I was at the range yesterday afternoon firing my .50 Flintlock and started wondering how many other fans of the flintlock were on this board?

It seems to me that the world would be a much "safer" place to live in if we only had flintlocks. They're hard to conceal (not that you couldn't) and take a little longer to load. Drive by shootings would probably decrease as it's a little more difficult to shoot it from a moving car...let alone reloading in one. They're not automatic, so you wouldn't be able to spray bullets indescriminately into crowds. If you get upset at someone, by the time you loaded it, you'd probably have calmed down enough to understand the ramifications of what it is you were thinking of doing. Your thoughts?

Also, for my fellow muzzleloaders, what do you carry in your possibles bag? I only use mine at the range now so it's rather sparse. Only a brass powder horn, brass measure, brass primer, pick, short starter, lubed patches, lead balls and a few jags in a plastic container. I have a much smaller bag now and carry most of my supplies in a range box.

For those who've never fired a flintlock, you are missing out!

Figured with all of the doom and gloom around here lately, I'd post something a little less gloomy.

I fired one a few times, a friend of mine was into guns. It was alot of fun!
the detroit dive team found a 1812 cannon in the detroit river this week!
I'm a little bit of a history buff. Wish I had more to add to your thread.

I'm not sure I'd call it safer. With a flintlock, you only get one shot. Against a gang of thugs armed with anything, you'd only be able to take out one, leaving the rest to beat you down and gang rape your family. I will agree to your point about it being a safer world with only flintlocks when criminals agree to attack one at a time and promise to give you enough time to reload.

My 50 cal. rifled muzzle loader is the straightest shooting gun i got.

100 grain of "black" powder and a 260 grain bullet.

Mine will take 150gr. of powder but it seems to throw of the accuracy some.

Until that bullet drops off at 200yards, it shoots so straight.

It will even shoot a lead ball pretty darn straight too.

Never shot a actual flint lock, but i think modern rifled muzzle loaders are fun and effective for both hunters and target shooters, just keep that barrel clean and don't miss.

and if you load one up, know that there is basically only one way to unload it.

Originally posted by Froggy55
I'm not sure I'd call it safer. With a flintlock, you only get one shot. Against a gang of thugs armed with anything, you'd only be able to take out one, leaving the rest to beat you down and gang rape your family. I will agree to your point about it being a safer world with only flintlocks when criminals agree to attack one at a time and promise to give you enough time to reload.

But the point of the thread was to show that if everyone only had flintlocks there would be less gun violence as they are harder to load and only have one shot. Once you light it off, you better have a back up plan to deal with the rest.

With any fight, you better hope you take them all down before you get shot "and they gang rape your family."

I think if you only had access to a flintlock, you'd think twice before using it against someone and thus reduce the amount of gun violence. That was the point of this thread.

Very ironic!!! I was at the range shooting my fathers Fowler. My shoulder is still a bit sore as I type They are a blast to shoot and require a lot more discipline then shooting a actual rifle or pistol. My pop is a bit of a traditionalist he shoots black powder quite a bit and owns a original Sharps Buffalo rifle. I think its 45/70 though I could be wrong {more likely I am} That thing is a cannon, knocked me on my back while shooting it from a seated position with poles at the end of the barrel!!

It would be a return to the big/strong man having a big advantage over everyone else, which is what Colt's revolver was created to negate. Multiple shots in the hands of a good guy kinda ruin your day when you are a bad guy. Flintlocks are inferior to crossbows in many ways. I have a design for a magazine fed, 2 shot per second sort of springbow, that will throw a bladed, poisoned dart 30m every time you pump it's action. I will have it on the market in about 2 years, I think. Patents take forever to issue, and mass production can't start without that protection, really.