- Special thanks to Simeon England for sharing his expertise with us!
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Very informative. I never suspected a flintlock is such an intricate piece of mechanism.
Me neither, i love it.
Intricate but elegantly simple in as few parts needed to make a functional weapon.
Not to mention an absolute pain to operate compared to the modern understanding of guns. Most of a soldiers time is just spent looking after his equipment but in a way, that in itself can bring comfort.
BillB1963 glock simplicity before glock lol
All of these guns were hand fitted back in the day. The guys who made them were masters of their craft.
Been keeping up with Townsends since, ummm, long before the internet. First discovered them through the "Backwoodsman" magazine. Watched about every video they put out. Said that to say this; this is the best video/presentation I've seen to date.
Yes, this was very unique videos to find. Loads of material about the guns and their history to find on the internet, but this was the first video (for me) that showed actual maintanence.
I'm subscribing to that magazine.. it's Awesomely Awesome..
Best description of tear down and cleaning I have watched. Like the way you went through the lock parts. You know your business. Thank you
When he said out in the field he wasn't joking... He's literally out in the field
he really do be out in the field
Simeon England goes hard. Man is the real deal.
This was wonderful footage of a flintlock rifle breakdown and cleaning. I had no idea it could have so many small delicate parts that needed oiling. It sure gives a person a new perspective on how our ancestors had to care for their firearms then. Thanks so much Jon for doing this video, this was very educational as well as interesting. 2nd grt. grandpa was a gunsmith, so it was really interesting to me to see this fellow disassemble his gun, as a person would out in the field, instead of in a gun shop. To think that one tiny little piece could make the gun nonfunctional, amazing!
I have my grandfather's hand-made flintlocks! This video was so educational, I will be cleaning them the proper way from now on!
You should definitely do an era correct firearms series
I'd love to see him go out on an expedition for a week or two and do a like 2 hour video on the whole experience, hunting with flintlocks, surviving in shelters etcetera
SO MUCH THIS.
Please do!
He could call it, "Forgotten Weapons"! Oh, wait...
@@Grimenoughtomaketherobotcry lol
A tip to remove the lock plate, leaving the lock screws in place after unscrewing them, thread them back in 1 complete turn, then lightly tap on the heads of the 2 screws, first 1 then the other going back and forth until the lock plate has come out past the in letting of the wood. By leaving the screws 1 turn in, it will keep the lock plate from falling on the ground. You would not believe how many lock inlet repairs I have had to do because the fit up was tight and newer shooters would pry the lock out wih the hammer or frizzen. Also a tip for cleaning after a fairly extensive shooting session, place a piece of leather or cloth patch down occluded the touch hole and letting the frizzen down to seal the touch hole. Take a coffee pot wih heated water, the hotter the better but keep in mind you will most lokely spill it so not so hot as to burn skin. Angling the gun about 45 degrees with the lock plate facing down, pour the hot water down the bore and once filled, let set for a few moments ad then tilt the barrel upto empty the barrel. Do this several times until the water comes out clean. This will greatly reduce the amount of tow or patches you will have to use to clean your gun. Also, the water that will seep out of the touch hole will soften the dry powder hat has accumulated on and in the lock making cleanup of that even easier.
As and fyi, I have been shooting competition black powder since 1995 in the N-SSA and have been gunsmithing/building black powder guns for about as long. If you ever get a chance to attend a skirmish, you will lilly enjoy yourself and join, now you can't say I didn't warn you.
I use the coffee pot a lot when I clean mine but I never thought to seal the nipple, I only have percussion rifles at the moment, and let it sit for a bit. I always plunger it and force the water out of the nipple or put the breech in a bucket of hot water and plunger it in and out. I’m going to try your way next time, I appreciate you putting it out there.
if you could do a short video that would be greatly appreciated!
Well done! Simeon was a great choice to do this demonstration.
I know this is not about cooking but this is one of my favorite videos. I have tried to demonstrate period correct firearm cleaning but Mr. England does an outstanding job !
@Townsends thank you for this informative video.
Could you have Simeon do more flintlock videos? The education he provides is fantastic. IDK what I'd do with out this channel, it is bringing me back to my old Revolutionary War days where I would pretend to fight line battles all by myself. Love history.
Now that is just plain cool! The presenter really knows what he's talking about too.
An excellent lesson on gun maintainance. Today we don't realize how important this was in surviving the back country or even on the farm. Thank You Kindly! DaveyJO in Pa.
I requested this exact video about 6 months to a year ago. I was so happy when I saw it. I own many black powder muskets, rifles, and revolvers. And it is always good to see how people clean their black powder arms. Small differences with so many people. But overall the same. Great video!
I am a Townsend addict. I ordered years ago when Jon's dad was in charge. I bumped into this channel & have been binge watching for 2 weeks & have placed 2 large orders. I love 18th century history-always have. I have my family traced back to 847. I also have my 9th great grandmas starter (1630 England). Happy to share some. Possible interests 18th century jewelry & sourdough use. Thanks Jon.
It is nice to see people keeping the old skills of history alive.
Mr Townsend. I just wanted to say i am a big fan of your channel and i was a bit starstruck when i saw you walking up to your station at the missinawa 1812 reenactment.
Very helpful. I wish I had this kind of information years ago. Thank you Mr. England and Mr. Townsend!
Not knowing much about guns, I was looking at a Civil War era musket one time and I wondered why there was a threaded bit on the end of the ramrod, but it makes perfect sense that you'd use that to attach a cleaning tool. Great video.
Potentially it could also be used to thread into the storage so that the rod won't come loose during firing.
Ok. I only watched because it's Townsends. No Interest in this subject before ...but NOW I think it's fascinating. Consider your work done #townsends
The thread also accepts grenade launchers and suppressors
Along with a cleaning tool (a jag), a worm puller (to remove any stuck patches inside the bore) and a ball/bullet puller were also used and threaded on to the end of the ramrod.
@@mrs.schmenkman you should watch capandball. He shoots many blackpowder firearms going back to the 1400s with with handgonnes
Fine and practical instruction at a level I have not seen before. I have not seen the spring vise before, nor understood its use.
A very nicely done video - thanks Jon and the whole Townsends crew! Simeon England delivers in a nice, low-key fashion a good bit of his expertise, demonstrating that there was far more involved with a flintlock than just stoking powder down the bore. Glad to see his use of his apron as a convenient location to position his parts while working on the rifle - also noticed his bare feet! It's clear he was in no mood to suddenly jump up and start running after another bear! (grin)
Great vids, been watching for about 2 or 3 years
always a pleasure to see someone who knows what they are doing.
*he is doing
Great demonstration ! He knows how and why! I am a black powder shooter and this is wonderful see presented properly !
Great demonstration. I was really surprised when he opened the stock and revealed what was inside.
GREAT VIDEO Thank you!! The only thing I'd say is use something to hold all your parts in once they're removed. If in the field, a pouch, rag, your hat or even a piece of rounded tree bark would suffice to keep the parts safely together. Scattering parts on the ground, on your legs, knees and in your lap is a recipe for disaster if you had to get up real quick for whatever reason and you lost a part(s). If this was the only Musket you had with your life depending on it for food or foe, you'd be in real trouble.
Good point
This is so excellent. Thank you so much.
Great informative video. I have removed the lock to clean it, but haven’t actually disassembled the lock. Thanks for this!
Brilliant, I never thought that there was that much inside the mechanism. Thanks for sharing
I've watched many many many videos of Flint lock and other mussle loaded guns this is the best I've ever seen.. thanks
Very clear and simple instructions for a task of great importance.
Thank you!
These videos are gold as I am about to do my first revolutionary war reenactment and I intend to go as a longhunter/ Scots-Irish militiaman. Also this video is gonna help tremendously as it will be my first time handling a flintlock and I most definitely need to know how to clean a flintlock
Ensuring one’s implements are ready and in good working order, especially those that bring food to the table and defends one family, was a must on the the frontier.
Great video Simeon! That was awesome to watch
Thank you for the video on this subject. I appreciate the work that goes into proper maintenance of any weapon.
While volunteering at Fort Stawix ,as a solder in the third NY, I always cleaned my Charleville musket , or cannon, after firing demonstration.
One piece of information I would like to pass on though.
The term "frizen" is technically correct when referring to the part of the lock that the flint strikes upon to excite sparks into the pan.
However, this term wasn't used until early in the nineteenth century. Before then, this part of the lock was refereed to as the "hammer", and included a safety feature known as the "hammer stall". The hammer stall was usually made of two small pieces of rawhide sewn together to make a cover that was slipped over the hammer to prevent sparks from igniting the powder.
During firing procedure, the hammer stall was the last thing to come off the lock while making ready before firing, and first thing to go back on after firing.
Also, black powder is an accelerant , not an explosive. Fun fact.
This is a excellent video on the care and field maintenance for reenactment or primitive black powder hunters. I like how he explains why to tighten the screws to certain tightness. Attention to details is what keeps these guns running for so long. This guy obviously has been around these type of guns for some time.
Great setting, great topic, great outfits. Happy Holidays!
Most. practical and low key informative video. Cut right to the chase!
Outstanding demonstration! Thank you!
Great video, you are extremely careful and meticulous about cleaning and handling your rifle, as I'm sure hunters of the period were also. They had to be, their rifles were their means of making a living and an investment to a future and better life. I have never shot a flintlock but, have had several percussion and BPCR rifles that I have shot and hunted with. I have always admired a well made firearm and, the flintlock, must surely be on the very edge of the beginning of workmanship and beauty in the firearms progression in the world. Truly they were a product of artisans in metal and wood before the old adage of "form follows function" was coined. From what I have seen, being a admirer of fine firearms, is that the flintlock rifles were some of the most beautiful guns ever made. I am also a collector of Winchester and Marlin vintage rifles and shoot all of my collections. I have also been a flintknapper for over 35 years so it just seems reasonable I should be shooting a flintlock. After watching your video I am restored with a desire to own and shoot a flintlock rifle. I will have to do some research on acquiring a good one. If you have any suggestions where one can find a good reproduction or original that won't break the bank it would be greatly appreciated, as growing up in Wyoming and Montana most historical firearms are of a later period and I really have no connections for the beautifully made and accurate flintlocks like you use. I have always greatly admired the beautiful work that went into the manufacture of the barrels, locks and the wood in these fine weapons,. They are truly a masterpiece of artistic labor and detail of blacksmithing, metallurgy, and woodworking.Also, all my knowledge of cleaning black power arms have centered around modern cleaners and/or hot water. I have always been very careful to not use any water unless it was hot enough to make the metal quickly evaporate any moisture that could collect in nooks and crannies that may be missed when cleaning. I was quite surprised to see you using cold water to swab your barrel. And I guess I can see using cold water if the firearm is to be used fairly soon after cleaning but, I have never considered using it to clean the barrel and not use it for possible several days to weeks or longer. Even lubricating the gun after cleaning may still allow small areas of moisture to collect in hard to reach areas or at the bottom of the barrel. Is using cold water the standard operational procedure that most period hunters and you use regularly or just a quick cleaning when it becomes absolutely necessary knowing you will be using the gun soon after the cleaning.One more question; do you make your own black powder? I can tell by looking at and listening to you that you are a veritable wealth of information on the flintlock rifle as well as how people lived, dressed and the tools they used in this time period. Thank you and Townsends for taking the effort and time to make this video, the information in it is very valuable and interesting. Well done!
Wonderful video, Mr. England!
Thank you sir!
Wonderful to see traditional dress and environment. Good job. The pride and passion is v e r y clearly there.
I have to replace a broken sere on a percussion pistol; the locks aren't that different and this video was very helpful in seeing what I ought to do and ought not to do. Thank you very much!
It must have been nerve wracking to do when your life depended on that gun and there were few shops to buy parts.
@Amy Sternheim Exactly, loose a small part in the dirt, you would be looking, desperately, for a long time. No getting on line and getting it delivered to your door. You had to be tough and smart back then.
Having it all apart in pieces and hearing someone or something approach.
@Edward Weigle lost a screw doing lawnmower repair. I tried a magnet, I was very glad I could go to a parts department lol.
@@bobbyharper8710 - or "forget" and stand up with the parts still on your lap😫
@Amy Sternheim you probably knew this but it's the same reason why rifled barrels were rare and expensive as the rifling had to be done by hand essentially
Thanks for the Video. Answered a lot of questions about "how they did it before breach loaders" that I had
Well done with great information & no waste of time. Like the cabin, also.
Now this is good information. Keeping old ways alive, wonderful to witness.
A useful video on an often forgotten part of such things!
really great overview of cleaning his rifle.
This is inspiring. I do not own a gun. But, I do own mechanical equipment that needs regular maintenance.
Nov 2022. I've been a long time follower of Townsends and Sons. The history being kept alive is priceless. As a firearms enthusiast because of there history and the stories they tell.. ( I'm not into semi- autoes )Im interested in the hunting and civilian frontier use of these firearms. to think that each part was hand built , or at least hand fitted is marvelous. Q; were these early guns BLUED to make them more rust resistant ? Ontario Canada.
I appreciate the detailed walk through - this was really cool to watch (also for one who'll probably never shoot a rifle like that).
cleaning a gun back then is just as relaxing as it is now. Nice Vid!!!!
John...Great vid. Very informative. Early next year, I will be placing an order for a custom 62 cal. smooth bore fowler. Large Round faced English Lock, dark walnut finish, Chambers fancy side plate, brass furniture, Georgian relief carving, and 51 inch barrel. Can't wait. Will post pics, when done. Again, thanks for your channel in bringing the 18th century to life. Esp. like the tavern recipes.
That was very informational and very cool. I one day want to become a collector of vintage firearms and this is great for that dream of mine.
Fun fact, the ATF doesn't regulate black powder guns, or antiques older than 1900, so less paperwork.
@@DelightfulTyrant whats atf im a texan so i dont understand
Finally, solid information, from Townsends as usual.
A tip to get the lock out without dingng the edges of the lock inlet is to back the screws all the way out and then put them back in a half turn and then gently tap both lock screws alternating one then the other until the lock is out of the stock. Once it is free you can use your fingers to unscrew the lock screws the rest of the way. The process is much the same as you removed the tumbler from the hammer. If you happen to be in a match where they check your trigger weight, tightening the bridle screws down tih will allow you to have a heavier trigger pull for a few shots before they loosen up again. Warm water is what I have found to most effectively clean the powder fouling, just be sure to dry the metal thoroughly before you oil it up again. Ballistol does a decent job of cleaning the fouling but since it is a water soluble oil, if you oil your gun with it, it can rust on you if you are in a humid environment.
Lets have more Simeon,,,fascinating
I bet this could be a nervous time having your gun completely apart knowing it's your best defense in times of danger.
I would assume that not everyone is cleaning their gun simultaneously. If you are alone, then yes, that would suck, but you most likely have a secondary weapon, like a pistol or just a simple dagger/sword or something similar.
Ah, but the mind is the most dangerous weapon of all. :{
That’s another good reason to carry second and even third rifle, in addition to a sidearm, and why you need a horse.
I doubt this would have been your "best" defense. You only have one shot, so it's more useful in A. hunting and B. "classic" long-range warfare where the enemy also uses the same sort of gun, but when you're being attacked by bears, Indians or whatever (close-range attacks), this thing would be pretty useless in most cases.
@@Serjo777 Bears don't attack in packs, so it would be useful there. If you're being attacked by a group of people it would be useless. But otherwise it would definitely be the best first line of defense
Great video. One of the best I've seen on fire lock cleaning. I assume it was an omission but no corrosion protection was applied to the bore after cleaning. I assume he would have used tallow but sweet oil and foot oil were also used.
I like these. Please do more involved with the hunting types and practices if you can. No pressure not demanding. I appreciate what you do and the time it must take do it.
So many intricate parts. I had no idea. Very educational.
Great demonstration
Congrats on 700K!
I am glad you did this video. I am getting a flintlock in March most likely and was wondering how they cleaned them in the past. Can you put links for the bear oil and the thatch used for cleaning the rifle? I have become a very big fan of this channel. It has made me want to do historical reenactment. Thanks.
He is showing you how they would clean the bore in the 18th century. There are more modern and thorough methods that use a cleaning jag and cloth patches soaked in a mixture of water and water soluble oil. I'm not sure where you would buy flax (meant tow) for re enactment cleaning.
David Anderson, the tow can be purchased from major suppliers, Townsend may sell it. The bear oil you have to get from an individual, but it is available.
David...Please try to get into the reenactment/living history scene. The hobby needs new folks. A lot of us have retired from it for one reason or another....but personally I think people can get involved into their nineties. Civilian impressions are always appreciated along with the military ones. Remember the patriot Burns at the Battle of Gettysburg? He was in his seventies when he volunteered to fight with the Union troops and was seen carrying a cut-down old flintlock while donning an era 1812 - 1820 swallow tail coat.
@@carlruf9037 I do want to do reenactment/ living history. I live in Kentucky and I have yet to find who to contact to see how to get into it. I have been at Gettysburg, Battle of Perryville, and Boonesborough only as a spectator and I do like history and I decided to try it. I would appreciate any information to help me get started.
The fact that I own my great great great grandfather civil war gun now and u posted this video makes me happy I can maitnece it
Fascinating ! Its like you went back in time to film this.
Some things require no words, the look of a Mother holding a new born,
the old couple holding hands in their final moments together, some things can
not be explained only felt, small stabs deep into the soul are remembered
longer than words.But your voice gives me hope and puts joy into a heart that
often knows only despair as my rescue cat (Mr. Poopie) bravely struggles with
type 2 feline diabetes and depression coupled with PTSD.
You can “ boil the barrel out” (flush with hot water) then run dry patches, and then a oiled one to finish. Long term storage you can run a big gob of grease and run it all the way down with a patch and leave it , patch and all, then remove patch and clean the barrel before you go shooting.
Cooking and learning about flintlocks, what else can this channel do?!
Living history. Fascinating, thank you
I just fired and cleaned my new fowler, this is a great tutorial.
This man is one of the BEST!
Brilliant production. Many thanks for posting.
Very informative! thank you. I will be returning to this video many times
Doing this on grass? This man must have the utmost confidence in himself.
@@SonsOfLorgar and then you were ordered to spend the next six months cutting down all the grass in sweden until you found it
@@SonsOfLorgar not gonna lie I thought you said FN MAG and a tear formed in my eye remembering Rhodesia
It's actually stupid to tear apart the lock like that in the field. At home on a bench one or twice a year - sure. In the field, no way. Way too easy to screw up the lock or lose one of those small pieces, plus, you don't need to disassemble it to clean and oil it.
Dan Gracia What do you have failed to realize is that these guns often needed a strip down in the woods. People using these guns often didn’t have a desk job where they could criticize people by day, and work on guns in the basement on a bench by night
Simeon is an expert in this, he has done it on trips in the woods so many times that he doesn’t really worry about it!
I have a flintlock pistol. I was told that do to the sooty build up left by black powder ignition, you MUST to clean it after every shoot! The soot is absorbent and will pull moisture out of the air. The sulfur in black Bel powder is corrosive, the combination will rapidly rust and pit the gun if it's left on there for days at a time. I clean mine at the end of the day shooting. Believe it or not ,it's I do it in the kitchen sink with soap and warm water.
Loving these style of videos!
In Daniel Defoe's book "A Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain - 1724-26" he references a steel pen, "...and it will bear writing on it with a pencil or steel pen." The British Museum as well as the Museum of London have a few examples of metals pens from the renaissance and earlier periods but what would a metal pen from the 1700s look like? I'm interested in reproducing a copy and reporting back the writing experience. Any information about the style referenced in the book would be highly appreciated.
AWESOME!!!!Very informative!.You've got it Man.
Can't wait to put what I've learned here into practice, thanks!
You a good teacher.
Thank you for the kind words
This was great. I really hoped that he'd fire it afterward though. I feel like if you see it taken apart you wanna see it working after it's back together.
Good point. I can assure it was in working condition when I finished, and has fired since. :)
Abbreviated Reviews Yeah but then it would need to be cleaned again.
Where is Friday's stream? Missed it...
Just got your tin candle holder pan for Christmas and using it now for atmosphere. My candles are narrow but a bit of foil wound around the base fixes it... Terrific product!
Nice, thorough job .
Hard to believe this was common practice back in the day though .
Back in the day, you either took care of your equipment and tools, or they broke.
You didn't exactly have acess to a walmart or Amazon service to buy another Rifle if you didn't maintain yours, and an ill maintained or broken rifle meant no food in your belly.
What a great video. Thank you
AWESOME VIDEO!! THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
Nice video, very informative. Thank you for making it.
I have used muzzleloaders for years and have always wondered how in that time period they dealt with rust in the bore. In this demonstration he did not put any thing in the barrel to prevent rust.
I hear the gun metal was browned to prevent more serious rusting
As a Navy surface officer i have always been curious about how a ship pulls into port onto a pier. Today we use this but I never knew how a sailing ship could pull up onto a pier without hitting something or grounding a ship. I tried to ask the modern day sailors of the USA CONSTITUTION but they said they use this too.
*use tugs
Ballistol is wonderful on black powder guns.
Not especially period appropriate, however. Whale oil probably would be though.
@@merpius Neither is recording this stuff and uploading it on video.
Congratulations, you missed the point.
@@Saku19 This channel is about historical accuracy, nothing modern even if it may be better.
@@P_RO_ A blend of mineral oil, linseed oil, and other natural oils... it's not really "modern". Plus this is purely as someone who enjoys black powder, especially cap and ball revolvers.
Sweet oil was very popular with the military
Fantastic presentation
Thank you. I have a transitional smooth rifle that I dearly love. I use my two side plate screws when they are almost all the way out to gently tap my lock loose without twisting it. I like your house. I seal my barrel pin holes with bee wax so the holes can't let water in and it keeps them in place if I've had them out once or twice. I leave my touch hole down on a blanket when I'm cleaning to keep the water out of the wood. Where do you get your bear oil from?
Looks like a Jim Chambers lock. I have one on my rifle and love it. It's a rare occasion the rifle doesn't fire the first time and usually that's because the flint is dull or the priming is damp.
Great video, I always wanted to shoot one. I have a few rifles but a flintlock one would be awesome to add to my collection
Outstanding and educational. I'll stick to my 209 adapter though.
How often do you recommend disassembling and cleaning the lock as you teach here? I always clean the bore after every time I go shooting. Should I also be cleaning the lock like you do here as much? or is it less frequent? You said your gun was clean for a couple of more weeks... How often should I clean my Flintlock? I am used to modern guns and I clean them each time. How much cleaning is needed for a flintlock?
Thank you. this channel is indispensable and very informative.
Regarding how often they would clean the rifle, I would think that it would be more often than "when it gets difficult to load" due to black powder's corrosive nature. Since a rifle would be a major investment for many people, I would think that they would err on the side of caution and clean it after every firing, or at least every day that it was fired. Perhaps not a detail cleaning like was shown, but certainly cleaning the barrel and such.
I agree - at a time when a rifle could cost the equivalent of an average man's wage, they wouldn't risk a rusted bore. Leave a fired black powder gun for even a few days in a humid environment and it can be irreparably damaged. I have never met a single black powder enthusiast who leaves cleaning until "it gets difficult to load".
Bear Grease is the only thing available for oil or grease back then so often. It was used for so many things including medicine. Even back then people would use military surplus, which for example was Harper's Ferry........