Flint to frizzen spacing...

[Sparkitoff]

All along I have put a new flint into the **** so that it barely touches the closed frizzen. Today I broke a flint and changed it out. The one I had although new from the bag was kind of short. Set back against the **** post there was about a half inch space between the sharp edge and the frizzen face. I could shim it forward but it sparked so I left it. At some point around 10 shots it stopped sparking and I had to knap it. That got it to spark again and I fired another 10 shots. Questions: Any harm or foul with the flint being 1/2" off the frizzen? Is that likely why it stopped sparking after just 10 shots? What is more important, having the flint back against the **** post or having it a hair off the frizzen face? Thanks

 

[Art Caputo]

In my experience, how far the flint edge is at half **** off the face of the frizzen can vary based on the geometry of the particular lock. More critical is the “angle” and “ contact” point where the flint strikes the frizzen. On my locks the initial contact is generally made 55-60% of the distance from the bottom of the frizzen face, and the flint tip lands pointing into the locks priming pan/vent.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

With my Deluxe Siler the flint is well back from the frizzen at half **** and ignition is instant and I've no problems with flint life. I don't think there is an advantage to seating the flint against the screw. Short flints are set out further as necessary.

 

[garypl]

No absolute rule on this - try different spacing, bevel up, bevel down, etc and use what works best in your lock. I use large Siler locks and my flints work best bevel edge down and just touching the frozen at half ****.

 

[rafterob]

Closer to the frizzen is best. You can use a shim (read twig) behind the flint if necessary to provide stability. If the flint is too short it may just barely contact the frizzen and the Jaw screw head may actually be engaging the frizzen.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I always check where, when the trigger is pulled and the hammer drops, exactly where the flint first comes into contact with the frizzen. I like it to first touch about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down from the top, so its scraping 3/4 to 2/3rds of the length of the frizzen. Ill move it back or forward in the jaws and/or rotate the new flint until it does, then clamp it down with a piece of leather with a cutout where the jaws screw comes into contact with it.

Therefore, there is no "standard" spacing distance. Its based on your lock and the flint size/shape itself.

 

[TerryK]

I think what Art wrote above goes a long way for many rifles.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I prefer the flint away from the frizzen within reason.
I like the flint to strike steel lower down the frizzen face. No point in smashing the rock into steel near square on!
It depends on the locks geometry mind.....

 

[tenngun]

I found that as long as the **** screw never hits the frizzen you can get a spark. I’ve knapped flints you just a nubbin.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Agreed on the geometry of the lock. On my GPR the flint sits close to the frizzen when at half ****. With my Siler locked guns, the flint sits noticeably farther back. I think the greater consequence is how the flint strikes the frizzen. Whenever I install a flint, I put it in the jaws of the **** loosely, then slowly lower the **** to let the flint rest squarely on the frizzen. Then I put the **** back to half **** and tighten the jaws. This way I know the flint will strike the frizzen squarely. Bevel up or down produces no appreciable differences for me so its whatever I feel like doing that day in that regard.

 

[Ben Meyer]

My problem is, my lock takes small flints. 5/8x3/4". After 15-20 ish shots, ill lose spark. Ill knap it, readjust placement and get another 5-10 shots. 20-30 total is about my average. After that, its generally too worn/small to securely fit and stay locked in the jaws. Its just the way it is.

If I ever buy another flinter("if" yeah thats funny) itll use 3/4 or 7/8" wide flints. My sons rifle usually more than doubles my shot count.

 

[toot]

buy, ERIC BYE'S book, you will learn every thing that you kneed to know!! look it up & buy it!!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

It's not just the "space"...,

Does the flint at half-**** rest upon the face of the frizzen?..., that tends to be bad as it often holds the frizzen just a tad "open".
Does the flint when it touches the face of the frizzen, hit 90° to the frizzen face? That usually means low flint life and a battered frizzen.
Does the flint when it hits the frizzen face hit the face less than 1/2 way to the bottom edge of the frizzen? That often means low volume of sparks.
Does the jaw-screw on the **** contact the top edge of the frizzen when fired, because the flint is too short? That often means low or no sparks, and beats up on the lock parts.
Do you knap your flint by tapping on the edge with a hard object or do you pressure flake the edge to knap them using a piece of leather and the tip of a hard, mature, deer antler? While the tapping is great for military historians doing battle reenactments, pressure flaking will often give you more flint life.

LD

 

[Professor flintlock]

My problem is, my lock takes small flints. 5/8x3/4". After 15-20 ish shots, ill lose spark. Ill knap it, readjust placement and get another 5-10 shots. 20-30 total is about my average. After that, its generally too worn/small to securely fit and stay locked in the jaws. Its just the way it is.

If I ever buy another flinter("if" yeah thats funny) itll use 3/4 or 7/8" wide flints. My sons rifle usually more than doubles my shot count.

Ben It's got a flint that 's given me 323 shots. I used all four sides of the flint.Thinking about getting a few more out of it. Alot can be said for a properly tuned lock. Wouldn't have shot a match with it after 100. Not a special flint ,just pulled it out of the box at the Log Cabin Shop. No white spots in the flint or fissures in it. Wish all flints lasted that long. Old VC D lock. Probably 50 years old at least. Early Douglas barrel with a touch hole liner made from a USAF bolt from the jet engine shop . Think it might be berillium or some exotic metal but definitely not steel. Belled out on the inside a a pretty small hole but works great. Always hold my flint with leather,notched to clear the **** screw. When in the fired position the tip is clear of the touch hole towards the **** . Usually shoot bevel up but flipped it over when dull for my marathon attempt. Might be a tippler's believe it or not moment.

 

[Ben Meyer]

I have 2 locks. One is a L&R, the other the stock one from my 1979-80 Dixie Gun Works TN Mtn Rifle. They both spark well. Flints last equally in both.

Professor, what size flint did you get all those shots off of?

 

[Professor flintlock]

I have 2 locks. One is a L&R, the other the stock one from my 1979-80 Dixie Gun Works TN Mtn Rifle. They both spark well. Flints last equally in both.

Professor, what size flint did you get all those shots off of?

3/4 wide and 13/16 long just an everyday flint out of Log Cabins bulk box . Wish they were all like that.

 

[Professor flintlock]

3/4 wide and 13/16 long just an everyday flint out of Log Cabins bulk box . Wish they were all like that.

Measured one and they are 15/16 long.

 

[Griz44Mag]

Agreed on the geometry of the lock. On my GPR the flint sits close to the frizzen when at half ****. With my Siler locked guns, the flint sits noticeably farther back. I think the greater consequence is how the flint strikes the frizzen. Whenever I install a flint, I put it in the jaws of the **** loosely, then slowly lower the **** to let the flint rest squarely on the frizzen. Then I put the **** back to half **** and tighten the jaws. This way I know the flint will strike the frizzen squarely. Bevel up or down produces no appreciable differences for me so its whatever I feel like doing that day in that regard.

What I have experienced, the shorter the flint the lower it will strike. I can see that changing as the flint gets knapped a few times in the lock. When it gets short enough, I will turn it over to wedge side down moving the strike zone back up and it will strike higher again. Every flint is it's own geometry, one of those things that makes flintlock interesting.

 

[Griz44Mag]

My problem is, my lock takes small flints. 5/8x3/4". After 15-20 ish shots, ill lose spark. Ill knap it, readjust placement and get another 5-10 shots. 20-30 total is about my average. After that, its generally too worn/small to securely fit and stay locked in the jaws. Its just the way it is.

If I ever buy another flinter("if" yeah thats funny) itll use 3/4 or 7/8" wide flints. My sons rifle usually more than doubles my shot count.

The small lock in my lightweight Pedersoli Kentucky does not get a lot of mileage out of flints either. It may have something to do with how hardy a small flint can actually be. My larger locks on the Frontier and my WM Large barreled Jackson rifle both gets extremely good life from a flint. The medium size locks (one Pedersoli and one L&R) use a 5/8 or 3/4 flint. The small Kentucky needs a 1/2" narrow flint and they just don't seem to be very hardy. I am not saying it's the flint size, it just seems to be a factor.

 

[hanshi]

A flint touching the frizzen at half **** can leak prime. The exact orientation of a flint is, IMHO, not the most important thing. I look for whatever position has the flint scraping the frizzen face at "roughly" 60 degrees and contacts the frizzen 1/4 to 1/3 from the top.