pan polishing

[Hawg]

As y'all well know I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to flintlocks. I've been doing a lot of reading and watching videos. Mostly trying to find out the do's and don'ts. I keep coming across people talking about polishing the pan. Some say it speeds up ignition. Others say it doesn't but it does make cleaning the pan easier. I figured what the hey, if it makes cleaning easier I'm all for it. I was somewhat worried the slick surface would make powder slide around and since I use very little powder in the pan it might be a bad idea but I did it anyway. I twisted the gun this way and that and the powder didn't migrate much. It just leveled out. In a hunting situation it might migrate further but I'm not up to that anymore. I must say it improved ignition speed. It's not as fast as a cap lock but it's close, dang close. I am well pleased with it. I'll clean it in a day or three and see how easy it is to clean. From what I've read just one swipe and it's clean. We shall see.

[Hawg]

One swipe with a dry rag removes all the fouling from the pan.

[Zulch]

Me not knowing much about flintlocks I find this very interesting. In fact, all your threads about flintlocks have made me very interested is trying one out. What type of metal is the pan made of?

[Bishop Creek]

I might try polishing the pans on my flintlocks after reading what Hawg did. Flintlocks are a lot of fun Zulch, easy to load and you don't have to worry about finding caps to shoot them.

[Hawg]

The pan is cast steel Z. I have no idea how polishing it makes it fire faster but it does. It definitely makes cleaning it easier so it's worth doing just for that.

[Captainkirk]

Might try that with my Great Plains. If I ever shoot it, that is.

[Hawg]

Might try that with my Great Plains. If I ever shoot it, that is.

Whacha waitin on?

[Bishop Creek]

Might try that with my Great Plains. If I ever shoot it, that is.

I'd like to see a photo of that gun Capt'n.

[Hawg]

https://coltcountryforum.com/index.php/topic,4475.msg50896/topicseen.html#msg50896

[Bishop Creek]

Thanks Hawg, You gotta shoot that Capt'n!

[Hawg]

Four years and you haven't let it breath fire and smoke. Whassa matter wif ya?

[Clydesdale4x4]

Four years and you haven't let it breath fire and smoke. Whassa matter wif ya?

I had my .50 for eight years and my .54 for two and sold them both before they made smoke. It happens; life will get ya every time.

(they weren't flints, but...)

[Zulch]

Thanks Bishop Creek. I admit it is sounding like a fun idea.

[Hawg]

Four years and you haven't let it breath fire and smoke. Whassa matter wif ya?

I had my .50 for eight years and my .54 for two and sold them both before they made smoke. It happens; life will get ya every time.

(they weren't flints, but...)

I've got guns I haven't fired for 20 years or more but I did fire them a lot when I was younger. I've got a CVA St Louis Hawken I've only fired once and that was just to unload it. I've had it for about 15 years. I don't have any guns I haven't fired at all.

[Captainkirk]

Four years and you haven't let it breath fire and smoke. Whassa matter wif ya?

This year, waiting on the black powder rifle range to open up (usually around May 1st), It's on the agenda.
Thanks for linking my pic, Hawg! Woulda taken me half an hour to find it!