Lock issue

[rightfielder]

I am having problems with a chambers early Germanic lock that has me baffled.It sparks very well for 4 or 5 shots, then by the 7 shot, it will not spark.I have tried wiping the flint and frizzen, I have primed with 2f.3f, and 4f, same result.I have tightened the flint....same result.when I remove the lock and clean in or change flints it sparks fine.I have never experienced this before with any lock.

[Dave Marsh]

I'd call Chambers.

Dave

[smylee grouch]

Is the flint bevel up or down?

[little joe]

Could the inner works be dragging on the lock mortice slowing the action down and as the flint dulls a little it will not spark.

[conquerordie]

I'd guess it's your flints. I don't think a soft frizzen will spark just some of the time. But changing out the flint gives you a spark. Maybe the mainspring is too strong, but I'd try different size flints and try the bevel up and down.
Greg

[rightfielder]

Tried both....I think, after 3 weeks of experimenting I think I've figured it out....got of 10 shots no problems..flint is loosening  up,real quick.I'm going to try a thicker piece of leather or a lead wrap on the flint.I'm going to feel like a real dummy if the answer is this simple.

[mark esterly]

don't use lead

[conquerordie]

Never had luck with the lead wraps. Take a graver or something and raise burrs on the top and bottom jaws. You can use your leather still, but it might help keep everything in place better. Its HC as well!
Greg

[Molly]

A friend says he has talked to Chambers and that generally he does not suggest using lead.  I have only had a similar problem when the jaws are not down REAL tight and the flint thus "moves".  Personally, I like the flint long enough to go all the way back on the screw (in the leather, naturally).

[WadePatton]

Try soaking your leather and installing it damp, let it sit overnight.  Tighten before shooting.  Re-tighten after the second or third shot.  Then see how long it goes.  Also call Chambers.

[rightfielder]

Thank you all for your replies, changing out the leather and getting the flint really tight seems to have taken care of the problem ....I will soak the leather as well ,great suggestion, again thank you all for your replies.

[Daryl]

I would not use a lead wrap in a Chambers lock due to the heavier main spring and longer throw than with an L&R lock.  It will probably break fliknts quickly.  In my L&R locks, lead wrap works very nicely, due perhaps to the shorter "throw" or softer springs - but, it is harder on small flints than a leather wrap.

[Hungry Horse]

 I once missed an opportunity to kill a trophy black tail buck, because my flint was a little loose, and didn't spark. I vowed  to never let that happen again if I could help it. After much experimentation I found a cure. I use a medium weight leather wrap (never lead), I notch it to span the jaw screw, and with a knapping pin, made from a short piece of quarter inch steel rod, with a very small step on one end, I notch the heel of the flint. Soak the leather, put it in the jaws,and tighten it up, and forget it. If you use the knapping pin to sharpen your flint, instead of a hammer, the flint can last for a hundred shots, if the lock is of a size to take a large flint. I have gotten sixty shots out of a small pistol lock using this method.

   Hungry Horse

[rightfielder]

I let the leather dry over night, and tightened the flint a little more (also notched the leather, but didn't notch the flint, I will try that later) the locked sparked 15 times flawlessly.I am pretty well convinced that the problem is solved...Thank you all for your replies.

[Molly]

Damp leather in the jaws might result in rust.  ("Might"....more like will!).  I cleaned a lock one time without taking the flint and leather out.  Put the rifle away and when I took it back out the rust had formed all over and around the jaws.  Don't get the leather wet anymore and if it does, I dry it before putting it back in place.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

For wrapping flints, I like the leather from the cuffs of welding or work gloves, or welding aprons.  It is tough and lasts for a long time.  You SHOULD change your leather each time you change your flint.  Your last leather has taken a 'memory' from the nuances of the flint, and there will not be much compression left in those spots.  I lost a target match to one of our local very fine shooters once, because of a hangfire I attribute to a loose flint.  When the buck of a lifetime, or that last 1`0X is on the line, you cannot afford to have cheaped out using an old leather, or checked your flint for tightness.

[smylee grouch]

I have had pretty good luck using brain tan elk hide for flint leathers. I wonder if using a lead wrap flint would slow the cock down giving slower ignition and creating more or too much force when the cock jars to a stop at the end of its travel?

[Gun_Nut_73]

For wrapping flints, I like the leather from the cuffs of welding or work gloves, or welding aprons.  It is tough and lasts for a long time.  You SHOULD change your leather each time you change your flint.  Your last leather has taken a 'memory' from the nuances of the flint, and there will not be much compression left in those spots.  I lost a target match to one of our local very fine shooters once, because of a hangfire I attribute to a loose flint.  When the buck of a lifetime, or that last 1`0X is on the line, you cannot afford to have cheaped out using an old leather, or checked your flint for tightness.

I save old work gloves for just this reason, and I also use the fingers that are still in good shape for making ball bags for my small caliber rifles.

[Pete G.]

A flint loosening up pretty quickly can be the result of frizzen rebound. When the frizzen flies back it whacks the top of the flint. Examine your flint closely for evidence of this. You will probably find a line across the top of your flint where the frizzen is making contact.

[David R. Pennington]

Here is one I'll throw out there. A friend of mine swears by pillow ticking doubled over to about four layers thick and saturated with white glue. Claims his flints last twice as long. I haven't tried that one yet.

[little joe]

Here is one I'll throw out there. A friend of mine swears by pillow ticking doubled over to about four layers thick and saturated with white glue. Claims his flints last twice as long. I haven't tried that one yet.

You should never use anything  that could possibly hold a spark.

[rightfielder]

A friend who has built several guns looked at the lock and was very impressed ...the lock is well tuned and works flawlessly.the problem was an old shrunken piece of leather....And my ignorance .I switched out the leather on my other rifle (my primary shooter) and it throws more sparks.I will change the leather with each new flint (sound advice) in the future.thank you all for your replies.

[tricorn hat]

I use a piece of thick soft buckskin and soak it in white glue. It molds to the shape of the flint and holds it very securely.Also, my flints last much longer with this lash-up.