Flint and frizzen engagement: How good is too good?

[John Spartan]

Question for the old hands.
Have a new musket and have about 10 shots thru it. No misfires and everything worked great but of course I’m always pondering and perhaps overthinking.
Below pic is the frizzen after 10 flawless shoots. I don’t suspect trouble but was wondering: Is it possible to have “too much flint” hitting the frizzen causing “unnecessary” wear and tear on the frizzen? Do you ever “polish” the frizzen every so often?
I only have about a years experience shooting multiple flintlocks so I am still a new guy and still learning.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I don't believe I have ever seen a frizzen that did not have those marks. However, you say, after onlly ten shots. Yes, it does seem the angle is off and maybe other factors. Try bevel up/down, longer flints, etc. to see if you get improvement. And/or your frizzen spring may be too strong. Wait for some real experts to chime in here.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I wouldn’t polish a frizzen because of how it looks. It’s more important how it works.

 

[John Spartan]

I wouldn’t polish a frizzen because of how it looks. It’s more important how it works.

Well yes. The wild idea was not for looks but for spark efficiency and longevity of the frizzen - if that is even a thing.
I fully understand the frizzen is going to get all dinged up and mauled (not that’s what I have have happening I think) I was just curious if anybody had an idea of how much is good and how much is too good.

 

[hawkeye2]

Polishing removes metal and the hardening is only so deep specially if it's an Italian gun. You would only be shortening the frizzen life between rehardenings with no other advantage.

 

[deerstalkert]

you show what i call "tooth strike" for lack of a better term. (or just because i am dumb).
this is caused by an acute angle of flint strike. as in 90 degree. if you shorten the flint a smidge(another technical term) the angle will be less acute.
i'd write more gibberish but this much has been a struggle today.

 

[John Spartan]

Thanks.
Makes perfect sense to reduce the “tooth strike” to a minimum to where you still get good ignition.
I get this is strictly a wild ass guess and opinion on your part but do you think I have too much in your experience?

 

[mhb]

I have always got the best performance from my flinters by positioning he flint so that it contacts the frizzen at about 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the frizzen from its top. That way, you get the optimum 'scrape' from the flint for more spark. You now have the flint striking at about 1/2 the height of the frizzen face. You may have to experiment with the way the flint is placed in the cock jaws to achieve the higher strike - bevel down, further forward in the cock, longer flint, thicker leather, etc.- whatever works. With the cock at the half cock, the flint edge should be just short of touching he frizzen at the desired strike height.

mhb - MIke

 

[springfield art]

I don't believe I have ever seen a frizzen that did not have those marks. However, you say, after onlly ten shots. Yes, it does seem the angle is off and maybe other factors. Try bevel up/down, longer flints, etc. to see if you get improvement. And/or your frizzen spring may be too strong. Wait for some real experts to chime in here.

The flint if making sparks FROM THE STEEL in the frizzen. So there's always some metal loss. I've seen an article about the 'sweet spot' for flint/steel contact, but don't recall where; must have been in the Muzzle Blasts or Muzzleloader. Good luck, Spartan, sounds like you are on a good track!

 

[John Spartan]

I have always got the best performance from my flinters by positioning he flint so that it contacts the frizzen at about 1/4 to 1/3 the height of the frizzen from its top. That way, you get the optimum 'scrape' from the flint for more spark. You now have the flint striking at about 1/2 the height of the frizzen face. You may have to experiment with the way the flint is placed in the cock jaws to achieve the higher strike - bevel down, further forward in the cock, longer flint, thicker leather, etc.- whatever works. With the cock at the half cock, the flint edge should be just short of touching he frizzen at the desired strike height.

mhb - MIke

Perfect. Thank you.

 

[hanshi]

Well, the flint should preferably make contact higher up on the frizzen but absolutely not smash into the frizzen head on. Work with the flint until you get it to scrape down the frizzen face at more or less around, say, 60 degrees. If nothing works (unlikely) the lock geometry is probably at fault.

 

[EC121]

Hard to say without a picture. The flint should end up pointing at the middle of the pan. Your frizzen is showing the start of a strike line(tooth strike). That usually indicates that the strike angle is too acute(approaching 90deg.). You want more of a shaving angle that strikes higher and pushes the sparks to the center of the pan. Hammer geometry might be off, but you say it is working OK. Playing with the flint size and angle(bevel up or down and shimming the back of the flint) might help.