Flink lock hand guns and a few question

So I have a guy who has two flint lock pistols in 68 cal and he wants to shoot them. Problem is he has no flints for them or balls. So where do you fine stuff for them. He also has a 45 cal rifle he wants to shoot but it is a cap and ball so I should pretty much have what is needed to shoot them. Not sure but I would think I could load the rifle up with the 44 colt round balls since they are 45?? in size. Don't remember the exact number size they are but know they are in the 4 cal or close

old:
look up "Dixie Gun Works" in Union City, Tennessee, they sell what you need to shoot the flintlocks.

Any half decent gun store should have the flints and 68 cal balls. Lacking a neighborhood store Cabalas has them and if you don't want to fight the crowds you can order them on line.

Whatever you load in either one of them needs to be a tight fit down the bore or accuracy will be terrible or worse. With a thick enough patch the 44 call balls can be made tight but the proper size with thinner patching will usually be muchmore accurate.

I have been to Dixie Gun Works about 26 years ago. Met the founder. Super nice folks.
They should have what you need. Should be able to send through the mail.
Richard in NW SC

Old Midway over in Columbia would have every thing your friend needs to shoot that flint lock. Randy

.44 revolver pistol ball in .45 muzzle loader rifle may sound about right- but it usually isn't. Revolver ball is interference fit in barel and gets squeezed down from .451/.457 to barrel land of .434 to .440 and groove of .448 nominal. Rifle wants a loose fit- .45 nominal may have a 1:66 twist with groove at nominal .451 to .455 and lands at .008 to .012 less and the deeper groove is more common on old 'cut' rifling. The recommended ball would be a .43 or so with a .020 thick patch as light denim. a .445 ball with thin linen and a tap starter with a 50 grain 3F powder charge might be a good hunting load- but for first try 30 grain 2F and the .43/thick patch might be better. Some .45 rifles depending on button rifle method may be a 1:56 to 1:36 rifling, shallow groove and prefer and slug or short mini ball- the closer fit and thin patched round balls seem to work fairly good with moderate powder charges. Some of the Spanish and early Italian made guns had .465 to .473 grooves and would take a .45 revolver slug at a slight drag fit and with a 1:48 or slightly tighter twist did shoot fairly accurate with them for deer hunting with the 250 or so grain cast bullets that sometimes were base dimpled. the REAL bullets were made for these guns and a revolver ball with light patch did fit for light loads. .68 pistols?- look for a 16 gauge shot shell wad and some BB shot for demonstration target practice since they are likely smooth bored. 10 to 20 grains 2f with 4F primer in pan, maybe a double patched round .66 ball. Have fun, wear glass's and check out bore and metal, see where they were made and any recent proof marks. Spanish used to make the replica large bore pistols and had proof marks in kilo pressure or atmosphere stamped under barrel toward breech, sometime on left side visible. RN

Track of the Wolf on the internet would have most if not all you need also. Great place to do business. The 68 cal. might be a custom, not sure. Enjoy the shoot.
David

From what I understand of these guns is they are old as in 100 plus years if not a whole lot older so the rifle maybe smooth bore gun but I will ot know till I see them

I have a .50 cal precussion rifle and it uses a patched .490 PURE lead ball.
I also have a .45 precussion pistol and it uses a .440 PURE lead ball that is also patched.
Pure lead should be used for round balls.

(quoted from post at 19:01:22 08/21/15) From what I understand of these guns is they are old as in 100 plus years if not a whole lot older so the rifle maybe smooth bore gun but I will ot know till I see them

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If it's a smooth bore, it's not a rifle.

Hows that?? If old where they not many made that there a rifle but smooth bore?? Rifling didn't come out till later

The Springfield 1861 and the Enfield 1853 were both rifled, used by the Union forces in the Civil War over 150 years ago.

(quoted from post at 20:35:03 08/22/15) Hows that?? If old where they not many made that there a rifle but smooth bore?? Rifling didn't come out till later

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That's what I'm telling you. If it ain't rifled, It's not a rifle, but a musket (an infantryman's light gun with a long barrel, typically smooth-bored, muzzleloading, and fired from the shoulder.)