Author Topic: How do you fire a flintlock when the frizzen is in the open forward position?  (Read 3524 times)

Offline Buffalo Creek Law Dog

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I was watching that series on the making of America.  The 1st episode was on Daniel Boone, the 2nd was on Lewis and Clark and the 3rd one was on Andy Jackson.  in the 3rd one, in the scenes where the Americans are at the Battle of New Orleans and are ready to fire on the British as soon as they came into range, I noticed that some of the American actors were ready to shoot but the frizzens were in the forward open position.  Just before they fired, they pulled the cock (hammer) to full cock and fired.  What was amazing was that when the flint hit the pan, sparks, smoke and flame lit up in the pan and with a recoil as if the rifle fired. ??? The flint did not even touch the frizzen.  They showed different actors firing with the frizzen open in the forward position but yet, all the guns fired with smoke and flame.

I'm a flinter and I can't understand how that works, it must be some Hollywood magic.
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Offline Blair

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In all honesty, and in real life, flint locks don't and wont work that way.
However, within the world of "movie/film magic", they can make anything work. (on film that is!)
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Offline Scattered Thumbs

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I was watching that series on the making of America.  The 1st episode was on Daniel Boone, the 2nd was on Lewis and Clark and the 3rd one was on Andy Jackson.  in the 3rd one, in the scenes where the Americans are at the Battle of New Orleans and are ready to fire on the British as soon as they came into range, I noticed that some of the American actors were ready to shoot but the frizzens were in the forward open position.  Just before they fired, they pulled the cock (hammer) to full cock and fired.  What was amazing was that when the flint hit the pan, sparks, smoke and flame lit up in the pan and with a recoil as if the rifle fired. ??? The flint did not even touch the frizzen.  They showed different actors firing with the frizzen open in the forward position but yet, all the guns fired with smoke and flame.

I'm a flinter and I can't understand how that works, it must be some Hollywood magic.

If you want my WAG. They were using trapdoors mocked up to look like flintlocks. Hollyweird did a lot of that , back in the day.  ::)

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Offline Pay Dirt Norvelle

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I saw that also on the show and was wondering what the heck they were doing.  It makes sense that they were mockups that were made to look like flintlocks.
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Offline Major 2

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I can shed some light on this subject....I am/was a Propmaster & Production Designer as a vocation for 45 years and still counting ...

 Stembridge Gun Rentals (Hollywood ) did have trapdoors mocked up to look like flintlocks...
As did Disney Studios & Western Costume Rentals...

I have had them on shoots ....  I suspect , however these were not the case on the recent "Making of America"  series.
Most if not all are pretty sad condition ... Being many were produced 7o - 8o years ago.

Stenbridge collection is mere shadow of it hay day years, most of its was inventory was auctioned & sold off some years ago.

What I believe you may have seen were, Electric fired guns.... These have small 9v battery and fire a squib.

I saw the Dan'l Boone & Tecumseh episodes ,  and a bit of the Lewis and Clark and  Andy Jackson , I found them lacking .




 
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Offline Coffinmaker

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Aw cummon.  :D   It's simple fer peets sake.  Ya just reach up with yer off hand and flick yer Bic.  Then they digitally edit out the Bic   ::)

Offline kwilliams1876

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i too saw the modified trapdoor and open frizzens.....after that my interest was gone. too bad it could have been a great show. does it really cost more to do it right?
kw

Offline Baltimore Ed

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i too saw the modified trapdoor and open frizzens.....after that my interest was gone. too bad it could have been a great show. does it really cost more to do it right?
kw
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Offline The Pathfinder

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Go back and watch the old John Wayne / Clair Trevor movie Alleghany Uprising. In it there's a scene where the militiamen are firing on the fort and you can watch one guy try to fire his flintlock two or three times before his 'sergeant' walks over and flips the frizzen back over the pan so the gun would actually fire. Classic Hollywood where extras have no idea what their doing.  ::)

Offline nagantino

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I also noticed this when watching. It didn't annoy me because its TV, but my best explanation on this one is the dreaded Health and Safety. If the safety guy had his way Daniel Boone would be wearing Eye and Ear Protection and all the Indians too. So, when the gun comes up, the frizzen is open to prevent his unprotected eyes which are near the action.

 

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