Frizzen Face Texture

[Crow Choker]

Getting close to finishing my first flint lock kit build, an old CVA 45 Kentucky pistol I bought way way back in the late 70's. Be my first go around with shooting a flint firearm. Question is what should be the surface texture on the frizzen. Figure it should have some roughness. The face on the CVA frizzen is sort of semi-smooth with a few vertical lines in it. Should it be roughed up more with vertical lines or would horizontal lines give a better spark. Horizontal lines I'm thinking would wear the flint more. In roughing it, what is the best way to go at it and what to use. Appreciate any input.

 

[SDSmlf]

Horizontal lines I'm thinking would wear the flint more. In roughing it, what is the best way to go at it and what to use. Appreciate any input.

Shoot it as is. Overthinking things.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Smooth, no file or sanding marks. Not polished. It will get all the lines it needs by firing.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Note the finish were the flint hasn’t scratched the steel.
34F9A08A-C69A-406C-92D2-8668D4226CC7 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Crow Choker]

Thank ya Phil for the pic, that's similar to what the frizzen on my CVA looks like now with a few less lines. I have a Kibler SMR (still in box to finish) and checked the frizzen looks pretty similar. Once a shooter has taken alot of shots (no idea how many) do ya have to smooth the frizzen up some with sandpaper?

 

[Phil Coffins]

On a fine lock like the Kibler I wouldn’t expect to do anything to the frizzen for a couple of generations. A lesser lock that may come much sooner.

 

[Cruzatte]

Thank ya Phil for the pic, that's similar to what the frizzen on my CVA looks like now with a few less lines. I have a Kibler SMR (still in box to finish) and checked the frizzen looks pretty similar. Once a shooter has taken alot of shots (no idea how many) do ya have to smooth the frizzen up some with sandpaper?

No. Leave the frizzen be. It's fine.

 

[Crow Choker]

Longtime percussion rifle and revolver shooter since early 70's but just getting into flint locks.

 

[M. De Land]

Note the finish were the flint hasn’t scratched the steel.
34F9A08A-C69A-406C-92D2-8668D4226CC7 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

See the skip at the top, that is a frizzen bounce ! What one wants is an even scrape pattern down the entire frizzen face so that gullies are not carved in to shorten flint life.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Getting close to finishing my first flint lock kit build, an old CVA 45 Kentucky pistol I bought way way back in the late 70's. Be my first go around with shooting a flint firearm. Question is what should be the surface texture on the frizzen. Figure it should have some roughness. The face on the CVA frizzen is sort of semi-smooth with a few vertical lines in it. Should it be roughed up more with vertical lines or would horizontal lines give a better spark. Horizontal lines I'm thinking would wear the flint more. In roughing it, what is the best way to go at it and what to use. Appreciate any input.

See the skip at the top, that is a frizzen bounce ! What one wants is an even scrape pattern down the entire frizzen face so that gullies are not carved in to shorten flint life.

I will buy the frizzen bounce, but what is causing bounce? That is a new frizzen term to this old fart. When my frizzens get choppy, grooved or shoddy I grind them back smooth like Phil said. Most work well, but some are better than others. So, what causes frizzen bounce?
Larry

 

[Grenadier1758]

It's the geometry of the lock. If the geometry is off, the flint bashes the frizzen, causing those gouges. A lock with best geometry will scrape the frizzen sending small particles of steel into the pan. Grinding or smoothing the frizzen face is removing some of that steel that could become those red hot sparks needed to ignite the pan powder.