Frizzen strikes

[hatman]

Hi All,
I was just wondering how many strikes on a quality frizzen one can expect before it would need replacement.
I have a couple rifles with Chambers Ketland locks so that's my point of reference.

[wattlebuster]

I have a couple Chambers locks that have 2500-3000 shots thru them an you cant hardly tell it by the frizzen. I have a Caywood wilson with over 1200 an the frizzen still looks like it did when just 100 shots old. If I were you I wouldnt worry none with a Chambers lock. Your grandkids will probably have to get it resoled but not you unless you shoot for a living

[Eric Krewson]

I have a Roller lock on a gun that was made in the early 70s, I am the third owner. The friend who gave it to me put a pound of powder a week through it for years when he lived in Florida. He told me the gun had about 50K shots through it before he gave it to me on his deathbed. I have shot the gun a few hundred times so far, this fine rifle started me on my own gun building journey so I have a lot of flintlocks to shoot.

The frizzen was getting a little thin and finally broke off a couple of years ago, Mr Roller sent me a new one. So, once you get close to 50K shots on your gun you need to start thinking about a new frizzen.

[hatman]

Thanks guys.
Yeah, so no chance I'll live long enough to wear one out. 

[John Ciccone]

If needed, you can have a frizzen relined. Some of the fellows I shoot with on the USIMLT have originals foe which replacement parts are not available. The new face is (I believe) silver soldered onto the original frizzen.

[Standing Bear]

I have a spare frizzen, main spring and feather spring for my Cochran and 3 L&R locks. Main spring broke on the Cochran after 30 or so years. Only part I’ve needed so far.

[hanshi]

I'm not even sure a frizzen on a quality lock can be worn out by the original owner of a rifle.

[Bob Roller]

I have a Roller lock on a gun that was made in the early 70s, I am the third owner. The friend who gave it to me put a pound of powder a week through it for years when he lived in Florida. He told me the gun had about 50K shots through it before he gave it to me on his deathbed. I have shot the gun a few hundred times so far, this fine rifle started me on my own gun building journey so I have a lot of flintlocks to shoot.

The frizzen was getting a little thin and finally broke off a couple of years ago, Mr Roller sent me a new one. So, once you get close to 50K shots on your gun you need to start thinking about a new frizzen.

Eric,
THAT was or has to be some kind of record for a frizzen.I thought the recorded 15,000 shots by a man in
California was going some.Thank you for posting that information.

Bob Roller

[Daryl]

Hi All,
I was just wondering how many strikes on a quality frizzen one can expect before it would need replacement.
I have a couple rifles with Chambers Ketland locks so that's my point of reference.

Depends on sharpness of the flints, exact hardness of the frizzen, strength of the main spring, contact angles & likely some other aspects as well.

Shoot it/them until it/they gets too rough, re-grind it/them and shoot, etc, until it/them gets too thin, then have it soled or replaced.  A 7" or 8" wheel has about the correct radius for re-grinding.   

Most or perhaps many of the guys here will never shoot enough to wear one out, let alone a "couple".

[Bob Roller]

On the new locks I made in the past,Shoults,Maslin.Bailes and a Ketland that is different
from any made now,I used a 5" medium wheel and it was ideal for all of these locks. The Shoults
had to have the frizzen heated and bent to match this wheel but it DID improve the performance
a lot.On ALL of these locks I did a carbon enhancement with Kasenit.

 Bob Roller