I just inherited a 54Cal. Thompson Center flintlock. My father got it around twenty years ago and it is still in great condition. He was guided by a friend who gunsmithed on the side and was one of the first blackpowder people around our area when I was young.

Examining the blackpowder stuff when I inventoried the gun cabinet, I found a bag containing his ball starter, extra flint/leather, a pan primer, glass vials of FFg and a box of TC maxi hunter minie balls. Near the cans of FFg, FFFg & FFFFg were a box of SPEER round balls and TCA patches including film cans of lubed patches AND a box of un-lubed mini balls. I found a small funnel but no powder measure...

The small glas vials are all the same size and included two w/ FFFFg but the majority are FFG so they look like his 'ready' loads. I know he was happy when PENNA dropped the PRB requirement but I didn't know he had progessed thru (2) different mini balls and i don't know how much he worked w/ the TC maxi hunters except there is 4 - 6 missing from the 20 box.

It looks like he was using the same amount of FFg and had always used this same amount, like he may have been taught to stick to this amount of powder by his mentor..

Should I get a powder measure and reverse engineer his load?

Get a measure..one of the simple volume measures specific to balck powder mussle loaders...find the weight of what you supose are his charges and get back to us. You've got nearly everthing you'd need to load, just need to be sure those glass vials hold a cahrge that is resonable...and you'd proably liek to repeat them, so knowing what they are is a good idea.

I kind of like the simple adjustable brass black powder mearues....the ones that let you adjust the amount from 10 to about 120gs. is about right.

I just inherited a 54Cal. Thompson Center flintlock. My father got it around twenty years ago and it is still in great condition. He was guided by a friend who gunsmithed on the side and was one of the first blackpowder people around our area when I was young.

Examining the blackpowder stuff when I inventoried the gun cabinet, I found a bag containing his ball starter, extra flint/leather, a pan primer, glass vials of FFg and a box of TC maxi hunter minie balls. Near the cans of FFg, FFFg & FFFFg were a box of SPEER round balls and TCA patches including film cans of lubed patches AND a box of un-lubed mini balls. I found a small funnel but no powder measure...

The small glass vials are all the same size and included two w/ FFFFg but the majority are FFG so they look like his 'ready' loads. I know he was happy when PENNA dropped the PRB requirement but I didn't know he had progressed thru (2) different mini balls and i don't know how much he worked w/ the TC maxi hunters except there is 4 - 6 missing from the 20 box.

It looks like he was using the same amount of FFg and had always used this same amount, like he may have been taught to stick to this amount of powder by his mentor..

Should I get a powder measure and reverse engineer his load?

You have a classic flintlock rifle and it will serve you well. I agree with ribbonstone, the brass powder measures are cheap and effective. If you want the handbook from T/C, it may be available on line at their website at www.tcarms.com.

If you shoot your rifle, remember that black powder is corrosive and should be cleaned after every use. You will get different opinions, but the best and cheapest method is to use hot soapy water patches, hot water patches. dry patches and oil patches. I have cleaned my T/C flintlocks that way since 1970 and they still looks like new. All the best...
Gil

You have a classic flintlock rifle and it will serve you well. I agree with ribbonstone, the brass powder measures are cheap and effective. If you want the handbook from T/C, it may be available on line at their website at www.tcarms.com.

If you shoot your rifle, remember that black powder is corrosive and should be cleaned after every use. You will get different opinions, but the best and cheapest method is to use hot soapy water patches, hot water patches. dry patches and oil patches. I have cleaned my T/C flintlocks that way since 1970 and they still looks like new. All the best...
Gil
I got the manual last week. It was informative BUT very generic. I'd like to copy it w/ a filter that blocks out all the red ink warnings. Lawyers got paid by the word for all that red ink.

I've been reading tons of stuff including a variety of ways people clean 'em. T/C seems to have a nice deal w/ the removable barrel.

I've been looking at measures, I see a nice see-through one that's competitive in price.

I got the manual last week. It was informative BUT very generic. I'd like to copy it w/ a filter that blocks out all the red ink warnings. Lawyers got paid by the word for all that red ink.

I've been reading tons of stuff including a variety of ways people clean 'em. T/C seems to have a nice deal w/ the removable barrel.

I've been looking at measures, I see a nice see-through one that's competitive in price.

Glad to hear you have the manual. There is also a manual available from Lyman at their website at www.lymanproducts.com and contains a wealth of information. You may find that the older T/C frizzens tend to be unreliable and prone to misfire because they are casehardened. I have replaced all my T/C frizzens with ones from Lyman which are tool steel and much better. The older T/Cs would accept Lyman frizzens as a "drop-in". The later T/Cs require the Lyman frizzen to be fitted which is not a bug deal. The local blackpowder shop replaces hundreds of T/C frizzens a year..

If you visit some gun shops, look at any muzzleloaders on the used gun racks and peek down the barrels. It is quickly apparent which ones have been properly cleaned and those that were neglected. All the best...
Gil

Glad to hear you have the manual. There is also a manual available from Lyman at their website at www.lymanproducts.com and contains a wealth of information. You may find that the older T/C frizzens tend to be unreliable and prone to misfire because they are casehardened. I have replaced all my T/C frizzens with ones from Lyman which are tool steel and much better. The older T/Cs would accept Lyman frizzens as a "drop-in". The later T/Cs require the Lyman frizzen to be fitted which is not a bug deal. The local blackpowder shop replaces hundreds of T/C frizzens a year..

If you visit some gun shops, look at any muzzleloaders on the used gun racks and peek down the barrels. It is quickly apparent which ones have been properly cleaned and those that were neglected. All the best...
Gil
I've read enough about that to be curious about this rifle. Looks like it's time to spend more time at lyman's webpage...I should be OK for now, Dad didn't shoot this much; he stuck it in the corner of the cabinet when they made Muzzleloaders give up their doe permit applications. Then he started using it in Bucks' extended doe instead of the shotgun and updated from dupont FFFg & PRB to the maxi-hunter W/ GOEX FFg. Maybe shot it 20 - 30 times max. Possibly 1 or 2 deer. Thanks for all the input.

Take a look at Hodgens new triple 7 black powder substitute. Cleanup is much easier than anything I've used and it gives excellent velocity in everything I've shot it in.

In my 700ML usually cleans with hot water and a couple of patches, follow with a patch of bore butter and your done. You can shoot it forever without fouling the barrel.

remember when useing 777 in a flint rifle you must use a duplex load to get ignition.

Check out this article:
http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/40

Bye
Jack

remember when useing 777 in a flint rifle you must use a duplex load to get ignition.
I think I'll stick w/ GOEX and not do somthing not recomended for flintlocks...