Need help repairing an Investarms lock

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Hi all,

I broke the frizzen spring on my Investarm Hawken left handed flinter.

I sent off an email to every address I could find on Investarm's website, any other ideas on where I could look to pick one up to repair it?

Thanks...

 

[Tsegoweleh]

Oatsayo,
Try to match one up at the Track of the Wolf site. They have alot of parts.

 

[J.D.]

Dixie should have something, or maybe Dixon's.

If nothing else, check with friends to see if springs from their guns will fit. For reference of course. Ya gotta give the spring back, after all. :wink:

Maybe something from a friends L&R or Davis lock might fit? Parts from those lock makers are readily available.

Isn't the GPR made by Investarms? Not sure about that. Maybe a spring from another investarms product will fit?

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Checked out TOTW and DGW... no love at either. Yes the GPR is by Investarms, and in fact uses the same lock. Funny thing is the modern Investarm Hawken's (mine is about 30 years old if I am to believe the guy I bought it from) use a different lock, but the the GPR uses the same one.

There is a replacement L&R lock for the GPR but only in right hand... its a cruel world for us lefty shooters :cursing:

Looks like Investarm went with a different design from most, the frizzen spring is screwed on from the inside of the lock with a peg mid spring to keep it in place, kind of makes it hard to fab or modify a spring.

Appreciate the ideas, keep them coming.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

by the way, I am getting fantastic spark without the spring, actually much better than I did with it... go figure :youcrazy:

 

[Trot]

Check Lyman's website. They have a complete selection of replacement parts for their Investarms made muzzleloaders. Lock parts will be interchangeable with your Investarms Hawken.

 

[Mulebrain]

If the other leads don't pan out, you may want to try the largest seller in the world of Investarms!

Cabelas :thumbsup:

 

[Otter]

Lyman has them listed on their website -

part number 6993191 Frizzen Spring LH $11.95

Good luck . . .

 

[paulvallandigham]

Nothing to figure at all. The lock is not tuned properly, and the spring is putting pressure on the frizzen to PREVENT IT from opening when the flint strikes the face of the frizzen. Without the frizzen spring, The frizzen opens correctly. This has long been THE test to determine if a flintlock is tuned properly. Target shooters leave the frizzen( feather ) springs out of their guns altogether, because they are not necessary.

The only function of a frizzen( feather ) spring is to keep your frizzen closed when you point the muzzle straight down. Some lock makers think that the frizzen spring has to keep the frizzen from opening, in order to insure that the flint will cut steel and make sparks. They just know better!

There are several ways to correct your spring, when you get it, if you are interested. Send me a PM and I will tell you how to do this yourself.

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

Thanks all...

Otter, a big :thumbsup: to you. I just ordered the spring.

paulvallandigham, thanks for the offer, I will take you up on it when the spring comes. Noticed you refer to it as the "feather" is that the traditional name for it?

I am new at all this but I could tell something wasn't right, and she was eating flint like heck. I just joined the local muzzleloader club (Santa Cruz Muzzleloaders) and attended my fist shoot with them on Saturday, great group, beautiful rifles and a complete hoot to participate in ML competition... I got schooled.

Anywho...

One of the guys I met there who builds his own rifles from scratch took a look and said WOOOO that spring is way to tight. So yeah... I broke the damn thing trying to compress it down a bit. Knew I should have taken it off and filed it down instead.

 

[J.D.]

One of the guys I met there who builds his own rifles from scratch took a look and said WOOOO that spring is way to tight. So yeah... I broke the damn thing trying to compress it down a bit. Knew I should have taken it off and filed it down instead.

Lesson #1. Never, but never, did I say NEVER try to bend a spring cold. It will break every time, sooner or later, but always. But, of course, you found that out. :wink: :v

 

[jtmattison]

Give Lyman a call. They'll hook you up.

HD

 

[Big Bubba Daddy]

See you learn something new every day... bending cold spring = BAD

as lessons go this one wasn't too expensive :grin:

 

[Zonie]

When you get your new spring, it will very likely be the same as the one you broke. That is, it may be too strong.

I'm don't have a lock like yours on hand so I'll make a guess that it doesn't have a roller on the frizzen spring.
If this is the case, you can reduce some of the spring pressure by carefully filing or grinding the height of the frizzen cam down a bit.
This would be the 'lump' thats on the bottom of the frizzen that rests against the spring.

As you found, the spring only needs to be strong enough to hold the frizzen closed while your handling your gun but don't overdo a good thing by grinding the cam off entirely.