Issues with flintlock

[FlinterNick]

What were you offered in the trade just curious ?

FYI if someone is willing to trade you a miroku bess for your Indian made bess…. TAKE ThAT DEAL !

 

[Commodore Swab]

With a little work in the right direction these guns can be turned into reliable pieces.
Note this thread.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/bench-testing-a-flintlock.172431/
I would guess yours has been worked on by the stamps and barrel inletting. Based on this the lock is an unknown can of worms. If it is a lower quality steel as the india frizzens are then you need some compound to impart carbon to the steel. Cherry Red is the replacement for Kasenit and while it doesn't work as well it definitely gets the job done. Last month I did a hundred. The lock can be made to work without a total rebuild, just beware "india" is a trigger word for many on here.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

You are one of the most generous people ever.

 

[FlinterNick]

If you really want to keep the lock. I wouldn’t attempt to harden the frizzen with compound powder, most of these frizzens on Indian made locks just don’t absorb carbon well becuase they’re too heavy in alloys that have different fusing points (per a metallurgists explanation to me and most of the compounds available dont have a potassium or sodium ferrocyanide component). The retailers often say they’re case hardened high carbon steel, that could mean a lot of different things, but is often not the same case as a lock maker that disclose the actual steel type such as chambers and log cabin shop and rifle shoppe.

Best bet is to resole the frizzen with a piece of high carbon steel, saw blades work well i believe they are made of 15N20 or 80CRV2 steel. Its your best long term solution for an Indian lock to function well. Otherwise you’ll be recaseing the frizzen with cherry red or whats available often, that actually can hurt the frizzen more than it can help it in the long run.

Resoling is actually a very authentic way of repairing a worn frizzen too. I have an original Dutch lock with a resoled frizzen face that is welded on and it still sparks after 270 years.

Perhaps LRB or Dave_Person can provide some additional input on this, their advice for servicing frizzens is what i attempt to follow with my locks. There are several forum discussion by Dave that show how to appropriately case harden a frizzen and resole a worn out one. Heating a frizzen to red hot and dipping it in kasenite Or cherry red is very superficial, and will need to be redone eventually.

 

[Troy Easter]

Hook up with an experienced flintlock shooter. You will be amazed at how simple things can really be.

Thanks a million

 

[French Colonial]

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

You will never find a better offer than this, take him up on it.

Might as well have the gun put as right as it can be.

 

[Commodore Swab]

Best bet is to resole the frizzen with a piece of high carbon steel, saw blades work well, Its your best long term solution for an Indian lock to function well. Otherwise you’ll be recaseing the frizzen with cherry red or whats available often, that actually can hurt the frizzen more than it can help it in the long rurun.

Sure you can resole the frizzen, rebuild the lock from basically scratch and come out spending more on lock work than a new gun. While you're at it you might as well cut and fab a new tumbler, rethread the screws (may be sae but diameters vary in india), of course that necessities a new lock plate or welding up the old holes and retapping. Naturally the springs are questionable steel so they need to be remade. You can see quickly the difference between making work and getting into a full rebuild. Make it work, enjoy it.

Compound on frizzens is a tried and true method. You may need to do it "often" if you consider often to be 5-10 years and thousands of shots. A few min to dress and reharden a frizzen to me is nothing more than an inconvience.

 

[Terrier]

You will never find a better offer than this, take him up on it.

Might as well have the gun put as right as it can be.

+1

@Troy Easter

 

[Troy Easter]

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

I appreciate this, but I'm in Canada and likely cannot ship anything across the border.

 

[Troy Easter]

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

He brought the one today and it is junk.. the whole inside of the barrel is rusted and the rest of the musket is in very bad shape.

 

[springfield art]

I purchased my flintlock last year and have been having nothing but firing issues with it. There is no serial number on it or identifying marks to tell me where it was made. I presume India. I have tried all kinds of flints and different sizes to try and get a constant spark. I even took the frizzen to my local blacksmith to re harden, and I personally think the lock has been played with. So frustrated, my good friend who has helped me with my reenactment journey is going to trade me for a Japanese model. I have no clue what these Japanese models are made with or if they are any good. Thanks for any ideas and help.

The Japan models aren't bad...should have better luck with it. Try before you swap!

 

[Troy Easter]

What were you offered in the trade just curious ?

FYI if someone is willing to trade you a miroku bess for your Indian made bess…. TAKE ThAT DEAL !

He said it was a Jap model and it wasn't... it was the same as mine but in real bad shape. The barrel had rust inside it and was not taken care of.

 

[PathfinderNC]

He said it was a Jap model and it wasn't... it was the same as mine but in real bad shape. The barrel had rust inside it and was not taken care of.

Your best bet then may be to have the frizzen soled as mentioned above. I imagine it’s not much work and will resolve your non-sparking issues. Perhaps you could just ship the lock to @ColonialRifleSmith

 

[jdw276]

He said it was a Jap model and it wasn't... it was the same as mine but in real bad shape. The barrel had rust inside it and was not taken care of.

Are you using real black powder? I have read on here it is very difficult to obtain up there from the regs.

 

[Rob M.]

I appreciate this, but I'm in Canada and likely cannot ship anything across the border.

You can send the lock to him though !! and he can point you in the right direction for any other problems like touch hole position , etc. . I sent a lock to my buddy Walt in your fair country not long ago . Best of luck bud ....

 

[Troy Easter]

You can send the lock to him though !! and he can point you in the right direction for any other problems. I sent a lock to my buddy Walt in your fair country not long ago . Best of luck bud ....

Oh really?? I can? Did not know this.

 

[Troy Easter]

Don't trade this musket. Looks like a nice one from the pics. If you send it to me, I will fix it for you. Just include a return postage label. Let me know and I'll PM you my address. Semper Fi.

Ok sounds like a plan. Thank you for your generosity. Truly appreciated.

 

[Commodore Swab]

This is why loyalist ships locks and guns seperate

 

[Rob M.]

Oh really?? I can? Did not know this.

Funny story actually ... I tried to send the whole package of gun.parts ...lock , stock and barrel ....going to Canada .My post office folks had a fit !! No way ! They said so ....the first package was a piece of walnut for my buddy that carves wood ....sent . Second .....( all different folks ) second package , an antique pipe for my buddy that makes wind chimes ( true , antique Belgium shotgun barrel , I took breech plug out ) ....sent ....last ....an antique lock ....sent ....No problem ! best of luck bud . Take that gentleman up on his very gracious offer !! Very kind of him , very cool ! Remember ...antique lock ! You ain't lying ! Dont say gun anything ! Freaks the ignorant out !! Flintlock if your forced to ...

 

[cebusey]

Sure you can resole the frizzen, rebuild the lock from basically scratch and come out spending more on lock work than a new gun. While you're at it you might as well cut and fab a new tumbler, rethread the screws (may be sae but diameters vary in india), of course that necessities a new lock plate or welding up the old holes and retapping. Naturally the springs are questionable steel so they need to be remade. You can see quickly the difference between making work and getting into a full rebuild. Make it work, enjoy it.

Compound on frizzens is a tried and true method. You may need to do it "often" if you consider often to be 5-10 years and thousands of shots. A few min to dress and reharden a frizzen to me is nothing more than an inconvience.

My first flinter was a cva circa 1972. Wouldn't spark worth beans. Used kasnit and it corrected the trouble and I still have it, it still sparks and has not (though shot infrequently now) needed to be re treated and if it did as the Commodore said it is not a big deal to reharden with powder. The cva is still junk overall but as it was my first build from a kit it taught me a lot so I keep it.