Frizzin spring problem

[Robby]

image upload
A bit difficult to see but on the end of the leaf where the frizzed rides it is galling, the surface looks much like a frizzen after a few flint strikes and rather than skipping along the friction causes the frizzed to drag and not open when struck. I think the right solution is to smooth it back out and re harden. Would heating it up to a nonmagnetic state, quench in room temperature oil, then stick it in the oven for an hour at 375F be the right procedure?
I don't want to mention the maker, from what I understand he recently sold the business and I did PM the new owner from here but have not gotten a reply. Frankly it has been one problem after another with this thing and if it weren't for the fact that it is all inlaid I would ****-can it. I was in the process of fine tuning the trigger, had to make a new sear spring for it and just remedied a fly engagement problem (I hope), two of the latest problems cascading down from this thing. Sorry for the rant. I would appreciate any thoughts on this.
Robby

[Jim Kibler]

I would polish both the spring and frizzen to remove any wear marks etc.  Then use some good quality high load grease on these surfaces and see how it goes.  Might have just worn from lack of lubrication and maybe some galling.

[rich pierce]

I would polish both the spring and frizzen to remove any wear marks etc.  Then use some good quality high load grease on these surfaces and see how it goes.  Might have just worn from lack of lubrication and maybe some galling.

THIS^^^^^

Generally, if it acts as a spring and does not take a “set” and become weaker, a spring doesn’t need hardening. Many lock issues are resolved by polishing and lubrication.

[Robby]

Thank you Jim and Rich, yes the spring is very resilient! I will give it a try. I kind of broke one of my own rules, 'if your car dies, first check the gas gauge'!. I'll let you know.
Robby

[Robby]

I polished the spring and frizzen lug to a mirror finish, lubed it with some Mobile 1 grease, assembled and worked it about twenty times, so far it is functioning as you would expect it should. While I was working on it I remembered something Jim Chambers said here on this forum about twenty years ago, to the effect that, the vast majority of problems we find with returned locks is the lack of proper lubrication. This is not one of his locks but I have always followed that advice, well, til now I guess.
Thank you fellows, very much appreciated.
Robby

[smart dog]

Hi Robby,
Check to see if the toe of the frizzen is sliding squarely over the spring.  Often on modern commercial locks the upper leaf of the spring is at an angle to the toe or the toe is at an angle to the spring such that one edge of the toe rubs and galls the spring.  If the top of the spring is angled, you can heat the spring red hot and bend the top of the spring with needle nose pliers until it is square with the toe of the frizzen.  Of course, then you probably need to harden and temper it.  If the toe is angled, you can carefully grind or stone the toe so its surface rubbing on the spring is square to the spring.  If the spring and frizzen toe are rubbing at an angle, no amount of polishing or lubrication is going to permanently solve the problem because the frizzen is tempered harder than the spring and is bound to gall it if it does not ride over the spring squarely and press on the spring evenly across the toe.   

dave

[Robby]

Thank you Dave. Yes, I did check for that whenI removed the existing galling and it appears to be good and square, now.
Robby

[Daryl]

I use Moly grease under the frizzen spur. Lasts a year of shooting and cleaning.

[Steeltrap]

I was having the same issue with the lock for my current build. The above advice is spot on. I carefully filed the "foot" of the frizzen to make it kinda round...but offset. Then polished it nice and shiny. Same with the spring. Grease applied with a toothpick and all done.