Frizzen Replacement..........

[Horserod]

I have a small Siler lock on my .32 cal rifle. It seems to go thru flints with about 20-25 shots being average. I have a new spare frizzen that's not drilled and I think it needs hardened. I ran a mill file across it and it catches on it rather than just sliding off. What's the hardening process and do I drill it first or wait until I harden it first ??? Or should I try to reharden the old frizzen ??? Thanks all for your help....Horserod

 

[killer]

I'm no expert or anything but it seems to me if your getting 20 or 25 shots with a decent spark there is nothing wrong with your frizzen. If it were me i'd drill before i hardened. I would check my springs for heaviness and flint position first. Denny

 

[napolean]

If your frizzen is sparking good for 20-25 shots, there is probably nothing wrong with it.
Are you having to knapp the flint during that 20-25 shots?
What type of flint are you using?
Jon D

 

[Trot]

What kind of flint are you using?

 

[Burningprince]

Yea english flints last longer,if it's french amber it's more brittle.Seems like the springs might be too strong.I had to weaken my springs because of the same problem,If it's sparking properly and you have not torn deep groves in the frizzen i would not replace it.

 

[sc45-70]

Personally I don't think there is anything wrong with your lock. I have used Siler locks for years and some just go through flints faster than others.
If you decide to harden your spare frizzen it will have to be drilled before it is hardened. After it is hard you will not be able to drill it!
I use Kasenit to harden frizzens. Follow the instructions on TOW web sight.
Good luck

 

[CoyoteJoe]

My all means drill it first or you'll never drill it at all. If it is a U.S. made frizzen it is most likely an oil hardening steel and you need to know how best to harden it. I made the mistake of case hardening a steel frizen and quenching in water as normal for case hardened mild steel but that frizen was not mild steel and the rapid quench caused it to crack.

 

[Horserod]

I'm using english flints and I'm not knapping but, I do turn the flint either backwards or flop ends. I seem to have to work with this lock to keep it sparking with any consistance. I have a Ketland lock on my .50 cal that keeps on sparkin' like the Energizer Bunny !!! Horserod

 

It's obvious that you know enough, by having a properly tuned, and working Late Ketland. It appears you may have tried bevel up, and down. Before you waste you time with a new frizzen, or try some of the offered advice, try calling Jim Chambers, and see what he advises. Not all Silers are assembled by Jim's crew, but he stands behind the locks, and may have you send it to him. Yeah that's right call the maker or supplier, before you do something radical that's given as advice on this site. Even the big guys like TC answer the phone, as well as Getz, Rayl, Rice, and the other custom barrel makers. Green Mountain's too busy making M-16 barrels. Pecatonica, and guy's like Dave Keck will answer your questions, and Track, Dixons, and Log Cabin will give you straight answers. It will save a lot of grief, and money. Just drilling a hole in a frizzen, and hardening it won't solve your problem necessarily, as you have to tune and fit it. Lightening springs, are not the answer either. 25- 35 shots may be the best you can get with that lock, but 50 to 100 seems more like what you should get. Sometimes you get a batch of soft flints. Also when Rich Pierce gets back to business, try his White Missouri flints.

Bill

 

[hanshi]

20 to 25 shots from a flint without knapping isn't that bad though I'd hope for more with at least some flints. I have a couple of small Silers that average a bit better than that but not always. I can usually get twice that many shots (or more) by first "scraping" the edge then knapping when it gets balky. Some flints just have a short life.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have five different “brands” of locks here and I believe 30 -40 per flint is a good average. I have had some flints go 80 to 100 but most go way less than that. Guys that get over a 100 shots per flint are , well, lucky. The flint I used to do my chrono tests yesterday did 30 shots and it looks the same as it did on number one. It may be one of the good ones and get me 100.

 

[nchawkeye]

10 years or so ago I broke the frizzen on my small Siler...I called Jim, he had me ship the lock to him and he fitted a new frizzen to it...Turnaround was not long either...Send it to him, then you know it's done right...

 

[Horserod]

Thanks everybody.....I'm going to call Jim and see what he can do for me. I'll be sure to let you (all) know what happens....Horserod