Buying a used flinter is something you should not do without the over-the-shoulder support of someone who knows these guns. There is so much that can be wrong with the gun and will not be evident to you at the time of purchase. And, in some regards, to the experienced eye as well. One of the MOST IMPORTANT things to do when buying a used flinter is to make sure the darned thing is not loaded. Sound simple, huh? I've seen plenty of used ML guns in a rack in all kinds of stores that are there because the owner got fed up with his latest mis-fire and just gathered up the accoutaments and the smoke pole and took the first offer the shop owned gave. So the gun sits there with a ball and a charge, until someone checks it and pulls the load. Seriously. Some basic issues (forget about the loaded gun): soft frizzen - will not spark; out of tune cock - will not strike the frizzen face; blown flash hole liner; poor bore. When you buy a used flint lock, you need to have both eyes open and if possible have someone with you who knows these guns and knows what to look for. Bottom line: you get what you pay for.
