Frizzen Wear

[Buckingham]

Hello All -

If a lock is used so that there is appreciable wear on the frizzen (not too deep, but noticeable) is it possible to wear out a frizzen?  I ask this as a novice who's neighbor just showed him a family black powder rifle he wants to shoot, with a frizzen that confirms the rifle was used for hunting and target shooting by his father-in-law for the better part of 40 years it seems.  Does he have a component that will stand up to another 40 years (if the frizzen was a quality componnt to begin with) or is there some rule of thumb about the likelihood of wearing out a frizzen?

Many thanks to any and all for help with this question!

[PPatch]

I don't know of a "rule of thumb," someone else here can answer that for you. But yes, a frizzen face will wear out in time. It can then be be refaced.

dave

[L. Akers]

Buckingham, a flintlock works by the flint scraping minute particles of steel from the face of the frizzen which become heated to incandescence by the friction of the scraping.  So, as Dave said, a frizzen will wear out in time.  The type of "flint" chosen, chert, agate, black flint, amber flint, etc. will be a factor in how long a frizzen will last as some rocks are harder than others and will wear a frizzen faster.  It is not uncommon to find frizzens on antique guns that have been soled with a piece of steel because the original face was worn away.  That is not so much a problem today as we can just buy a new frizzen.  I have a rifle I have been shooting for over forty years and have put thousands of rounds through with the original frizzen that is still going strong.   I very much doubt your neighbor will have to replace or reface his frizzen in his lifetime.

[Buckingham]

Thank you both, L. Akers and PPatch, for making a moment to respond.  I appreciate the feedback!

[bob in the woods]

Depending on the quality of the lock in general,the frizzed may outlast  the contact points of the sear/tumbler etc    On the other hand,  I have a Chambers Siler lock with over 10,000 cycles and it's still fine. 

[Bob Roller]

Hello All -

If a lock is used so that there is appreciable wear on the frizzen (not too deep, but noticeable) is it possible to wear out a frizzen?  I ask this as a novice who's neighbor just showed him a family black powder rifle he wants to shoot, with a frizzen that confirms the rifle was used for hunting and target shooting by his father-in-law for the better part of 40 years it seems.  Does he have a component that will stand up to another 40 years (if the frizzen was a quality componnt to begin with) or is there some rule of thumb about the likelihood of wearing out a frizzen?

Many thanks to any and all for help with this question!

Wear on such a part will vary depending on use and the original quality
of the frizzen to begin with. Some material used such as 8620 are not
good materials because they must be case hardened to get any fire at
all. Others like 1095 and 52-100 need a boost with case hardening but
will last a long time. My favorite is 52-100 because it is what ball and roller
bearings are made from and are impact resistant.
A competition shooter in California kept a log book on his target rifle with
one of my Ketland locks and recorded 15,000 shots with the 52-100 frizzen.
I reconditioned it and fitted the lock with a second one if a "just in case"
situation arose.
L&R lock Co.,Bill Cox told me that he wished he had started using 52-100
back when I told him of it's apparent advantages but has now used it for
a long time with few reported problems.I use 3 of their external parts sets
and a VERY active mainspring and NO reported problems as of this date.
The biggest problem in years past was to find a foundry to cast these odd
parts that would pay attention to the needs of the customer buying them.
That was almost the demise of the original L&R lock business and I will
repeat that they were being badly treated by the foundries they dealt with
and there was NO conscious attempt at making a bad product.

Bob Roller

[retired fella]

I have a Siler which I have been shooting for 30+ years.  When the frizzen  starts to groove I use a Dremel with a stone to smooth it out.  Seems to increase ignition speed and reduce flint wear. 

[David R. Pennington]

I ground the rough spots out of my Siler frizzen once and still going strong.

[Pete G.]

Most modern frizzens are hardened throughout, which theoretically means (from the aspect of throwing sparks) that you can't wear them out.

[Daryl]

I think most good frizzens are working fine until they start breaking flints too often- knotches or deep valleys, then they need a re-grind and perhaps re-hardening and tempering. I know a guy who does this stuff.  A new frizzen - hardened and tempering is probably cheaper than having someone re-sole one.