AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: Ray-Vigo on August 25, 2015, 05:11:19 AM
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Is there a way from appearance to tell if the frizzen is not hard enough? I have a fowler with a frizzen that I would describe as "OK" sparking, not great, but not not terrible. It does not unduly eat flints, though I don't think it sparks quite as well as my other locks. The flint made what I would describe as somewhat deeper impacts than I have on my other guns. I do realize you get some "impact lines" from the flint, but I'm wondering if you can tell if it's too deep/soft from looking at it.
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Hard for me to tell from your two pictures as to the degree of 'ruts" in your frizzen. I know the two pictures are of the same frizzen - the top picture looks totally chewed up but the bottom picture does not look as bad. If I were to take a GUESS from those two pictures I would say the frizzen is a bit soft. This is only MY guess from your pictures which does not mean much ???
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If this has happened over a number of years I suggest that you grind it smooth with a dremel stone and don't worry about it. Your statement that it is not hard on flints tells me that it couldn't be too soft. I occasionally polish my frizzens and works well for me. Sparks like a Zippo lighter
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When a frizzen becomes gouged out, I put them against a 6" grinding wheel and slowly take away the gouges. Frequent quenching. Put your thumb on the back of the frizzen...it'll tell you when it wants quenching. A frizzen will usually take three such 'grinds' before it needs replacing...abut 15000 shots.
If I may, it is an observation of mine, based purely on supposition, that we shoot our flintlocks much more than original rifles were shot. Some of us shoot between 50 - 80 rounds every weekend from our favourite rifle. I'm guessing that 18th C middle class men and women did not.