Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 12

A Survey of Louisbourg Gunflints

by T. M. Hamilton and Bruce W. Fry

Appendix A: Dimensions of French Gunflints

[The following has been taken from a memorandum accompanying a letter dated 30 May 1968 from M. Jean Emy, Director of the Musée de la Pierre à Fusil, Meusnes (Loir-et Cher), France, addressed to T. M. Hamilton. Since M. Emy includes information on gunflint specifications to the close of the flint-lock era this will be found useful to archaeologists working on sites later than Louisbourg. The translation was provided by Dr. Donald Baird, Princeton University.]

In 1740, for the first time, a contract for gunflints specifies dimensions:

In a memorandum by Director of Artillery Labadie, dated "25 Messidor, An 5" [13 July 1797] the following dimensions are specified:

But as the knappers did not always furnish flints with dimensions coinciding with the specifications, it was necessary to establish a new norm for dimensions as follows:

On "16 Messidor, An 7" [5 July 1799] Monsieur Marechal, accountant at Meusnes, gave the following list and dimensions which seem to be the only varieties manufactured at that time. The "Fine heavy-duty" were those used in the army muskets.

We may note that these flints were just about equal in length and width at that period. . .

In 1806 H. Cotty gives a list in which the dimensions are given in lignes and [millimetres]...

In 1808 a report by Saint-Aignan gives similar dimensions except for the bevel, where the tolerance is from 4 to 7 lignes... The dimensions specified in 1808 were retained until 1816 (Report of 20 May 1816 by the Colonel of Artillery of the Royal Factories).

Meanwhile Monsieur de Gribeauval had specified in tables the dimensions of gunflints; but experience having taught that it was extremely difficult to obtain them in these dimensions, the Committee on 28 August 1816 established new tolerances and had all the instruments of verification made in a precision workshop. The following are the dimensions proposed and then adopted:

On 6 August 1819, the Director General of the Royal Factories indicated that at the instigation of Colonel Cotty, the Minister of War had completed the foregoing table by adding to it the dimensions of flints for gendarmerie pistols:

In 1822 the foregoing dimensions were still accepted.

In 1831 a handbook for artillery officers gives dimensions in millimetres. They are just about the same, the conversion from lignes to millimetres having been rounded off. It is indicated that flints for musketoons were selected from among the smallest of those for muskets and the biggest of those for gendarmerie pistols. Flints for rampart guns were chosen from among the stoutest of the flints intended for infantry muskets.

In 1844 a handbook for artillery officers gives the same dimensions specifying that flints for musketoons and dragoon muskets were to be selected from the smallest for the infantry and the largest for cavalry pistols. At that date, however, flintlock arms had already been partly replaced by the percussion system.

As for the flints termed "civilian," the classification was established by eye and that evidently sufficed, for the customer could choose from among numerous models, each with a special name, those which were appropriate for his guns.

The dimensions that follow are taken from a collection of gunflints knapped in 1827, with their contemporary names. Having only a single flint of each of the type manufactured at that date, we cannot be sure that it represents the norm. Only the first, fourth, sixth and thirteenth models are termed "military." There are five models with two bevels indicated on the list. The others have rounded heels.

Beyond this we have found nothing that can provide precision; all the price lists of the merchants and commissionaires having been laid down without any indication of dimensions but merely with designations varying from one to another. Thus each purchaser, satisfied with a particular type of flint, probably stuck with it to the end. It was a case of habitual business method.