Frizzen shot or not?

[Tony Rothrock]

What do you folks think? Pretty gouged up. Took a bastard file to it just to see and while it didn't really "bite", it didn't skate either and left a nice shiny ring showing the frizzen is cupped in the center. No, it does not spark well. 2/3 of the time it doesn't spark at all regardless of freshness or positioning of flint. Repairable? Or time to replace? If replacing I need an ID on this lock so I can get one that'll fit and work. It's 5/8 wide, roller on the spring. Thanks.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I don't recognize the lock, it is an odd ball. Has it always been a poor sparker? It is unlikely that you can find a replacement frizzen unless Dixie just happens to have one. Re-soleing may be your only option, I haven't done this but it doesn't look like it would be very hard to do if you have a grinder to fit the new metal to the frizzen.

You could try to re-harden the frizzen or send it to the Log Cabin Shop for a complete overhaul which would cost you more than the lock is worth.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Tony Rothrock didn't specify the maker of his rifle. That might change the recommendation for fixing his lock.

@Eric Krewson has the most likely best solution by soling the frizzen face with a thin sheet of hardened steel. Cut a saw blade to the size of the frizzen face and tin the face of the frizzen with soft solder and the back of the steel sole plate. Clamp the two pieces together with needle jawed vise grips and heat them until the solder flows. Trim away any excess sole plating and test for sparking.

 

[rich pierce]

Good advice above. I will add that when I sole a frizzen I make sure I remove at least the thickness of the sole from the face of the frizzen by grinding first. I make the sole oversized and curved to fit then harden and quench the frizzen if I am riveting it or using solder. If soldering I hold the frizzen toe in a vise, tin the frizzen face and heat from the back till the solder just flows. Then place a sopping wet rag on the whole business. If I am brazing it doesn’t need to be hardened. I heat till the braze flows then quench the whole business at slightly below braze temp, which is higher than hardening temp.I then grind the frizzen sole to fit and finish up with diamond files.

If you don’t grind back the frizzen the sole may run into the pan fence and you may also change geometry slightly.

It’s tough to beat a soled frizzen for sparks.

 

[Tony Rothrock]

@Tony Rothrock didn't specify the maker of his rifle. That might change the recommendation for fixing his lock.

@Eric Krewson has the most likely best solution by soling the frizzen face with a thin sheet of hardened steel. Cut a saw blade to the size of the frizzen face and tin the face of the frizzen with soft solder and the back of the steel sole plate. Clamp the two pieces together with needle jawed vise grips and heat them until the solder flows. Trim away any excess sole plating and test for sparking.

Don't know who the maker is. I bought via an estate sale. It has a 44in GR Douglas barrel in .45. Due to some of the "errors", I am assuming it was home built or a kit a completely blank stock. The wrist is too thin so as to put the trigger assembly too close to the sear, the ramrod channel has a bobble like it was stopped and restarted and the hole into the stock for the rod is at a slight upward angle. Just something I picked up relatively inexpensive to give me something to mess with while my Jeager order gets straightened out

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yes, @Tony Rothrock, knowing so little about your lock really doesn't change much. The resolving the face of the frizzen is most likely the best fix.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

The Log Cabin can repair your lock by either fitting a replacement frizzen or re- hardening the old one. Looks like a nice lock (roller frizzen) so it's likely worth repairing.

 

[Rob M.]

Following ....

 

[DuncNZ]

It looks like there is plenty of meat left in the frizzen ,my suggestion is to grind off those judder marks on the face and reharden the frizzen or get it rehardened by a professional ,try it and if it still doesn't work t I'd look at the strength of the feather spring ( frizzen spring ) and the lock spring

 

[Tony Rothrock]

I took some 800 grit wrapped around a large dowel (to maintain the slight curvature) to it and took down most of the gouges. No spark at all now. Didn't even bother putting it back on the lock, just used my flints from my fire kit. Put it back on, painted some mark fluid, and cycled it a couple times with a frsh squared flint. It is definitely cupped in the center side to side. Gonna have to sand/grind that out. I have some "Cherry Red" available and will give that a shot, but I do have old circular saw blades and will probably "resole" it eventually as mentioned / recommended. I hadn't even thought of that, and I work with metal every day!