In order to strengthen the main spring, can one just remove it and make the gap in the spring wider? Doing it cautiously of course.
Heat treating Perdersoli frisson?
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After adjusting the angle of the flint it doesn't need any other consideration.
FlinterNick
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Nope… not in a tempered state. You could widen it if the spring were in a normalized state, however I don’t recommend doing this with a pedersoli spring, then tend to be heavier and have a significant preload. I’d have a custom spring made that is stronger.
I thought I'd ask since I'm a blade Smith and have all the necessary tools and equipment to do something like that. But I understand what you're saying. Do you have anybody in mind that might be able to be up to the task?
FlinterNick
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I make replacement springs for locks, I use 1085, and 80CRV2, 15N20 and 6150 stock to make springs, I leave the springs a little thicker in the back and taper them towards the lower leg. Lock makers all have different tricks, what i have found that works for me is doing a staggered / two temper. I temper at 600 and then again at 700, after air cooling between cycles.
sounds like you’ve got the right equipment,
I would normalize at around 1600 for 45 min, then let it air cool.
While heated red at around 1200-1300 you can open the legs slightly or end the lower leg further downward.
Heattreat to 1500, orange red color, i use an oil quench, quenching oil, i use fusion oil.
Temper back at 700-800 for 45 min to an hour.
*note if the mainspring already has a deep preload like on the grice lock or charleville locks, i wouldn’t mess with the spring, I’ve found that hte issue isn’t so much the shape of the spring but more so how its located on the plate. Sometimes their screw holes are set too high and sometimes the they’re set too close to the tumbler.
fris·son
/frēˈsôN,ˈfrēˌsôN/
noun
/frēˈsôN,ˈfrēˌsôN/
noun
- a sudden strong feeling of excitement or fear; a thrill.
"a frisson of excitement". _--------------------------------- frizzen - noun
- friz·zen ˈfrizᵊn
- plural-s
- : the pivoted metal upright of the action of a flintlock against which the flint strikes upon firing
Old Sparky
40 Cal
I finally broke down and purchased a can of cherry red. Now I can re-harden my frizzens anytime I want with a propane torch. I also ordered an extra fritten so I would always have one ready to go.
FlinterNick
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Cherry Red doesn’t work very well, I use Brownells surface hardening compound and i mix in charcoal from peach Pitts and cherry seeds, some folks add Potassium Ferrocyanide, not sure what that does.
Surface Hardening or carburizing doesnt work very well as a practice, it won’t last very long. If the part is an alloy steel, case hardening is your best option, this really can’t be achieved with a propane torch.
Wick / LRB might know, if Cherry Red is a good option or not, its never worked well for me on anything other than screws and tiny parts.
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O/P: My Pedersoli flintlocks over many years (decades) never needed alignment, or mainspring/frizzen springs tempered or frizzens hardened. If you leave well enough alone, you will be able to enjoy shooting your rifle that much more! Just spend your worrying time finding the best ball size/patch thickness/powder charge, for the type and distance you will be shooting. Your children, grand children and great grandchildren will all enjoy shooting your Pedersoli! Enjoy!
Comfortably_Numb
The Evil Mike Brooks
I have always bought the best locks from the best AMERICAN manufactures. I have never had any issues with locks in 43 years.
Is it feasible / is it possible to replace the Pedersoli lock with one of those?
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That's great, if one can afford them.
WHY? You said sparked fine. Why do you insist on fixing what ain't broke?!?
FlinterNick
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To pull your chain, obviously.
You just don't get it do you? Multiple members have told you the marks on your frizzen are normal. The flint HAS to shave metal from the frizzen in order for sparks to happen. Yet you want to 'improve' upon that. I could show you one of my Pedersoli frizzens that has had over 2000 shots on it. It is on my Indian Trade Musket. It is pretty gnarly. Yet still sparks just fine and ignites powder wonderfully. The frizzen is a wear item. Spanish and Italian frizzens will fail sooner on average than the best American ones, but you will be hard pressed to wear one out, generally speaking. Please stop trying to improve what is working and simply enjoy life. It is short, don't complicate it.
FlinterNick
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Most pedersoli Locks work very well, there are a few out of the factory that may need to be corrected or sent back but for the majority they often work very well.
Replacing a pedersoli lock should / ought to only be done with a pedersoli replacement, not an American Lock, some people like to have a ‘back up’ lock which I personally think is foolhardy overkill. If you want some spare screws that’s one thing, but an entire lock will likely collect dust on your shelf.
Spare Frizzen ? There really is no reason to have a spare frizzen, even if a frizzen is gashed up, they can be recase hardened for about a quarter of the price for a replacement frizzen. These frizzens are designed to last. Sometimes frizzens need to be replaced for other reasons, such as a bad temper that caused it crack or break.
Keeping your lock clean is the most important part, it will keep corrosion from wearing out the hardened surfaces and will keep it functioning optimally.
I have a 1970’s navy Arms Italian Bess Lock that is made with far lesser quality parts, and it still works just fine.
There are people that shoot 200 year old 1816 muskets, and brown Bess’s that still throw a very good spark.
FYI if you don’t want strike marks on the frizzen, don’t shoot it or dry fire it.
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If I can add to NorthFork's response, more than likely you will go to much trouble to try to improve something that is working as it should. It won't be worth the effort in the long run, and that is if everything turns out great. But, by going to the trouble to do all of this, consider the possible scratches, nicks, dings, whacks and other defacement that will occur when tearing your lock down, doing what you want to do and reassembly. I can almost promise you that you will rue the day you began this journey.
Exactly.
How, oh how many archeological digs revealed any broken frizzens? As far as I know, zippo. I would hope that you will be able to shoot it enough in your lifetime to wear out the frizzen.
It either sparks or it don't. Not really any room for an in-between.
