Flint basher

[dillroy]

Hello,

I have a MVTP 1st model Brown Bess that I have been using for the past few yrs. It has always had a strong main spring, and it bashes flints pretty quick. I was wondering if there is away to fix this.

Thanks,
Dillon

 

[ohio ramrod]

While I am not as experienced as most on this forum with flints. I solved the problem of broken flints on my two flints by sanding the Frizen spring to weaken it. I had changed main springs, angle of flint striking the frizen, and frizen hardness to no availe . But weakening the frizen spring solved my problem.

 

[rich pierce]

There are some things to try with your flints.
Try shorter flints, try bevel up versus down, select flints with a tougher (more obtuse) angle, etc. Weakening the frizzen spring can certainly help in many cases. If taken too far, it can sometimes cause the frizzen to rebound with great force and slam the flint at rest. This can chip or break the cutting edge of the flint. This is too quick for the eye to see, but you can test for it. Smear some lipstick, etc on the bottom of the pan cover portion of the frizzen and dry fire the lock. If there is lipstick on the top of the flint, it is rebounding.

 

[paulvallandigham]

You can stop most rebounding frizzens by simply grinding or filing material off the bottom of the forward toe of the frizzen- the "U-shaped" bent material in front of the frizzen pivot pin/screw. It serves NO PURPOSE other than to give the frizzen someplace to rest when its popped open by the ****. Most of these toes are way too thick for such a purpose. By removing metal from the underside, you allow the frizzen to tip forward FURTHER, shifting more of the weight of the frizzen past the pivot point. This makes it much less likely that the frizzen will rebound back and hit your flint.

 

[rich pierce]

Good tip, Paul- will try that next time I have that problem. Could just heat and bend it also? I have seen some early locks that fly WAAAY open- maybe that's why.

 

[dillroy]

Thanks every one. I shortened the front leg of the frizzon as some one suggested and it works a lot nicer. I found a few sites on tuning Musket locks and it has helped mine a lot, with just a few easy tweaks.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have tried to weaken too strong frizzen springs. I have learned it is better to narrow the spring than to try and thin the spring. Also, I would be very careful filing those nubs on the bottom of the frizzen. Oh, well, a frizzen doesn’t cost a lot, so why not?

 

[paulvallandigham]

There is so much metal on most of these frizzen toes, I never gave much though to bending them up some more. Sure, it can be done, but a little time at a grinder is a lot less hassle, IMHO. Bend away.

The other thing to check is the amount of " slop" at the pivot pin/screw- is there and sideways play in the frizzen as it rides the pin or in the bridle.

If so, a lot of bench rest shooters simply put a piece of soft leather between the lock plate, and the frizzen, using a hole in the leather " washer" to hold it between the frizzen and plate. A thin piece of leather won't prevent the frizzen from popping open, but it will slow Any forward motion after the frizzen opens. In fact, the target shooters remove the frizzen spring altogether, and use the leather washer as a brake on the frizzen's movement, only. :hmm:

 

[Mike Brooks]

I'd send it back to the lock builder to fix. :wink:

 

[Stophel]

I'd say the main cause of busted flints (and gouged up frizzens) is the "angle of attack" the flint makes on the frizzen. If the flint hits the frizzen face too squarely, it will beat everything to bits. It needs to be a very glancing blow.

 

[Stophel]

I'd send it back to the lock builder to fix. :wink:

Punjab Subramanian?