working on some frizzen rebound

[PKLeRay]

So I've had some frizzen rebound on my fusil ordinaire M/G lock. I know I can send it back and Larry will fix it. However I feel it would be a good learning experience and try it myself. So, I have a small forge and rehardened it twice, and spread her open a little more the second time (tempering in my lead pot also). The problem is still there. So, I will attempt it again, and spread it a little more. My question is, is there any other reasons that cause rebound? I thought about bending the tip of the spring up a little to create more "cam" effect for the toe of the frizzen. Ideas?

[Gaeckle]

It may be that the mainspring has so much power behind it that the extra force causes the bounce back.....you may want to have a beefier frizzen spring.......just an idea.

[Acer Saccharum]

Gaeckle is on the right track.

Your springs do need to be balanced. By this I mean that the frizzen spring should be just enough to hold the frizzen shut, absorb the stroke of the hammer, and then flip open and stay there.

This is hard to accomplish.

I have spread a frizzen spring until the frizz needs two hands the shut, and STILL the main flips it open with such force it rebounds back, chipping the flint. My next effort will be to weaken the mainspring by grinding thinner, or make a less powerful one.

Don't wait for the results, it's going to be a while.

Can someone explain by words how lock spring balancing is accomplished?

[PKLeRay]

Success!  I opened the spring a little more and also put a bit more upward curl on the tip of the spring from pivot point(where the frizzen cams back) to the end of the tip.

[EC121]

Putting a flat on the back of the toe of the frizzen will also help hold it open.  It has to overcome the angle to bounce back.  Also helps it snap open after the flint has struck the face.

[PKLeRay]

Right on. That would have  been my next step!

[bob in the woods]

Working on the toe of the frizzen is usually my first step. It has cured about 3/4 's  or more of any problems I've had. Only after that, if necessary,  do I work on the springs .

[EC121]

I'm with Bob.  Spring work would be my last resort.  If the lock is reasonably well balanced, bending the spring to increase pressure could make a rock crusher out of it.