harper ferry sparks problems :changing the hammer

[flibuste]

hello,

I have a Pedersoli Harper Ferry pistol and , like others, the angulation of the hammer versus the frizzen is incorrect. Hence it is difficult to obtain sparks.
Some have modified the hammer but I am unable to saw and weld it so I imagine replacing the hammer with another one from another pistol.

Anyone has experience of that ?

Thanks for your experience

Regards

 

[curator]

I am certain that the pistol can have the flint installed in such a way that it will spark correctly. Width and length is important. When properly set, a flint should be about 1/8 inch from the frizzen at half cock. You decide if bevel up or down produces the best sparks. Flints should engage the frizzen about 3/4 of the way to the top and scrape along the full face. I find lead sheeting is the best way to wrap and hold the flint secure.

 

[torn moc]

Yes...the Harpers Ferry does require a very
" short" flint...I grind mine down and they work fine and allow the frizzen to close when the hammer is at half cock.

 

[widget350]

I tried a few different types of flints, and found the french amber ones to be the only ones that give me decent sparks. Still trying to tweak it, but I may end up modifying the geometry.

 

[nkbj]

Do any of yall's have weak springs?

 

[widget350]

Mine has plenty strong springs. I don't think they're too strong either, though I don't deal with flintlocks enough to know if sparking would be improved by adjusting the spings at all. I know for a fact that the geometry on mine is off. It's near impossible to find a flint that'll fit in it, and even then, it will only make contact with the bevel up, because the bevel down leave the flint passing over the top of the frizzen. I still need to play around with it some more, perhaps shimming the flint at an angle would help? I'll have to try that...

 

[JJB22]

My Harpers Ferry needs a small flint too. Luckily I can pick through the pile of flints at my local shop to find the smaller ones and if need be I can knapp them down more if I have to. I use leather to wrap the flint and most of the time the bevel is up on mine and it strikes the frizzen pretty high but the pan fires everytime as long as it's clean. Oh yea I have switched to 3f for the pan in that gun--it doesn't seen to fowl the touch hole as much . This is the flintlock that eats those flints up, I get 20 shots or so to a flint so when you find them, get a bunch. I you want, I will be going to the shop tomorrow for other stuff, I can look to see I can get some for you for the price and shipping. Let me know on that. Good luck

 

[widget350]

If you have flints that work well with yours, I'm game for trying them in mine. I found a french amber flint from Track works well, but the leather wrap isn't holding it very tight, so I may try lead.