Flashguard on a Charleville

[sherpadoug]

I am having difficulty with putting a flashguard on my MVT Charly. Using the usual flashguard if I tighten the frizzen screw enough to stop the guard from moving I squeeze the frizzen between the lockplate and the brass pan lug which makes the frizzen movement too tight. These is slight movement (0.005") between the lockplate and pan, but I think most of the squeeze is flexing of the brass pan lug.

I think I could:
1) File the inside of the pan lug to make the frizzen slot really wide. But this would make the lug thinner and make it flex even more.
2) Put a pin through the pan lug and guard near the screw to stop rotation. But this would also weaken the pan lug area.
3) Put a pin through the other end of the guard into the pan closest to the cock and lockplate. This is my favorite option at the moment, but I have never seen this done.

Is there a better option?

 

[poordevil]

does it hurt to have a little play in the guard? How about a small washer of leather to take up the play?

 

[sherpadoug]

The standard commercially manufactured guard is held only be the frizzen screw at one point. If the screw is not real tight the guard has a tendency to swing down below the pan and be useless (well more useless then usual, but that is another argument).

On my Bess the pan and lockplate are one piece of steel and I can tighten the screw all I need to without pinching the frizzen. On a Charleville the pan and its lug for the frizzen screw are a separate piece of brass, and there is a lot of "squish" with the multiple pieces.

 

[firefoot]

Hello Sherpa Dog

Make a flash guard that attaches to the fRIZZON SPRING screw. you can make a template out of thin cardboard then cut one out of tin or whatever. If I had the lock I could make one in a few minutes. It's that easy. All my flintlock are bridless or internal lock screws so I have to design all my own guards jim

 

[daoliver924]

You can also get a special replacement screw from ToTW that has an exposed threaded section that you secure the flashguard to.

 

[threepdr]

This is a problem for the reenactors in the Brigade of the American Revolution. They now require a flash guard that has a small tab on the part with the screw hole. This folds down on top of the bridle so the guard will not swivel down, even if you don't torque it down tight.

Are you putting teh guard on for a purpose, such as firing in ranks or doing living history at a park that requires a guard?

If not, leave it off. They get in the way, and they are not period correct.

 

[sherpadoug]

The guard is to meet the requirements of a couple of reenacting groups I muster with. Personally I dislike flashguards, but you have to pick your battles...

I have seen the guards with the tab to stop rotation, and it never seems to work very well. I am looking for a better solution.

 

[JohnN]

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii78/woodsrunner_01/flashguard.jpg You may want to try something like this.

 

[sherpadoug]

I ended up bending the guard till the tip is flat to the outside of the pan. Then I drilled a 1/16" hole through the guard into the pan and soldered a brass pin into the guard hole. Now the pin sticks into the hole in the pan and stops the guard from moving even if the screw is loose.

It looks just like everybody else in the regiment, but with my frizzen free to move it should fire much better. And if I take the guard off there is just a small dimple in the edge of the pan.

 

[Ron Nance]

I had the same problem with my trade gun. Got the screw from ToTW and fixed my problem. You can tighten the frizzen as you wish, then put the guard on. You can remove the guard anytime you wish without removing the frizzen. Works great. It is a screw with a nut and a post with another nut.