New T/C flinter

[stevekl]

I just received a used T/C flintlock rifle in .50 from a seller on gunbroker.com

This is my first flintlock so I am not sure how much spark the flint should be throwing off. A lot of websites talk about a shower white-hot and yellow-hot sparks, but I can't seem to get more than a a few orange and red sparks.

So, should I buy a replacement frizzen? Would t/c be willing to sell me one?

How hard would it be to harden the frizzen? The hottest heat source I have access to is a propane torch.

I've also heard about soldering on a thin piece of hard steel. Is this doable?

thanks for your help!

 

[chuck-ia]

I think I would shoot it some and see how it works before I did anything. flinch

 

[rafterob]

Is the face of the frizzen really chewed up? You can expect multiple vertical scrape marks but if there are deep horizontal gouges there may be a problem. I would wait to see how it fires off before worrying about replacement. T.C. will take care of you if you need help.

 

[roundball]

I just received a used T/C flintlock rifle in .50 from a seller on gunbroker.com

This is my first flintlock so I am not sure how much spark the flint should be throwing off. A lot of websites talk about a shower white-hot and yellow-hot sparks, but I can't seem to get more than a a few orange and red sparks.

So, should I buy a replacement frizzen? Would t/c be willing to sell me one?

How hard would it be to harden the frizzen? The hottest heat source I have access to is a propane torch.

I've also heard about soldering on a thin piece of hard steel. Is this doable?

thanks for your help!

It may have the old style lock on it...TC made significant design improvements a few years ago...can you post a closeup side view of both sides of the lock?

The new style locks are 100% solid...TC has replaced the old style parts or replaced the entire lock assembly for every old style lock I've ever had, no charge.

 

[AZ-Robert]

How does the flint itself look? Have you tried replacing it yet? Get it adjusted properly by putting the flint parallel to and in contact with the closed frizzen while the cock (hammer) is all the way down, move the frizzen out of the way and nudge the flint ever so slightly forward. Put the new flint in with the hump in the same direction as the one on there now (hump up or hump down), give it a try, then flip it over the other way. If that doesn't make a difference, then start looking at the frizzen or lock as a solution.

 

[bingo1952]

Are you using sawn or knapped flints? The knapped flints are much sparkers.

 

[Semisane]

Don't let that talk about a shower of white hot sparks worry you too much. I don't get what I'd call a "shower" of sparks from my Great Plains flintlock, and they sure aren't "white hot" - but it goes boom every time. Probably everyone's definition of a "shower" is different.

Have you tried it in a dark room? You can get a better idea of how well it's sparking that way.

Also, have you tried igniting a few pans of powder? If you get consistent ignition then there's no need to worry.

I don't have any TC flinters, but from what I've read on various forums, if you have the "old" style TC lock it would probably be worth the effort to send it back to TC to get upgraded to their improved model. Seems they don't charge for the exchange.

 

[nw_hunter]

I wish you guy's would quit talkin about all those sparkles! Next thing you know, I'll be wantin to trade my caplocks off :grin:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Sparkles are the stars in the night sky. Sparks are what a good flintlock throws into the flashpan. If you try a flintlock in a dark room, giving yourself enough time for your pupils in your eyes to dialate, you will see how well a flint sparks, and what color the sparks are. The hotter the sparks are, the longer they LIVE , bouncing more than one time in the pan before burning up.

The dark room test comes as a real surprise to almost everyone who tries it, since you tend to see a lot of sparks come off that frizzen that you never see in daylight, or a lighted room. In Daylight, the cooler sparks that are orange in color are actually easier to see than the white hot ones.

Its important to know where your flint throws these sparks in a lock, so that you can set the flint forward or rearward to take advantage of that " throw " to put the most sparks into the flashpan with each strike, as is possible. Polishing the face of the frizzen whenever you start seeing deep grooves or gouges appear will help the flint cut steel better, and produce a better quantity of sparks.

 

[roundball]

I wish you guy's would quit talkin about all those sparkles! Next thing you know, I'll be wantin to trade my caplocks off :grin:

Got my first flinter 2001, I've average 40 range trips a year for 8 years, and have only taken a caplock to the range twice in over 300 trips...flintlocks are just so unique and addictive to me that everything else pales...caplocks, centerfires, etc...don't use them and have been selling them off for the past 5 years