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Captchee · July 6, 2013, 06:37 AM

The jet of gas from a flintlock can be substantial and reach a lot further then some would think . It usually best to let folks know your about to shoot if they are in the blast area .
As to flash pan guards . that’s another innovation that’s been around for a very long time .
Imagine standing in a line formation , shoulder to shoulder when the command to fire is given .. What the flash guard does is help deflect the gases up instead of strait out .
This is why you normally see these guards on muskets not rifles as riflemen were not normally subject to being confined to line formations for more then 1 or 2 volley’s .
Today some folks use them when they shoot at ranges that do not have dividers between shooters OR when the range frowns on you messing up their dividers. Especially if they have the nice plexi glass ones . Flintlocks do a real number on those

As to how to put one on your rifle . that’s really going to depend on your lock .
If your using an old lock design that’s does not have a bridled frizzen . Then the frizzen spring is removed , the frizzen screw is taken out and slid through the guard then back through the frizzen .. Depending on the length of your screw , you may need to replace it with a longer one
The guard is set back down along the pan and then the screw is tightened down . Then the spring replaced .
With un bridled locks , you will then have the fiddle factor as you cant tighten it down to much without restricting the movement of the frizzen itself as such a lot of times you will have to move the guard back into place before closing the frizzen

Now if you a bridled frizzen , which most better locks that are made today are . Then you will most likely need a new frizzen screw that is longer .
Again the frizzen spring is removed . Then the frizzen screw is removed from the inside of the lock and replaced with the longer screw .
That screw will now pass through the bridle and stick out about 3/16 to a ¼ .
The frizzen spring is then replaced .
the guard is slid on and a Keeper nut is then placed on the exposed threads so as to hold the guard in place .
The guard is them moved down along the pan and the nut tightened down snug but not overly tight . If you go to tight , you will bend the bridle and stall your frizzen .

places like Track of the wolf , Muzzleloader builder supply , and even Dixie , sell the pan guards or the little kits that come with the new frizzen screw .

they are not hard to install in most cases . but do often require constant adjustment with a mind not to over tighten the keeper nut

July 6, 2013, 06:37 AM	#5
Captchee Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2013 Posts: 439	The jet of gas from a flintlock can be substantial and reach a lot further then some would think . It usually best to let folks know your about to shoot if they are in the blast area . As to flash pan guards . that’s another innovation that’s been around for a very long time . Imagine standing in a line formation , shoulder to shoulder when the command to fire is given .. What the flash guard does is help deflect the gases up instead of strait out . This is why you normally see these guards on muskets not rifles as riflemen were not normally subject to being confined to line formations for more then 1 or 2 volley’s . Today some folks use them when they shoot at ranges that do not have dividers between shooters OR when the range frowns on you messing up their dividers. Especially if they have the nice plexi glass ones . Flintlocks do a real number on those As to how to put one on your rifle . that’s really going to depend on your lock . If your using an old lock design that’s does not have a bridled frizzen . Then the frizzen spring is removed , the frizzen screw is taken out and slid through the guard then back through the frizzen .. Depending on the length of your screw , you may need to replace it with a longer one The guard is set back down along the pan and then the screw is tightened down . Then the spring replaced . With un bridled locks , you will then have the fiddle factor as you cant tighten it down to much without restricting the movement of the frizzen itself as such a lot of times you will have to move the guard back into place before closing the frizzen Now if you a bridled frizzen , which most better locks that are made today are . Then you will most likely need a new frizzen screw that is longer . Again the frizzen spring is removed . Then the frizzen screw is removed from the inside of the lock and replaced with the longer screw . That screw will now pass through the bridle and stick out about 3/16 to a ¼ . The frizzen spring is then replaced . the guard is slid on and a Keeper nut is then placed on the exposed threads so as to hold the guard in place . The guard is them moved down along the pan and the nut tightened down snug but not overly tight . If you go to tight , you will bend the bridle and stall your frizzen . places like Track of the wolf , Muzzleloader builder supply , and even Dixie , sell the pan guards or the little kits that come with the new frizzen screw . they are not hard to install in most cases . but do often require constant adjustment with a mind not to over tighten the keeper nut Last edited by Captchee; July 6, 2013 at 06:42 AM.