Need help with Flintlock pistol

[SSKW]

Need help with the lock on my flint lock pistol. The pictures are not of my actual pistol but mine is exactly the same gun. The frizzen spring is to hard and I cant get it to fire. The cock just falls and stops when it hits the frizzen. I need to know how to fix it or replace the lock (just need to know what lock will fit) http://www.kirkwhitingphotography.com/Other/Sale/n-DTpdw/i-hzq8rNs/A http://www.kirkwhitingphotography.com/Other/Sale/n-DTpdw/i-TDrLp8F/A

 

[Flintlock_bob]

That lock looks like my Japanese Tower Flintlock kit from about 30 years ago. Mine doesn't have the maker markings though. The internal design of mine is very poor but it always goes bang.

You might start by cleaning and polishing wear surfaces. If the spring really is too stiff you probably need to draw some temper to weaken it some, I'll let others who know their metals discuss that.

 

[M. De Land]

First thing I would do ia try is a shorter flint, bevel up.
Next a stronger hammer spring.
You can reduce the frizzen spring by decreasing it's width or you can anneal it, close the limb profile , re-harden and draw temper.
The trick is to get the best strike angle then balance the hammer throw force with the frizzen spring tension.

 

[wulf]

The first thing I would do would be to remove the
lock from the stock. Then I would remove the two
springs and check the geometry and replace the flint.
Then I would replace the main spring and snap the
lock and test for smoothness without the frizzen
spring. That way I could identify the problem. Re-
place the frizzen spring and open it by hand to
test it's resistance........Then I would take action
on thinning the spring if needed...........Wulf

 

[SSKW]

Thanks for the comments, have tried the flint in further and out farther, had the flint in both directions to try to get a good angle. The frizzen really takes some pressure to open (watching videos of others, mine is extremely tight). I'm thinking that's my main problem but may be the main spring also.

 

[cynthialee]

I hate to ask such a simple question but it has been bugging me...

Have you completely taken it all apart, cleaned it and oiled the moving parts then checked the action?

Could just be crud and rust slowing things down and holding other parts tight.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Have you tried the lock out of the stock?

 

[hawkeye2]

While I see a lot of good advise here my (limited) experience with Japanese Tower pistols points to springs. The frizzen spring is most likely the culprit and is way too stiff. You may also have to work on the toe of the frizzen to modify the point at which it snaps open. After you get that done you may find the mainspring is too stiff and possibly the sear spring also. Finally you may want to work on the sear nose and full cock notch when everything else is doing what it is supposed to. These locks are far from the best but they can be made to work reasonably well.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Some of those old tower pistols were sold as props and not intended to fire. Identical looking pistols were intended to fire, but the lock springs and frizzen softness prevented firing unless a substantial amount of work was done. Back in the 1970's I was an assistant manager of a gun shop that sold dozens of those things. As I recall $29.99 for the ones that supposedly fired and $19.99 for the repliguns. IIRC the repliguns had blued locks. That was the only difference. The frizzens were all so soft, they had to be tempered or even case hardened in order to spark. As mentioned the spring tensions were wrong. Got one myself but never tried to fire it. I did test the frizzen and it is too soft. The flint just digs in and stops. (And folks thought CVA guns were the bottom of the barrel) I figure one day I will half sole the frizzen with spring steel.

 

[hawkeye2]

I remember back in the late 60's & early 70's Dixie Gun Works would harden the frizzen and adjust the springs for an extra $5 if you bought the gun from them at $29.95. I wasn't aware of the decorator version, nice to know specially about the blued lock.

 

[Wes/Tex]

I remember back in the late 60's & early 70's Dixie Gun Works would harden the frizzen and adjust the springs for an extra $5 if you bought the gun from them at $29.95. I wasn't aware of the decorator version, nice to know specially about the blued lock.

I remember Dixie's service but thought it was $4.00...not that a dollar means much at this point. That was pretty cheap to adjust springs and temper frizzens. Many of these were sold as "decorator" pieces but that was mostly safety for the sellers in our litigation happy society. We had one of the unadjusted ones way back then and lit it off with Mom's kitchen matches. Oh well, that's Texas kids for you! :shocked2: :rotf:

 

[Tinker2]

Take the spring out of the action and see what work.




William

 

[Zonie]

Truth be known, the frizzen springs only function is to keep the frizzen/pan cover closed over the pan and keep the frizzen from bouncing back and whacking the top jaw or flint after the flint has knocked it forward.

With the spring removed, if the pan is primed and the frizzen/pan cover is moved to the upright position, the flint should make sparks and the prime in the pan should fire.

Of course, it is nice to have a frizzen that keeps the pan cover closed and whacking the top of the top jaw or flint isn't the best thing to have happen.

If the frizzen moves freely when the spring is removed, I suggest reducing the width of the spring by filing or grinding it down to about 1/2 of its width. Leave the full width up in the area where the cam on the frizzen presses against it.

This may or may not fix the problem with the flint not fully opening the pan.
If the mainspring is weak or if the frizzen is too soft so the flint just digs into it rather than shearing off thin slivers of spark making metal, the problem may still be there.

Before frinkling with the spring width, remove the spring entirely and try the gun with the cock fully cocked and the frizzen closed.
If it does make sparks and knocks the frizzen forward rather than hanging up, then consider changing the spring.

 

[SSKW]

Action is all clean (remember not the one pictured) and all parts seem in good shape free of crude

 

[SSKW]

Well was excited when I got this pistol cause it looked so cool and to see it shoot even better. Now not feeling so great, but will keep trying.

Here is the actually pistol and action http://www.kirkwhitingphotography.com/Other/Sale/n-DTpdw/i-Mt5prcx/A
http://www.kirkwhitingphotography.com/Other/Sale/n-DTpdw/i-ZqRbLmj/A

I will have to try it with out the frizzen spring to see if it works

 

[SDSmlf]

Are you using a saw cut 'flint'?

 

[Wes/Tex]

That frizzen spring does look extra beefy and could stand thinning...from the inside though. Also be sure the top and the frizzen tip is polished to ride and is not binding. make sure there's no binding of lock parts in the lock channel. Those guns are not known for their lock inletting! Some hint will be if the lock works outside the stock but doesn't work properly when it's in.

 

[AZbpBurner]

Consider, too, using an actual flint & not the saw-cut agate. Fit a linger flint so at half cock there is about 1/16" gap between flint edge and frizzen.

 

[SSKW]

Have had a regular flint in but since The frizzen would not open, it was distorting the flint. So switched to the saw cut for a little more strength while tinkering with it