First rooster 2015

[Nath]

Flintlocking again folks in the fall air.
First up was a squirrel I promised for someone to try.



Then I treated myself to a smart cock rooster.



N.

[Lassiter]

Nice one!

[Dusty Texian]

Looks like a great day Nath. Whats the temp's running over there? Bet that phesant would be fine eating! ,,,DT

[Griff]

[plowboy 45]

Some good shootin there Nate

[boolitshooter]

Nate, nice bag. It appears you have a great shooting perserve you are hunting on as demonstrated by your many photos. I really enjoy you photos and descriptions.
Are you the game caretaker of the Queen's grounds?

[M. M. Wright]

Very nice Nath! Wish I had the skin from that cock for my fly tying kit. Guess I'll have to go kill me one. We don't have them in my immediate vicinity but are fairly close to my north, in Kansas. A few years back I got to hunt pheasant quite a lot while going west for prairie dogs but it's 400 miles.
As always I appreciate your pics and stories.

[Nath]

Thanks gents.
Temperature was quite warm, about 13C, is that around 60F?
I was a little over dressed to be honest.

N.

[Rusty]

Thanks gents.
Temperature was quite warm, about 13C, is that around 60F?
I was a little over dressed to be honest.

N.

Nice pictures! I'd love to see what 60 degrees feels like again.

[Les Staley]

Great pics, Nath. Is that a Northwest Trade gun? Looks like one Barnett made to trade to the American Indians. They were smooth bore about 62 caliber IIRC. Would be an easily maintained weapon for a primitive society. Lots of history on this side of the pond.. Just wondering..

[Nath]

Great pics, Nath. Is that a Northwest Trade gun? Looks like one Barnett made to trade to the American Indians. They were smooth bore about 62 caliber IIRC. Would be an easily maintained weapon for a primitive society. Lots of history on this side of the pond.. Just wondering..

It is Pedersoli's rendition of a trade gun yes. The bore measures .629"
I do enjoy the primitive way these guns offer.

[Les Staley]

Interesting guns. The originals were made with very long barrels for a comercial reason. Traded for a stack of furs as tall as the gun, that extra barrel length really increased the profit margin with a very cheap initial investment.

[Pete44ru]

.

That's a beautiful ringneck, you took there, Nath ! !

It looks like you went out w/o Tia - How's she doing ?



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[hondo1892]

Nath, nice shooting. I hope to get a turkey some day with a flint gun.

[Nath]

.

That's a beautiful ringneck, you took there, Nath ! !

It looks like you went out w/o Tia - How's she doing ?



.

Tia is well, she only comes on short walks now.

[gamekeeper]

I have had a hankering for Pedersoli Trade Gun since I first saw one, could be the ultimate survival gun!
Nice shootin' by the way...

[Nath]

I have had a hankering for Pedersoli Trade Gun since I first saw one, could be the ultimate survival gun!
Nice shootin' by the way...

Personally I think their short Bess is a better gun. A better lock for sure! I swear that lock would spark with a piece of house brick wedged in the cock!

N.

[Pete44ru]

.

That's a beautiful ringneck, you took there, Nath ! !

It looks like you went out w/o Tia - How's she doing ?

Tia is well, she only comes on short walks now.

Well, she's surely earned her retirement, from being a (hunting dog) model .....


.

[gamekeeper]

I have had a hankering for Pedersoli Trade Gun since I first saw one, could be the ultimate survival gun!
Nice shootin' by the way...

Personally I think their short Bess is a better gun. A better lock for sure! I swear that lock would spark with a piece of house brick wedged in the cock!

N.

Thanks Nath, I respect your opinion on such things I doubt that I'll buy another flinter now, due partly to the black powder regulations and extra licenses required.
I still have some bp substitute for caplocks however.

[hondo1892]

Nath if you were this side of the pond I would offer to fix your frizzen to spark better. You can buy casehardening powder and add carbon to the frizzen, some times they just need reheat treating. I personally like to half sole frizzens when they don't spark well.

[Nath]

Nath if you were this side of the pond I would offer to fix your frizzen to spark better. You can buy casehardening powder and add carbon to the frizzen, some times they just need reheat treating. I personally like to half sole frizzens when they don't spark well.

Thank you, I already done it though sir.
I did it the old way. In a can of leather, old engine oil and charcoal dust in my wood stove. I quenched with boiling water from a very dull red.

The geometry of the Lott lock copy is famously poor. I have changed the angle of the cock a little but think it would be even better if it was further away from the frizzen so its angle of incidence was shallower.
Flint knapping is mandatory every fourth shot or so.
Other than that it is a lot quicker than new!

N.

[TedH]

Always enjoy your pics Nath.

[Ysabel Kid]

Very nice!

[hondo1892]

Nath have you checked to see if the frizzen is bouncing back and hitting the flint. It also helps sometimes any how if the frizzen itself gets more of an arc and slanted back a tad. If that makes sense. Your right the geometry has to be right for it to be a really good lock.

[Nath]

Nath have you checked to see if the frizzen is bouncing back and hitting the flint. It also helps sometimes any how if the frizzen itself gets more of an arc and slanted back a tad. If that makes sense. Your right the geometry has to be right for it to be a really good lock.

Yes, thankyou, investigated bouncing too.
I welded and ground the frizzen heel to reduce bounce.
I adapted another spring which worked real good but returned the original one to the lock.
I honestly believe the angle the flint hits the frizzen is the reason for poor flint life and there is little I can do to change that anymore than already have.
It is very quick now compared with when new.
N.

[Nath]

I filmed the lock and took some stills out of it
.

The image below shows a home made frizzen spring and modified frizzen heel.



N.

[hondo1892]

Nath that replacement spring looks pretty good. Why did you go back to the factory one? Was the new one too strong?

[Nath]

Nath that replacement spring looks pretty good. Why did you go back to the factory one? Was the new one too strong?

Good question and I don't know really!
I think I should try it again thinking about it.

[Nath]

I put my home made frizzen spring on today.
The gun fired real quick today on an old flint!
Think I will leave it on

[Ji in Hawaii]

Nice Squil (yup, meant to say that), non native invasive, correct? Do Brits eat squils?

My bird season starts first weekend in November, debating whether it's worth the 120 mile round trip for a 20% success ratio hunt.

[Nath]

Nice Squil (yup, meant to say that), non native invasive, correct? Do Brits eat squils?

My bird season starts first weekend in November, debating whether it's worth the 120 mile round trip for a 20% success ratio hunt.

I eat the odd one now and then and yes non native.
That's a long journey Ji, what bird would that be old friend?

[RIHMFIRE]

I really like these posts....Enjoy your pheasant dinner!