It’s a debate as old as time (well at least as old as the 1820s): flintlock or percussion? This is one of the most common questions from those interested in purchasing their first muzzleloading firearm, and there are fierce debates on this subject. Proponents of the flintlock and the caplock argue with one another about which is the best and often make jokes like “Ain’t no nipples on a man’s rifle,” or dubbing the flintlock the “flinchlock.”

Before examining varying viewpoints, it's important to understand some of the history of each and how it effects the preferences of many muzzleloading enthusiasts.

These two American Long Rifles are different. The one at top has a “caplock” using percussion caps which became popular in the early 19th century and remained the dominant firearms lock type through the end of the American Civil War. The rifle, bottom, has a flintlock using flint and steel ignition as used in the colonial era, American Revolution, and into the early 19th century. Both ignition systems remain popular with contemporary muzzleloading shooters, but which is the best is contested.

Flintlock vs Percussion: In the Beginning

Simply put, a flintlock uses a piece of flint that strikes against a piece of hardened steel called a frizzen to create a shower of sparks (technically shards of red-hot steel). This ignites gunpowder held in a priming pan which in turn ignites the primary powder charge within the gun. On a flintlock, the frizzen also serves as the pan cover, and the lock generally features a secure half-cock position.

While flintlocks are arguably the most familiar form of muzzleloading firearm ignition, the exact date and time of its invention is still a matter of debate. It could be argued that the flintlock evolved in multiple parts of Europe concurrently as gunsmiths made improvements to earlier snap lock and snaphaunce mechanisms that also used flint and steel ignition. Others argue that the flintlock was designed by Marin le Bourgeoys, a French gunmaker to the royal court sometime between 1610 and 1615.

A cased pair of Irish flintlock "Manstopper" coat pistols by Fowler of Dublin.

Regardless of the exact genesis, the flintlock was developed in the early 1600s and exploded in popularity by the end of the century ultimately displacing its competitors in most parts of Europe and North America. From the early 18^th century through the 1830s, the flintlock was the dominant gunlock used on most European and American firearms, including the famous Brown Bess muskets of the British Empire and the beloved American longrifle of the American woodsmen.

This late flintlock sporting gun by Durs Egg featuring an improved lock with a sliding safety behind the cock, roller on the frizzen, “rainproof” priming pan, and a gold lined vent.

In the late 18^th century and early 19^th century, gunmakers developed many refinements of the flintlock mechanism which significantly improved the reliability of the highest quality locks by top gunmakers. Some of these deluxe improvements were also adopted on “trade quality” locks such as rollers on the frizzen spring.

The iconic short land pattern Brown Bess musket used by the British as well as patriots during the Revolutionary War.

The United States, and many other countries, continued to manufacture primarily flintlocks for their armed forces into the 1840s, and both systems saw use in the Mexican-American War. Flintlocks are even known to have been used during the American Civil War in limited numbers. In other areas of the world, the flintlock remained widely used even later, and the flintlock has never fully fallen from use. However, the flintlock was soon surpassed by the introduction of percussion locks and the widespread adoption of the percussion cap in the 1820s which marked the beginning of the end for the flintlock’s dominance.

A W.L. Evans U.S. Model 1816 flintlock musket.

Flintlock vs Percussion: Caplock Ignition

Unlike the flintlock and other earlier firearms mechanisms, percussion firearms are not primed with black powder. Instead they use shock sensitive chemical compounds such as mercury fulminate which create a small explosion when struck. This small explosion then ignites the main charge of black powder to fire the weapon.

The Hawken rifle might be the best known of the American half-stock percussion rifle, often referred to as the “plains rifle.” Half-stock rifles are among the most popular of percussion firearms among traditional muzzleloading hunters. These two examples are from William Wingert of Detroit.

Various percussion ignition systems were developed in the early 1800s, primarily in the United Kingdom. Reverend Alexander John Forsyth is generally given the majority of the credit for the development of percussion ignition systems thanks to his 1807 patented "scent bottle" system. His designs were covered by patents until 1821 preventing their production on a wide scale. Many of his early systems were not practical for widespread use.

Samuel Colt's Paterson revolver, left, and the Colt Walker revolver, right, both used percussion caps.

In order for percussion ignition to be widely adopted, it had to be more convenient than and at least as consistent as the well-established flintlock. The solution became one-time use primers that were fitted at the breech end of the barrel and struck by the hammer of the lock. There were a variety of different primers developed, including priming tubes, patches, pills, and tape, but the copper percussion cap designed in 1822 became by far the most popular and remains in use today.

One thousand of these U.S. Springifled Model 1817 pistols chambered in .69 caliber were manufactured between 1817 and 1818. This example was converted at the arsenal to a percussion pistol.

If you ever played with a cap gun as a kid, you already have some idea of how a percussion firearm works. In fact, when percussion caps were hard to find, some muzzleloading enthusiasts actually made their own functional caps using priming material from cap gun caps. A copper cap has a small amount of explosive compound on the inside. The cap fits over a nipple (aka cone) threaded into the breech end of the barrel or in the case of revolvers the rear of the chambers in the cylinder. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer strikes forward smashing the percussion cap against the nipple. The concussion between the nipple and hammer causes the priming material in the percussion cap to explode, sending a flash through the larger hole at the top of the nipple and out a smaller hole at the base and into the breech end of the barrel or cylinder. There it ignites the primary powder charge which propels the projectile(s) out the barrel.

This U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1816 musket has been converted to a percussion firearm.

Initially, percussion firearms were generally privately owned sporting and defensive arms, and many were quick to have their existing flintlock firearms converted to the new system – a fairly simple job for a gunsmith. All that was required of the most common conversion method was to thread a drum bolster into the barrel at the old touch hole, fitting a nipple to the bolster, removing the no longer necessary frizzen and pan from the lock, and replacing the cock with a hammer. This method was so popular with American sportsmen that very few American longrifles survive today in their original flintlock configuration.

Revolving firearms like this Patent Arms Manufacturing Co. “Colt Paterson” Second Model ring lever revolving rifle would not have been practical for mass production without percussion caps.

Percussion caps also made revolving firearms such as Samuel Colt’s iconic revolvers practical for production at scale and widespread use. While revolving firearms were possible with flintlock ignition as shown by the Collier, they were far more reliable and economical with percussion caps. Colt’s percussion revolvers are among the most popular black powder firearms today. Originals are highly valuable, and reproductions can be quite affordable and very fun.

Percussion firearms were the mainstays of both the Union and Confederate armies during the American Civil War, but, by the end to the war, the percussion system began being replaced fairly rapidly by the increasing number of metallic cartridge breech loading firearms. Still, percussion firearms have remained in use through the 20th century and on to today.

Percussion rifle-muskets and muskets like this Model 1863, top, and Prussian Model 1809, below, were the primary firearms of the American Civil War. Many originals are still in use by reenactors and North-South Skirmish Association competitors.

Flintlock vs Percussion: The Debate

What to buy: flintlock or percussion? The obvious answer is both! But not everyone is going to like using both systems and when you are buying your first muzzleloading rifle, perhaps with your state’s muzzleloading deer season in mind, you need an answer.

Simply put, there is no one right answer to this question as it depends on your personal preferences, budget, and needs. Rather than simply give you my opinion, I reached out to some of my friends in the muzzleloading community.

Musician Andrew Scott Wills offers the unofficial soundtrack of contemporary muzzleloading through his solo project Hawken Horse. He takes his name from the Hawken rifle, like this example, a half-stock rifle marked "S. HAWKEN ST. LOUIS" and "BEQUETTE."

Singer/song writer Andrew Scott Wills who is involved in a variety of music projects including his solo project Hawken Horse, the unofficial soundtrack of contemporary muzzleloading, had this take:

“The name Hawken Horse may suggest some biases and connotations, but I think I actually lean toward team flintlock. I love it as a simple machine and how it uses flint and steel for ignition. It’s just sexy. But its main drawback is what I believe really made the percussion cap take off: dependability in humid and wet conditions.”

Our friend Ethan Yazel of ILoveMuzzleloading.com is a proponent of all things muzzleloading and regularly features both flintlock and percussion guns of varying ages on his website, Instagram, and YouTube, including full builds and reviews of popular kits, but during a recent Q&A session, he noted that his favorites were his .54 caliber pistol, his Kibler Southern Mountain Rifle, and his Northwest Trade Gun, all flintlocks.

This late 19th century Barnett flintlock northwest trade gun is similar to a favorite firearm of Ethan Yazel of ilovemuzzleloading.com.

When asked what he prefers, contemporary artisan Eric Ewing gave a really well thought out response:

“I can't pretend I've had a tremendous amount of experience with percussion locks, but I have handled many and shot and hunted with them a bit. I do really especially enjoy percussion revolvers and the time period in which they were used.

“Percussion locks obviously work and have a beauty of their own. The only technical point I dislike about them is there really isn't a great way to handle percussion caps or carry them ready for easy placement. They're small and relatively easy to drop. But let's be real, that isn't a major issue for me as a casual user. They work great, or they wouldn't have been in use for so long and trusted with the business of life and death all that time.

"For me, flintlocks hold so much more interest and allure. Flintlocks represent periods of history that were heavily romanticized during my childhood.  While I enjoy learning about just about any and all historical topics and time periods, the era of flintlock firearms has always been particularly captivating to my imagination.  Flintlocks are a way for me to connect on some level with my ancestors who used them for 200 years across multiple continents, and so that hunting and shooting is more challenging.

"On a technical level, I prefer the simplicity of flintlocks.  I like the fact that at the heart of the mechanism is a sharp rock hitting a piece of steel.  On an aesthetic level, they simply look, sound, and feel better to me than percussion locks. And while there is some chronological stylistic crossover, firearms from the flintlock period in my opinion typically possess more opportunity for artistic expression than their counterparts made during the established percussion period, both historically and contemporary. Aesthetically, flintlock firearms, especially when engraved with a panoply of arms, grotesque faces, and with baroque furniture carvings, are far closer in feel to a time when the age of enlightenment had begun, but the influence of the older, classical late medieval world was still present in the material arts.  In contrast, percussion firearms are closer in feel to the modern age, the age of industry and utility, the era when firearms would undergo mass production.”

This Martin Binkley contemporary flintlock American longrifle is accompanied by a priming horn and powder horn.

It is clear that for many die hard muzzleloading enthusiasts, the flintlock is the be-all, end-all, but not for all of us. Eddie Davenport, winner of Mountain Men: Ultimate Marksman and 7x North-South Skirmish Association National Champion, is certainly a highly accomplished marksman and prefers percussion firearms. He noted:

“It’s the age-old debate in the muzzleloader world—at least in the minds of purists. If you had asked me in my youth, I would have said percussion, 100%, no questions asked. That’s mainly because I had never experienced a flintlock. As I’ve grown older, my views have shifted. I’ve come to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship of flintlocks. Even so, I think I still prefer percussion rifles, but it’s definitely a close call.

“An interesting question is, why is it always flintlock vs. percussion, and not flintlock vs. matchlock or wheellock? What makes these two eras of muzzleloading so unique? Probably because flintlocks and percussion rifles are the two most widely used types of muzzleloaders, representing the golden era of muzzleloading. It’s the time when great gunsmiths emerged, and firearms became more accessible to the common man.

“So, why do I prefer percussion over flintlock? I think it’s because it’s what I’m used to. I grew up shooting Civil War-style firearms, which belong to the percussion era. I didn’t shoot a flintlock rifle until I was an adult. Now that I own a few, I love them—they’re fun to shoot. But they come with their own set of challenges: misfires, broken flints, and the infamous “flash in the pan” with no boom.

“I’ve often heard it said that if you can shoot a flintlock well, you can shoot anything well. There’s a lot of truth to that. Flintlocks demand patience and skill, which makes mastering them incredibly rewarding.

“Still, the ease of use with percussion rifles is a big reason I prefer them. However, the gap between the two is closer than it’s ever been for me. These days, I enjoy shooting both. When I traveled to Italy last year for the World Championship, I carried a musket and a Davide Pedersoli Swiss match rifle in flintlock. And when I won Mountain Man Ultimate Marksman, the rifle I bought was a flintlock.

“The debate over which is better—flintlock or percussion—is, in many ways, a pointless one. Instead, the real focus should be on how to bring more people into the world of muzzleloading. That’s what truly matters as we look to the future.”

For North-South Skirmish Association competitors like Eddie Davenport, percussion guns are the obvious choice. Many compete with original rifle-muskets, muskets and carbines like this U.S. Harpers Ferry Model 1855 percussion rifle-musket.

As for myself, while I absolutely love the innately fascinating nature of shooting a gun using a bit of sharp rock and love the romance of a beautiful flintlock dueling pistol or Kentucky rifle, I prefer a good “caplock” rifle or pistol. To me, they are a sleeker looking firearm, and they are generally more reliable. Before everyone jumps my case, yes, a high quality flintlock in the hands of an experienced flintlock shooter can certainly be very fast and reliable, but that is assuming you have everything just right. On the other hand, I’ve had some frustrating outings with poorly tuned flintlocks, whereas even fairly basic and inexpensive percussion guns are often extremely reliable.

Collectors of the American Long Rifle aka Kentucky Rifle know that a massive percentage of them were converted to percussion ignition. Unlike many of the excellent locks made today, many original Kentucky rifles had fairly inexpensive locks that were less reliable. Thus the transition to percussion was a logical step towards greater reliability. Even many of the high end European guns with the best flintlocks of their day got converted to use percussion caps because they became the latest fashion and offered improvements over the flintlock in terms of reliability, particularly in humid and wet weather.

In the end, there are pros and cons to both flintlocks and caplocks that should be considered.

Thank you to those who shared their thoughts on whether flintlocks or percussion guns are best. Clockwise from top left, musician Andrew Scott Wills of Hawken Horse, Ethan Yazel of ILoveMuzzleloading.com, Eddie Davenport, winner of Mountain Men: Ultimate Marksman, and artisan Eric Ewing.

Flintlock Pros and Cons: Advantages

● Flintlocks are historically significant firearms used throughout early American history, including on the colonial frontier, in the French & Indian War, in the American Revolution, in the War of 1812, and in the Texas Revolution. If you are reenacting one of these periods, a flintlock is the obvious choice.

● The cool factor of shooting a gun using a piece of sharp rock.

● Flints can be used for several shots before needing to be replaced.

● Flints can be ordered online and shipped straight to you without a hazmat fee.

● Appropriate rocks for making flints can be found and made yourself or can be knapped from larger pieces ordered online.

The flintlock Kentucky rifle, like these two examples, are arguably the most iconic of early American firearms.

Flintlock Pros and Cons: Disadvantages

● The “flinchlock” effect. Many shooters are distracted by the more prominent flash of a flintlock just ahead of their face when shooting. Even many experienced shooters will noticeably flinch in response to the flash which makes accuracy much more difficult.

● Lower priced reproduction muzzleloading firearms with flintlocks tend to be less reliable than their percussion counterparts, sometimes requiring alterations to function consistently.

● Flintlocks have a steeper learning curve as there is more involved in properly loading and maintaining one.

● Some find their flintlocks function better with finer priming powder requiring them to buy and carry two kinds of powder.

● Flints are not carried in very many sporting goods stores or gun shops.

● Flintlocks do not work well with “black powder substitutes” available in stores.

Percussion Pros and Cons: Advantages

● Percussion firearms are historically significant firearms used through much of the 19th century, including in the Old West, Mexican-American War, Republic of Texas, Civil War, and Indian Wars. If you are reenacting one of these periods or are more interested in them, then a percussion firearm is going to be a good choice.

● Even lower cost percussion firearms tend to be reliable.

● They are more straightforward than flintlocks and simply require fitting an appropriate cap over the nipple to prime the gun.

● The flash at the breech of a percussion firearm is much smaller than a flintlock and is not usually noticed by the shooter and those is less likely to contribute to flinching.

● Percussion caps are more likely than flints to be available from local gun shops, sporting goods stores, and even sometimes Walmart or hardware stores with firearms sections.

● Percussion firearms typically work with “black powder substitutes” available in stores, especially if you are using hotter magnum or musket caps.

Civil War soldiers appreciated a flintlock converted to a percussion rifle like this Confederate Fayetteville Armory two-band percussion rifle.

Percussion Pros and Cons: Disadvantages

● Percussion caps can be difficult to find and have been available somewhat seasonally since 2020.

● Caps are one time use unlike a flint.

● Percussion caps generally cost more than flints shot per shot although they only run around 10 cents or so a piece, but they do not require priming powder so the difference in shooting costs is minimal.

● Ordering percussion caps online requires a hazmat fee for delivery.

The author fires a percussion rifle, showing how it ignites the charge to fire the round.

Flintlock or Percussion: Buying Muzzleloaders

In my opinion, if you aren’t predisposed to a flintlock or a percussion gun, I would start with a percussion rifle. They are easier to learn the basics on and to shoot well. When you fall in love with muzzleloading (and I’m confident you will), get yourself a nice flintlock and learn to shoot it as well. The variety of muzzleloading firearms available is part of the fun. Don’t forget to build out your whole kit. You’ll want a powder horn and/or powder flask, shot pouch, and more!

The "sparks" generated by a flintlock are actually red hot shards of metal scraped off the frizzen when it is struck by the flint. When they land on the priming powder, it ignites, which in turn ignites the main powder charge in the barrel. With a well-tuned flintlock and ideal conditions, the shot is nearly instantaneous.