I'm still a bit on the backside of the learning curve for flintlocks. I shot my Bess Carbine for the first time last summer and ignition was a bit spotty. A new flint helped some, but when I took off the lock later I found a broken mainspring. Took it out shooting again after replacing the spring and still had a number of misfires. Moving the flint forward helped. I've looked at a few videos about installing the flint and they seem to show the flint very close to the frizzen in half cock. Half cock on my Bess still leaves a fair gap between the flint and frizzen (as seen in attached photo) Is that normal on this gun? Just thought I'd check that before messing more with different flints, etc. Thanks.
Pedersoli Bess Carbine Half Cock Question
- Thread starter Louisk
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These replicas copy the long throw of the original muskets. The more or less widespread belief was that the longer throw would generate more sparks. As we know now, it's the mainspring speed and the geometry of the lock to scrape the steel (frizzen), not bash it that generates sparks. The half cock position of your carbine is typical. Slowly cycle the fall of the flint through the fall to see where the flint position in the jaws could be adjusted to scrape the face of the steel. Perhaps a short piece of leather lacing under the back edge of the flint. These muskets do require a large flint of about 1" square.
How's the balance between main spring and frizzen spring? Could be one or the other is too strong or too weak in relation to the other. But I don't know how you could measure that. I just go on "feel". Do you know any other BP flintlock shooters in your area with more experience on different locks than you that you could have check out yours?
I think your half-cock position in your posted pic looks fine. Though I do think the flint is striking a little too high and too directly. Some good advice above how to troubleshoot that.
I think your half-cock position in your posted pic looks fine. Though I do think the flint is striking a little too high and too directly. Some good advice above how to troubleshoot that.
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Your flint looks short. Flipping it over might help. You also might have excessive friction on the frizzen pivot or where it rides on the spring. It doesn't take much to slow it down.
FlinterNick
69 Cal.
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Pedersoli Grice locks are made with a long throw, they’ve been ding that since the 1970’s, never moved away from it. You can shorten the throw, but other modifications need to be made with that.
What are the drawbacks of a long throw, a lot of extra tension on the mainspring, their mainsprings do break from time to time i feel its because of this.
Flints get chewed up etc.
So first, your leather is incorrectly used with a flint. The leather should have a gap or a pair of holes so that the bare back of the flint rests on the jaw screw. Otherwise the leather can act as an absorber of some of the impact force.
Next, check your angle of impact. IF the front edge of the flint is arriving at 90° to the flint face, it will cause the flint to break up fast, and probably cause a bouncing of the flint against the frizzen face. Yours from the photo seems to be OK
IF it is hitting to "square" you may want to try putting a small matchstick shaft under the back of the flint at the jaw screw, acting as a shim to lever the front edge of the flint, downwards.
The above image is of a flint in a lead wrap. The long throw of the Pedersoli lock is not very fast as others have mentioned. Some if not all of the Original Bess apparently had the same problem as they used a lead wrap around the flint. It helps for a better spark especially as the flint becomes worn when being used in combat. In the above image a small strip of lead is used instead of a match stick as the shim.
Here are two leather wrap patterns that add weight, hold the flint, and still allow the back of the flint to rest upon the jaw screw.
LD
Rock Home Isle
58 Cal.
When I install a new flint in my Bess Carbine, I set the lock to 1/2 cock, and close the frisson. Then I install the flint in the jaws so that it almost touches the face of the frisson and leading edge of the flint is square across the face of the frisson. Tighten everything up, snap it a few times to make sure that it sparks solidly…should be good.
I love the Brown Bess Carbine, with a good flint, it is such a forgiving firearm to shoot.
