Flint at the gun show

[OcelotZ3]

Hi All,

I saw a very nice looking custom-made flintlock at the gun show today. But, the frizzen spring is broken.

The lock appears to be a "Golden Age" lock to me, but I'm just getting in to this.

Do you think the frizzen spring would be easy to source? I've attached a photo.

Thanks!

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm almost certain it's a Deluxe Siler.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/724/1/LOCK-CD-FL-RH

$18.99 for a new frizzen spring.

 

[OcelotZ3]

The catalog I have from Gun Works says that the Deluxe Siler frizzen spring comes from the Golden Age lock to improve performance. So it appears we are both correct.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/imgPart/lock-ga-fr_1.jpg

 

[Jim Evans]

Easy fix.
They must of broke it changing the frizzen because its a different color.

 

[Alden]

Not so sure that's why the frizzen is a different color.

 

[OcelotZ3]

The frizzen face shows quite a bit of use so I dont't think it broke right during install.

How would one go about trying to match coloring/case hardening when installing replacement parts like a frizzen or spring?

 

[gunmaker43]

Case hardening can't be done, Frizzen & spring are already hard. Polish outside edge of friz. spr'g leave rest alone. Frizzen mite take a cold blue--maybe. Not that uncommon to see diff. colors on the parts of a lock...Tom

 

[OcelotZ3]

Thank you. I was kind of thinking that regarding the finish/hardening. I just didn't want to buy something that might not be repairable or look too funky.

I wish I had taken a photo of the entire rifle. It was beautiful, and a number of folks at the show were commenting about it after I had pulled it out from the very back of a rifle display. One of the other vendors actually sent his daughter over to listen in when I was asking the seller about its history. Unfortunately the seller bought it used from some guy "because it looked so nice" and that's all I got. He's not a BP guy.

I'll head over to the show today and take another look.

 

[gunmaker43]

Not to worry about a Chamber's lock--guaranteed for ever. 1st class parts on those sparkers....Tom

 

[bpd303]

Chances are it will be gone when you get there.

That's one reason when I find a gun like that at a gun show, I won't put it down, unless the seller is unwilling to deal and the price is way too high.

As my late FIL always said when you snooze you lose. :wink:

 

[OcelotZ3]

I got it.

I believe the owner of The Gun Works Muzzleloading Emporium had seen it earlier (but there was never a price listed on the rifle), and he toyed with me by getting back over to the seller just ahead of me and buying it out from under me...

He thought it was a really good deal and I believe him.

Oh, I just measured the lock size. It's 5.6" x 0.95", which seems to correspond well to the size of the Golden Age lock. From the Chambers lock page:

Golden Age lock: 5 9/16 x 15/16
Deluxe Siler: 5 1/4 x 1

 

[OcelotZ3]

Well, they only seem to be guaranteed forever to the original purchaser. But that does imply that they are quality locks.

 

[OcelotZ3]

These aren't very good photos. I need to take some in daylight, but this is what I have for now.

 

[Jim Evans]

Reminds me of the TVM Lancaster.

 

[Shine]

Well what did you throw for it? :grin:

 

[excess650]

Who built the rifle? It looks like it was to be a Bonewitz (Womelsdorf) emulation. Reedy and Figthorn apprenticed with Bonewitz.

 

[MSW]

great find! congratulations on a really fine looking rifle!

 

[gunmaker43]

If Joe Williams said it's a good deal---you can count on it. Joe knows his guns, that's for sure...Tom

 

[OcelotZ3]

I paid $400 for the rifle.

I forgot to mention at the first that there are absolutely NO markings visible anywhere on the rifle, nothing that I could find. Perhaps when I remove the lock/barrel I'll find something.

At the show I pushed a dry patch down to check the barrel (it had a lot of dust in it so I couldn't really see the rifling at first), and after I dropped a homemade bore light down it, it looked like it hadn't ever been fired. The frizzen shows quite a bit of use so I don't know if it had just been extremely well taken care of, or someone just dry fired it a ton.

 

[jamesthomas]

$400.00 dollars!!! :hatsoff: :bow: Somebody didn't know what they were selling. That rifle to me at least) looks like a $1200.00 to $1500.00 maybe $2000.00 dollar rifle. Heck the lock and barrel are $400.00 plus the wood is probably another 200+ and the time, effort and the carving :idunno:. I would have jumped on it like a starving dog on a steak. What are the specs on the rifle?, caliber, length of barrel swamped or straight, etc, etc.