My first ever shots with a flinter. TC PA Hunter

[RIDE-RED350R]

I gotta say, it was great fun and I think I'm hooked!

Load was 80gr Scheutzen FFG pushing a 50cal PRB. Range was 50yds using sandbags for a rest.

I'm pretty happy with the group!

Also got some cool video.



The first shot didn't go off until the fourth attempt at dropping the cock. It has one of those machine cut flints in it currently but I'm planning to get some English flints from TOTW very soon as well as a better replacement frizzen I saw suggested here in a older thread as I was searching around for how to improve the old original TC flintlock. My frizzen face has something of a line sort of cut into it where the flint first hits it. Second and third shots went off perfectly though.

Overall though I'm very happy with it and had a ball today!

 

[Flint Striker]

You can often still knap a natural edge on a saw cut agate flint, or try flipping the bevel the other way. Most of the flintlocks I’ve owned liked the flint hitting about 1/3 down from the top. Every lock has its own peculiarities.

 

[stevenj4810]

Very nice! Do you have still photos of the rifle? What is the barrel length?

 

[TDM]

Good shooting, and you'll be even happier when you get your new English flints.

 

[deerstalkert]

the Tc Frizzens are really touchy about being squeaky clean too. they are not difficult to harden. mine fired 150 faultless shots until i had a bear in the sights this week! then i had 3 klatches in a row. bear headed for the adjoining state west
i dropped the cock the fourth time here on a target. it fired.

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

I'm brand new to flintlocks and am learning all I can from you folks. This forum has been a big help just in searching past threads.

I believe it was you Deerstalker who recommended a better quality replacement frizzen for the TC lock in another thread awhile back. I will likely go that route as my frizzen has that groove in it where the flint first hits it. It seems to me that this is likely a manifestation of the fault in design on the original TC locks?

If you'll pardon a likely ignorant question, I'm wondering if it is feasible for one to tune this TC lock to be a little nicer to it's flint and frizzen? I'm guessing real lock tuning may involve possibly heating and reshaping things.

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

the Tc Frizzens are really touchy about being squeaky clean too. they are not difficult to harden. mine fired 150 faultless shots until i had a bear in the sights this week! then i had 3 klatches in a row. bear headed for the adjoining state west
i dropped the cock the fourth time here on a target. it fired.

Now that you mention it, when I had the first three klatches, I wiped the business end of the flint and the frizzen off with my finger and the next shot went off fine as well as the the rest. Funny thing though, before charging it I dropped the cock twice to make sure it was sparking... Seemed OK to my rookie eye but I guess I was wrong.

 

[EC121]

If you are getting a pronounced strike line on the frizzen, the flint is hitting at too straight an angle. Try shimming up the back of the flint to make a more oblique slicing angle.
I wipe my flint and frizzen face every shot. 80gr. is hot for general 50cal. shooting. Try 50-60gr. Save some powder.

 

[deermanok]

Nice shooting.

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

If you are getting a pronounced strike line on the frizzen, the flint is hitting at too straight an angle. Try shimming up the back of the flint to make a more oblique slicing angle.
I wipe my flint and frizzen face every shot. 80gr. is hot for general 50cal. shooting. Try 50-60gr. Save some powder.

Good advice. Thank you.

 

[deerstalkert]

I'm brand new to flintlocks and am learning all I can from you folks. This forum has been a big help just in searching past threads.

I believe it was you Deerstalker who recommended a better quality replacement frizzen for the TC lock in another thread awhile back. I will likely go that route as my frizzen has that groove in it where the flint first hits it. It seems to me that this is likely a manifestation of the fault in design on the original TC locks?

If you'll pardon a likely ignorant question, I'm wondering if it is feasible for one to tune this TC lock to be a little nicer to it's flint and frizzen? I'm guessing real lock tuning may involve possibly heating and reshaping things.

ride, yes it is possible to tune the TC lock. the geometry between the cock and frizzen are sometimes terrible. i had to heat the neck of the cock to tilt the bottom jaw down enough to get the mentioned "slicing strike". my frizzen wouldn't spark even when struck by hand with a flint like one would do with a fire striker.
when i rehardened the frizzen and had it cherry red i put a slight curve into it. from factory it was almost straightedge flat.
though not what the real gunsmiths approve of i used the TOTW frizzen facing material. it took two applications but it sparks like my Kibler, Siler,or Haddaway locks now!
as long as there is no bear in my sights!!

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

ride, yes it is possible to tune the TC lock. the geometry between the cock and frizzen are sometimes terrible. i had to heat the neck of the cock to tilt the bottom jaw down enough to get the mentioned "slicing strike". my frizzen wouldn't spark even when struck by hand with a flint like one would do with a fire striker.
when i rehardened the frizzen and had it cherry red i put a slight curve into it. from factory it was almost straightedge flat.
though not what the real gunsmiths approve of i used the TOTW frizzen facing material. it took two applications but it sparks like my Kibler, Siler,or Haddaway locks now!
as long as there is no bear in my sights!!

I agree on the angle. To my inexperienced eye it does seem to be at nearly 90° to the frizzen on initial contact.

Thank you very much for the input and advice. Much appreciated

 

[EC121]

To my inexperienced eye it does seem to be at nearly 90° to the frizzen on initial contact.

That's a guaranteed flint crusher and frizzen eater. . You can experiment with shims and then when you get brave you can bend it or buy a replacement lock. It doesn't take a lot of shim or bend to get a a better angle. The flint should end up pointing to the middle of the pan.

 

[deerstalkert]

As stated by Ec121 the angle can be increased via shimming the rear of the flint but that is a solution that has to be repeated constantly, and my feeble memory forgets that fact almost as soon as it is done.
the wonderful thing about muzzleloading/BP guns is if you are the least bit handy, you can do most anything needed to them to at least make them fire.

 

[RIDE-RED350R]

Indeed. Up until recently I was a mechanic by trade. Worked on regular passenger vehicles and pickups on up to heavy trucks and specialized equipment typical to a gas and electric utility company.

Three years ago I had to overhaul the engine in my diesel pickup. I did all of the work except for the machine work to bore the cylinders.

 

[BigAl52]

Another choice is an RPL lock by L&R. I put one in my Lyman GPR and like it alot. Takes a little fitting but nothing serious.

 

[bronko220002]

the Tc Frizzens are really touchy about being squeaky clean too. they are not difficult to harden. mine fired 150 faultless shots until i had a bear in the sights this week! then i had 3 klatches in a row. bear headed for the adjoining state west
i dropped the cock the fourth time here on a target. it fired.

Sounds like Mr. Bruin had a lucky day!
I've taken 4 bear in PA and made a vow not to shoot another one until it was close to 300 lb or better. A couple years ago I was toting my .58 Renegade with a GM 1:60 barrel loaded with 100 gr of FFg and a PRB. A bear stepped out of the laurel walking past me at about 35 yards. I raised the rifle and had that ivory bead behind his shoulder and when he looked at me I decided he wasn't big enough and left him walk. To this day I can still see that sight picture and in my mind I DID get him but I'm waiting for him to get bigger!

 

[bronko220002]

I've cut down barrels before and recrowned them. Its not that hard. If I were you I'd put that barrel into a padded vise and take a good flat file and file down that muzzle removing the entire crown then reface it and recrown.
To reface a Rene with its 1" barrel get a 1 1/4" dowel and cut about 2" off it (square) then drill a hole through the center and put a 3/8" dowel through the hole so it sticks out both ends. (a drill press is ideal for this.)
On one end of the 3/8" dowel place enough duct tape to fit into the bore without being too tight and place the other end in your drill. Take pieces of varying grit of emery cloth and put a hole in it and slip over the taped end and polish away the file marks.
Get an appropriate sized cap nut and bolt, cut the head of the bolt off and put in drill and apply valve grinding compound to it (320 grit) and cut your crown or you can use a round stone.