Regrets with L and R lock for Traditions?

[awreis]

Has anyone gotten the L and R replacement flintlock for their traditions rifle and regretted the purchase thinking you didn't get your money's worth? I'm getting frustrated with my factory lock trying to get decent sparks.

 

[TDM]

I put an L & R RPL lock on an Investarms Gemmer Hawken I put together a number of years ago. The one good thing I can say is that pretty much everything I know about lock tuning I learned from reworking that lock. It works ok now, though I seldom use the rifle. So yes, they can be made to spark well, but probably won't out of the box.

 

[Mgbruch]

I've used three L&R (Durs Egg) locks on guns. I've gotten them all to be good, fast locks. But you literally have to fuss with every part,. I didn't have to touch the fly on two of them. It takes me a good bit of time. There are better locks; but not for left hand, and not for your gun.

 

[TreeMan]

Has anyone gotten the L and R replacement flintlock for their traditions rifle and regretted the purchase thinking you didn't get your money's worth? I'm getting frustrated with my factory lock trying to get decent sparks.

If your traditions rifle is an old one just order a new traditions frizzen. The new frizzens seem to be hardened correctly and much better than the ones on older rifles. I’ve messed with a few recently. Cheap enough to give it a shot.

 

[awreis]

If your traditions rifle is an old one just order a new traditions frizzen. The new frizzens seem to be hardened correctly and much better than the ones on older rifles. I’ve messed with a few recently. Cheap enough to give it a shot.

I actually just received a new one in the mail and at first I was having issues with decent spark and the frizzen not opening all the way. I just now removed the frizzen spring and tried the lock and now I get a good shower of sparks in the pan. So my question would be, would it be a good move to thin the frizzen spring a little at a time, trying the lock periodically for good spark but not weakening the spring to much? I might add that the spring is pretty stiff.

 

[B P Maniac Shooter]

If your traditions rifle is an old one just order a new traditions frizzen. The new frizzens seem to be hardened correctly and much better than the ones on older rifles. I’ve messed with a few recently. Cheap enough to give it a shot.

That is exactly what I do with my factory locks. Traditions, Pedersoli, doesn't matter.
I replaced the frizzen & they start working like new gun again.

 

[TreeMan]

I actually just received a new one in the mail and at first I was having issues with decent spark and the frizzen not opening all the way. I just now removed the frizzen spring and tried the lock and now I get a good shower of sparks in the pan. So my question would be, would it be a good move to thin the frizzen spring a little at a time, trying the lock periodically for good spark but not weakening the spring to much? I might add that the spring is pretty stiff.

The last one I messed with had a stiff spring like that. I compressed it a little in a spring vise over night, reinstalled it and it worked like a champ.

 

[bpd303]

I know this is a silly question but have you checked to see if the frizzen spring is dragging on the lock plate? if it is rub that side of the spring on a wet stone until it isn't touching and oil it well.

 

[awreis]

I know this is a silly question but have you checked to see if the frizzen spring is dragging on the lock plate? if it is rub that side of the spring on a wet stone until it isn't touching and oil it well.

I will check that to make sure it is not.

 

[awreis]

The last one I messed with had a stiff spring like that. I compressed it a little in a spring vise over night, reinstalled it and it worked like a champ.

When you clamped it, how much did you compress the spring?

 

[GregCSarver]

Can't polish a turd

 

[kyron4]

Can't polish a turd

As a professional turd polisher, I disagree.

 

[Fitzhugh Williams]

Many years ago I put an L&R replacement lock on my Traditions Pennsylvania Rifle. The lock is good, but the rifle is a POS. So I gained nothing.

 

[stank]

If you clean up and polish an L&R lock they are not bad. I just did 3 of them and all are fast and good sparklers. I have the tools and machinery to do it so it’s no big deal but it still takes a number of hours to do.

 

[bldtrailer]

I did it made the trigger pull heavy then I had Brad at cabin creek fix the lock from L&R , cost me more than the lock (either way it was an improvement over the traditions lock)

IT'S NOT A DROP IN now after this Brad told me he fixes the traditions locks to work as they should for the last 20+ years and it is more cost effective than what I DID . SO if you need a better spark call Brad first might save you

cabin creek (717) 757-5841

I have Brad tune all my locks 6 silers and 1 L&R sticking to silers

 

[TDM]

Glad you got it fixed up @bldtrailer. Living and learning is part of the fun, or at least I keep telling myself that.

 

[bldtrailer]

and as for polishing a .... this is for my grandsons and it plain out shoots 1-66 barrel not to bad after getting the lock fixed

open sights 100yrds sight in target shot the 2(under an inch) to the right then moved sights to aim point a good boys starter flinter

 

[bldtrailer]

yes live and learn (as long as the wife doesn't find out ) can be costly but my $$$ might save someone else

 

[Sidney Smith]

I have an L&R on my smoothbore. The fit of the frizzen was very loose. I had to squeeze the lock in a press where the frizzen screw resides, to put some tension on the frizzen. It sparks well now but before the flint would just knock the frizzen open, producing hardly any sparks. I couldnt get the frizzen screw tight enough to put enough resistance on the frizzen to get the flint to bite, and the frizzen spring wasnt holding enough tension either.

 

[TDM]

yes live and learn (as long as the wife doesn't find out ) can be costly but my $$$ might save someone else

Yep, the wife factor can be a bitter pill to swallow.