No & No......

by RayLee, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, 18:55 (7 days ago) @ AaronB

But I have much experience with flintlocks. One thing that has been brought to my attention regarding the largest locks, the pedersoli's in particular, if there is a visible gap, even paper thin gap, where the lock/pan meets the barrel then priming powder can trickle/migrate down into the cavernous stock/lock mortices and accumulate there during extended shooting sessions.

Viewed from above, looking down at the lock with the hammer back notice the junction of the lock against the barrel. The besses that I have seen, what with their rounded oval pans have no perceptible gap but the charleville's, with their rectangular pan and different lock to barrel geometry almost insures powder accumulating inside the stock.

The stalwart muzzleloader wm. hovey smith chronicled this attempting to use a loaded musket throughout a deer season without clearing by firing at the end of the hunting day. He just dumped the priming then pricked the vent and reprimed the next trip. At the end of the season he removed the lock only to discover a dangerous accumulation of priming powder, just one shot could of have been tragic.