Flintlock tuning

Flint shooter , Iwould like to know how to tune my lock ,
Thanks in advance,

Paul.

Not being a smarta$$ but you'll probably need to buy a book. There really isn't enough room on the forum to teach/show you how to tune a flintlock.

Best advice is to find an old timer who can show you on hand to take apart your to tune it. I like to take my locks apart once a year for a good cleaning. With the proper tools, a flintlock lock is not that hard to take apart and put back together as long as you don't loose any parts. To fine tune to get a better crisper action reguire the use of emery paper. It will polish the part plus remove un-noticeable burbs that may slow up your action. Polish parts well oiled absent of rust will give you a reliable firing. :thumbsup:

Rule #1: get a good mainspring vice. Do not use pliers, Vice Grips, etc.
Rules 2 - 99: need to know what the problem is you are having with your lock and what make it is.

Rule #3. Before taking lock apart. KNOW....really KNOW, how the fly is positioned and recheck it again and again. Don't lose it! They are not hard to buy from the manufacture, but you are probably not shooting until a new one gets here. How would I know!

First step is evaluation. Is it working now? Does it ignite the powder in the pan reliably? If it does, the only thing you want to do is reduce friction in a few key areas. As mentioned above, you need to have a mainspring vise and to know how to assemble and disassemble a lock.

Make sure that inside, the mainspring is not scraping all along the plate as it travels. If it is, carefully file the moving arm. Now do the same for the frizzen spring and the sear spring. Polish all springs where they contact the piece they are working against. So polish the nose of the mainspring where it rides on the tumbler, the hump or upper edge of the frizzen spring where it contacts the frizzen, and the tipp of the sear spring where it presses on the sear. Now polish the tumbler, frizzen and sear where their springs contact them.

Now on to the sear. Check the sear arm does not rub against the lockplate when it moves up and down.

The tumbler can be carefully polished on it's faces that may rub against the lockplate and bridle. If you do polish either axle (that does through the plate or through the bridle) you must not change dimensions at all or things will wobble.

If your lock has problems, then those problems have to be identified and fixed, one at a time.

Dave K said:

Rule #3. Before taking lock apart. KNOW....really KNOW, how the fly is positioned and recheck it again and again.

Click to expand...

And in this day and age of digital cameras and/or phones with built-in cameras, a good sharp close-up of the internals in the hammer forward, half cock, and full cock positions...BEFORE you take it apart...couldn't hurt when you're putting things back together.
:thumbsup:

Heavy Eagle said:

Best advice is to find an old timer who can show you on hand to take apart your to tune it. I like to take my locks apart once a year for a good cleaning. With the proper tools, a flintlock lock is not that hard to take apart and put back together as long as you don't loose any parts. To fine tune to get a better crisper action reguire the use of emery paper. It will polish the part plus remove un-noticeable burbs that may slow up your action. Polish parts well oiled absent of rust will give you a reliable firing. :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

I agree with what H Eagle says good advice. About the only things that he didn't mention is changing the architecture of the tumbler, but if you have a better lock those things are usually pretty good with today's new locks.

The purpose of tuning a flint lock is to improve the efficiency of the three springs in the lock, in delivering energy they store to move the parts of the lock qui8cy to produce sparks that are thrown into the flash pan as quickly after you pull the trigger to release the sear, as possible.If you don't understand the names of the part os your lock, go to Bob Spencer'
s Website, " Blackpowdernotebook.com " to find pictures of the typical flintlock. Your lock may differ a bit in designed shapes of some part, but you will learn all the names give to the parts.

A Flintlock has three springs whereas a percussion lock only has two. A flintlock's third spring is on the outside of the lock plate. Its SOLE purpose is to keep the frizzen closed when the barrel is pointed down at the ground. You don't want gravity opening up the frizzen so your flash powder falls out. It doesn't take much friction on the cam- that little " nose" on the bottom of the frizzen that rubs against the upper arm of the frizzen spring--to keep the frizzen closed.

The mainspring and the sear spring on a flintlock are pretty much the same as found on any percussion lock. As Wick has already noted, you want the moving parts of the lock to move freely, w/o dragging against other parts, or the lock plate itself.

1. After removing parts from the lock, visually inspect the lock plate to see that its FLAT- not curved! If the lock has been fired, or "dry-fired" without oil, there will be visible marks on parts and the plate where moving parts are rubbing against the metal. STOP THE RUBBING. Take your time, and test each part manually, with0ut spring pressure on them. The springs get installed and checked LAST.

2. I use jeweler's files, emery stones, and fine abrasive papers to polish lock parts, and remove burrs, or casting seams. BUT, always study how the parts work and their relative position in the lock before removing any metal- it doesn't "glue back on" easily. Learn from others' mistakes- yours will be more painful!

3. Once you have everything moving as smoothly as you can, now you can spend the time to measure angles of the cock, flint, and frizzen, as everything else to do with the lock's movement is for the purpose of:
a. producing sufficient sparks to ignite the priming powder in the flash pan; and

b. Throwing those sparks as fast, and as accurately as possible into the pan.

If you don't get sparks, reliably, the gun won't fire reliably. If the sparks don't land in the pan to ignite the powder there, the gun won't fire, either.

I have an article on this forum, up under "articles" under "Member Resources" that discusses optimum angles for the flint to do the best work for you, while increasing the number of strikes you can get from a given flint thru tuning. The longer that expensive flint lasts, the less it costs you to shoot the gun.

When you have a problem, ask questions here. I was fortunate to find a man who knew a lot about flintlocks to teach me what he knew about tuning them. Not everyone is that fortunate. That is why we are here, to help you out. :shocked2: :hmm: :thumbsup:

paulvallandigham said:

When you have a problem, ask questions here. I was fortunate to find a man who knew a lot about flintlocks to teach me what he knew about tuning them. Not everyone is that fortunate. That is why we are here, to help you out. :shocked2: :hmm: :thumbsup:

Click to expand...

So tell me this Paul V... How come when I asked questions about a particular lock and issues/concerns that I had you never once opened up until one of your cohorts started bashing it as being junk? Then you were quick to stand behind him with your $.02 and were no help at all. Why was that?

BPS

:surrender: Come on now. Really? This thread is a month old and it's revived from the dead to publicly brow bash the guy.

I think a PM would have been more in order if you've got a bone to pick. :shake:

J.D.

I agree.

:thumbsup: Hi, I read these entrys almost every night and have learned a lot .I just bought a NEW Traditions pennsylvania rifle and im gonna ask what you guys think of them and any thing special about the gun that will help me. lolDont be afraid to tell me the bad things about it.. I have it and if anything should be changed speak out.. This knowledge on here should be put into book form lol just my thoughts.. Thanks for much good reading and advice you guys keep up the good work. fox.45. :bow:

Fox:
Thanks for putting your trust in us but because your gun is new (and I don't own one) I'll start off by saying just let your rifle tell you if it needs anything.

At one time, long ago, some of the Spanish guns left a lot to be desired but I haven't seen anyone saying a lot of harsh things about the newer Traditions for some time now.

I will say I don't know what kind of flint they supplied your gun with but in my experience the real pieces of flint seem to work best.

As I'm sure you know by now, none of the substitute black powders work well in a flintlock.

The subs don't "flash" in the pan and they require hotter temperatures to get them to fire in the barrel.
If your already using real black powder you've already jumped the first hurdle for getting a good experience with a flintlock.

I know you will read all about the fast ignition that others have had but in my opinion all flintlocks take a little longer to fire than a percussion gun.
How much longer? You never know.
That's the reason you have to develop a good follow thru after you've pulled the trigger.

What's good?
Again, in my opinion you should plan on having to hold the sights on target for at least a second after you've pulled the trigger.
Usually the gun will fire much quicker but because you planned on holding on target longer your shot will be a good one.

Have fun. After all, that's the main thing with this sport.

Thanks zonie
Just ordered flints from TOW.Ordered the 3 differant kinds they recommonded for Trad. and T/C hawkin ,I have both. I emailed them and asked what kind they would use and they got back to me right away,and I ordered right away.
Found out about them on here. Not much ya cant learn on here lol
WHen the flints come im gonna shoot and Ill let ya'all know how it goes.. Thanks again..
:v

I'd still like to know is there a book that tells how to take apart and put together and tune a flintlock's lock ?

Frank Ciletti said:

I'd still like to know is there a book that tells how to take apart and put together and tune a flintlock's lock ?

Click to expand...

Craft and Practice - Part I by Kit Ravenshear
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/321/1/BOOK-CP-V1

Kit published several of these small, inexpensive handbooks on gun work. I recommend all of them as you can not get more useful information than is crammed in these little books....especially considering the price.

Enjoy, J.D.

jdkerstetter,


Thanks

No problem. Hope they fill your need. Enjoy, J.D.

I posted here that I ordered a few flints from TOTW on the 27th, got them today 30th, thats durn fast i think.. Just want to say ,real good service and advise from them..
keep on keepin on... Fox.45 :applause: