Flint/frizzen relationship?

[Stone]

I searched but couldn't find the answer, maybe it's because I am a rookie and didn't know how to find it.

I have noticed that my flint does not go all the way down sometimes and I wonder if that is normal? I have read that you want the flint to neatly slide down the frizzen, and while mine sparks okay (or at least I think so) it seems that the arc of the flint travel is not right.

I have my flint 1/16" from the frizzen and I have what I have read is the proper angle on the flint.

Any tips or wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

 

[FishDFly]

Try bevel up and bevel down to see if that makes any difference.

Another option is to put a small spacer (fat tooth pick) between the flint and the back oft the lock to move the flint forward a touch and change the angle a bit.

 

[Phil Coffins]

What brand of lock do you have?

 

[Grenadier1758]

I have used the wooden match stick under the flint (bevel up) close to the jaw screw. That will slightly lower the leading edge of the flint and aid when the flint is scraping those red hot steel particles. Polish the bolt surface that serves as an axle for the frizzen. Use a light grease on the bolt.

Send a picture of your lock.

 

[FishDFly]

Much better explanation.

 

[SDSmlf]

I searched but couldn't find the answer, maybe it's because I am a rookie and didn't know how to find it.

I have noticed that my flint does not go all the way down sometimes and I wonder if that is normal? I have read that you want the flint to neatly slide down the frizzen, and while mine sparks okay (or at least I think so) it seems that the arc of the flint travel is not right.

I have my flint 1/16" from the frizzen and I have what I have read is the proper angle on the flint.

Any tips or wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

If you are saying the flint does not always go all the way down the frizzen (and the frizzen doesn’t fully open), in addition to the above comments, you may also have a weak main spring or a frizzen spring that is to strong. A couple of photographs would help.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Is it stabbing/digging into the frizzen sometimes and stopping there? All the other thoughts and ideas are legitimate. Brand of lock? Soft frizzen maybe? We’re gonna need more info and maybe pictures.

 

[Stone]

Thanks guys, here is what I can tell/show you.

The gun is an inexpensive Traditions Pa. Pellet which I bough for the sole purpose of getting a couple more weeks in the woods this year. I'm just trying to get the most out of this gun for now.

The flint and the frizzen were clean.

I test fired it 5 or 6 times after repositioning the flint and the flint went all the way down but the frizzen didn't go all the open, see the second picture.

 

[CyrusP]

This is likely the worlds dumbest question but I’m asking because the first pic appears to be at half cock. Assuming you are shooting from full cock? Assuming you can only fire from full cock?

 

[Stone]

This is likely the worlds dumbest question but I’m asking because the first pic appears to be at half cock. Assuming you are shooting from full cock? Assuming you can only fire from full cock?

That's not dumb, I have been asked many times "is that a half or full cock". Yeah, the pic was half cocked and I am shooting from full cock.

 

[erhunter]

It's hard to tell by your pictures but your frizzen face appears to be awfully rough, It looks like your flint is correct in length, ending up in the middle of the pan after firing. My next thought would be a bent frizzen bolt or to heavy of a frizzen spring. Although your flint does seem to be stopping pretty high of the pan?

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Thanks guys, here is what I can tell/show you.

The gun is an inexpensive Traditions Pa. Pellet which I bough for the sole purpose of getting a couple more weeks in the woods this year. I'm just trying to get the most out of this gun for now.

The flint and the frizzen were clean.

I test fired it 5 or 6 times after repositioning the flint and the flint went all the way down but the frizzen didn't go all the open, see the second picture.




View attachment 112822

Two items. When the flint actually hits the frizzen it needs to be at some downward angle. Right now it is hitting at 90 deg. Make sure the frizzen is oiled at pivot bolt and at rocker that hits the spring below. If the frizzen is not snapping open after my suggested adjustment, post what happens. As said by another poster you may have some spring issues.
Larry

 

[pilot]

If you have a trigger scale that's used to measure the trigger weight, you can use that to test the weight of the frizzen spring. It should be about one third of the weight of the main spring. More or less.

 

[FishDFly]

Interesting, that is a new learning.

 

[Stone]

I am going to go play around with it.

"I'll be back"

 

[Sidney Smith]

I can tell you right now what's wrong. Your flint is too long. Those little Traditions locks have tight tolerances between the cock and the frizzen and if you use too long a flint you will have issues with the cock not being able to drop all the way because the frizzen gets in the way. What size flint are you using? You need a 5/8ths flint in those locks.

Don't be as concerned with the distance the flint sits from the frizzen face at half cock. Be more concerned with the correct size of flint.

That, and get rid of the cut agate flints. They suck. Try English or French Amber hand Knapped flints. You will notice improved ignition instantly.

 

[Kansas Kid]

A natural / napped flint will probably give you a more shaving angle vs the stabbing one you appear to be getting now. Or do the shim thing under the back side of the sawn flint and give that a try.

 

[sb 54 cal.]

I also have a traditions lock. Turn the flint over and use thicker leather around Flint. You will need to punch he in middle of leather so it will set back against screw. That's what I did.

 

[waksupi]

Thanks guys, here is what I can tell/show you.

The gun is an inexpensive Traditions Pa. Pellet which I bough for the sole purpose of getting a couple more weeks in the woods this year. I'm just trying to get the most out of this gun for now.

The flint and the frizzen were clean.

I test fired it 5 or 6 times after repositioning the flint and the flint went all the way down but the frizzen didn't go all the open, see the second picture.

View attachment 112818

View attachment 112822

Just to cover all the bases, try this. Put your frizzen all the way forward, with the hammer cocked. (unloaded, of course!) Then lay your thumb across the top of the barrel until the frizzen barely makes contact. Then put the frizzen into battery, and squeeze off the trigger. Did the frizzen contact your thumb? If so, you are just experiencing rebound, not to be worried about. Many new flint shooters make incorrect assumptions on what is actually happening.
If it ISN'T rebounding, remove the frizzen, and polish the contact point with the frizzen spring. Put a dab of grease in there when you reassemble.
I can't agree with the flint being too long, I like mine to nearly contact the frizzens on all my guns.

 

[Stone]

Okay, I lubed the frizzen spring, played with half a dozen flints and angles, I even have another of the exact same gun (I bought one for my friend who is coming up from Virginia), and I have concluded that I have a bad spring weight ratio.

You can see, in the pic below, where the flint starts and where it stops.

I am getting spark into the pan so I am probably okay for now. I devised a method to test trigger weight for some of my rifles and I will have to try to test the weights and see if I am close to 3-1.