New Flint Pistol

R

Rookie21

New member
Just traded my 32 Lewis built backwards lock for this Chris Hageman built 32 backwards lock. It uses a simple trigger and the internals of the lock seem original. Just a custom frame, barrel, and lock plate. The lock still uses and works just like a standard or traditional one. Easy to work on and maintain or repair. I put the grips on it, the trigger stop, and the spring behind the trigger for extra weight. I'm gonna use it in the friendship matches this year.



 
Now C'mon.
Flintlocks ain't supposed to look like Zip Guns. :)
Enjoy your trip to Friendship and shoot well.
I'm jealous.
I regrettably never went when we lived only a few hours away.
Especially now that we live half way across the country.
 
While I don't understand these type guns, I'm sure it will shoot well.

For me and many others, we would rather not have a gun like that. Some of us enjoy the old guns and there quirks and archaic qualities make them all the more interesting and enjoyable to shoot.

I think you pistol is a bit ridiculous, I won't lie. But if you like it and enjoy shooting it, that's all that matters! :)
 
Trust me when I say I have a passion for the original and reproduction side of things. I love the look of a set of continental dueling pistols and the Le Page flint and percussion pistols. Even paper patched black powder cartridge ammunition is an interesting thing in its self. But when shooting in an "unlimited" match, for points, and for the title of national champion - then guns like mine are what you'll see. There are matches for traditional and reproduction that I plan on competing in one day when I can afford a second set of guns. Right now my focus is the unlimited class. Ridiculous or not it still boils down to who's the best shot on the line. The gun doesn't make the shooter any better (or at least to any major degree) the shooter still needs to master the fundamentals and be able to call up good shots on command. That's what this gun is for. No hard feelings on my end. Just excited for the match coming up.
 
20 grains of 3Fg Goex with a .319 Lee cast ball and .012" Muslin patch puts you in the 10 ring at 50 yards. Shoots great! With the grips set up for my hand fit, and the idea of a lock put on backwards the follow through needed to keep the muzzle bobble down to a minimum is much much less than if I had a lock on facing forwards. Recoil is very minimal and I shoot it almost as well as I do my cap lock. It's not front heavy, it's well balanced but overall it's not too light of a gun not too heavy. It seems to be my perfect fit for a competitive flint pistol. This is the third flint pistol I've owned. The other two just didn't cut it for me. Guns are like shoes. Can't buy a size 8 when you need a 10.5.
 
F1 vs daily driver

I think you(r) pistol is a bit ridiculous, I won't lie.
Click to expand...

I've never thought of something built to be the best for a specific purpose, as being ridiculous. Ridiculous doesn't fit that scenario. I can see the efficiency of the design, and there is beauty in that.

Function over form, for a change (don't marry an art major).

Some would say ridiculous is needing to bend the bolt on a Mosin Nagant to keep it from snagging on everything, but I'll bet you think it's functional. :)

Rookie--How do you check/change the balance? Do you add weight to the grip?

Good luck and keep 'driving nails'.
 
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Rookie--How do you check/change the balance? Do you add weight to the grip?


Well this gun doesn't actually have an ability to change up the weight or balance. It just happened to be built well for my preference. My previous flint pistol - a Rob Lewis .32 backwards lock - had a dovetail rail or rack cut into the bottom flat of there barrel and had weights that you could slide in and tighten a set screw to keep them in place. There was a bolt hole in the heal where I bolted a piece of lead to it to add weight. But it was a VERY light gun. No offense but probably built for a female or someone of small figure. This new one here has no options like that. But a machinist could easily set up something simple to screw on or bolt on weights in different places if need be. For me it's not needed.

To see how a handgun balances in my hand (this is just me not THE method or end all be all - just me) I like to take the barrel of the pistol with my non shooting hand, and put the gun into my shooting hand and let my shooting hand find its comfortable but solid grip. My hand needs to be part of the gun. It's an extension. Then I hold it up and aim it in a safe direction and I look to see how it naturally positions itself. How much is needed to correct my sight alignment? Once I'm on target I take notice of how front heavy it might be, or is too light and it's hard to keep on target? As the gun is in my shooting hand is the weight of the gun evenly supported or does it droop one way or another?

Again this is just me.

And personally I think it's a well designed gun and has an attractiveness to its appearance.
 
It's not my cup o tea for sure but then neither are 99.9% of the brass frame revolvers out there. If that's what floats your boat then gopher it. :D
 
I used to think pistols of this genre were ugly, weird, and Twilight Zone guns.

Since I have investigated further, the owners and creators of such pistols have one purpose: to cut one ragged hole in the 10 ring with multiple shots.

These pistols are a pure product of gunsmith ingenuity. They vary in parts/pieces from revolver, 1911, Colt Woodsman, and others as well as many 19th century-style locks and handmade parts.

It may not be orthodox, but they do have one purpose.

My hat is off to those folks that venture to the other side.

I have several more pics but the forum software seems only to allow 3 pics as attachments.

Jim
 
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More shooters... and there seems to be a limit upon how many pics one can post on one thread. Oh, well, maybe later after the software quits concentrating on my posts.

Very interesting guns.
 
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That Remington is wild!

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To the OP:

I did not want to hijack your thread. Just wanted to show the naysayers that your pistol is not an anomaly. I just think that most posters are not familiar with this side of BP pistol shooting, and I just stumbled upon it quite recently.

Q: What is the purpose of the "rest" on the butt of the pistol?

I ask this in all honesty as I have no knowledge of this area of the BP sport, and since you traded a somewhat like pistol for the one pictured in your post, you must be fairly involved in this area.

Thanks in advance!

Jim
 
Personally I think the OPs pistol is cool. It does not represent history, and to me it's not aesthetically pleasing.
The gun is made for a single purpose, target shooting. I find the engineering to be interesting and would truly enjoy shooting a gun like that.
 
The grips you see with an adjustable heal rest or support for the bottom of the grip - those are grips manufactured by Harrett and are the "Nationals" model. They are made for many different makes and models of conventional handguns. Because there are so many grip options on the market for 1911's, S&W M41's, Ruger MKII/III etc. gun builders (of this type of custom muzzleloader pistol) use a modern grip frame or angle to copy so that they don't have to make custom grips. Grips can be purchased per the shooters preference and be installed typically with minor fitting.

The reason the heal rest in there is because it adds some extra support, helps keep the muzzle from dropping some, and helps lock your hand into the gun. The gun needs to be an extension of your arm. It's not in your hand, it is part of your hand. When you point your arm the gun points with it rather than using your arm to only hold the gun up and your hand to point it. It's needs to be smooth and support and control needs to flow from shoulder to muzzle uninterrupted.

Conventional guns and revolvers of any time era need a hard hold to shoot well. Single shot cap locks and flintlocks need more of a finesse. The adjustable support on the grip has held me back and interfered with the shot causing flyers sometimes. When I recently switched back to slab sided grips with only a thumb rest on my cap and flint my scores and consistency picked up some. On a conventional pistol these grips work well. For me - not so much on my cap and flint. Even my new flint I just posted has had some modification work to the grips. For some these grips work well on muzzleloaders. For others like me, I'm learning that they can get in the way. Look at NRA Bullseye Pistol. Many of the winners and champs all happen to shoot slab sided grips. Coincidence? I think not.

A grip needs to be the same every time. It's important because a different grip will give you a different point of impact. So because accuracy is consistency at its best - the grip therefore must be consistent.
 
And if you're curious I can tell you either who owns or built every gun pictured in this thread so far except for one. Some are and were mine, most are Phil's.
 
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