AZbpBurner
54 Cal.
I noticed that on the lock I just finished tuning up - the sear spring looks way too heavy, especially compared to my other locks. Hacksaw blade springs are easy to make - a project for another weekend.Raedwald said:
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Replacement Brown Bess lock
- Thread starter Sharab85
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AZbpBurner
54 Cal.
Alden said:
Take the temper out of a hacksaw blade, work it, then retemper. Surprised you don't know that.
Apparently Pete doesn't know how to use it - no evidence of it with any of my lock 'repairs' from him.
Thanks again for all the suggestions and help, but it looks like I must have gotten thru somehow because I just got an email saying I have a package on the way from MVTCO. I still have not heard a peep from anyone over there but I am happy my lock looks to be on the way.
I will see if it is fixed and also prob try and harden the working surfaces and lighten or replace the sear spring and finally go shoot my musket!!! :grin:
I will see if it is fixed and also prob try and harden the working surfaces and lighten or replace the sear spring and finally go shoot my musket!!! :grin:
AZbpBurner
54 Cal.
Sharab85 said:
I'll bet your lock will have the same soft parts as mine did. If the sear and tumbler look like dull silver steel, they're too soft to use. Don't fire it more then once, and only to ensure it doesn't get stuck in half cock.
Afterward, disassemble it, and polish all surfaces with an abrasive impregnated rubber Dremel wheel, and follow up with red rouge on a felt wheel.
Surface hardening is easy to do using either Kasenite or the Brownell's Surface Hardening compound. Simply degrease the parts, then heat to cherry red and dip into the hardening compound powder. Reheat, being careful where the excess molten compound drips. I treat it twice, allowing it to air cool, then rinse and brush with warm water to remove the residual hardening compound. Heat to cherry red again, coat by dipping in the powder, reheat to cherry red, quickly and carefully scrape off excess compound, then while cherry red, quench in 5 wt oil. Allow to further cool, then scrub clean with warm soapy water and toothbrush. Spray with WD-40, and they're hardened and ready to reassemble.
I'm still using the original sear spring, but will make a lighter one this weekend to drop the trigger pull a few pounds.
The treated parts have a nice, deep blue-black finish, and after over 70 rounds, there's no sign of wear or misalignment. Next MVTCo. I get, will have the lock removed and the parts hardened even before I disassemble the rest of the musket to strip, stain and refinish. IMO, that lifetime guarantee simply wastes money spent in shipping, and time wasted waiting for it to be returned without properly hardened parts.
Of course, since my last conversation with Pete, there is a remote chance yours will actually have hardened parts - but I'd not bet on it.
bryon knapp
32 Cal.
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didtn see it mentioned
Dave pearson did some lock work on my india gun a coupkle of years ago. I see him on the forum you could message him. He did a down right amazing job on my lock. works like a charm now
Dave pearson did some lock work on my india gun a coupkle of years ago. I see him on the forum you could message him. He did a down right amazing job on my lock. works like a charm now
Just an update I did get the lock back and it seems to be working as it should.
I will order some surface hardening compound and harden all of the working surfaces.
I would like to try my hand at tuning the lock myself, I know I well need to polish the contact surfaces and lighten the main spring and frizzen spring. When lightening the springs I have read that it can be done using belt sander and thinning it down slowly taking care not to over heat it.
I am not very good at eyeballing lock geometry but are the Indian locks usually ok as far as the angle of the hammer to the frizzen is concerned or does that need to be tweaked also.
Has anyone ever done a tutorial on completely tuning a lock because that would be very helpful.
Thanks Again!!!
I will order some surface hardening compound and harden all of the working surfaces.
I would like to try my hand at tuning the lock myself, I know I well need to polish the contact surfaces and lighten the main spring and frizzen spring. When lightening the springs I have read that it can be done using belt sander and thinning it down slowly taking care not to over heat it.
I am not very good at eyeballing lock geometry but are the Indian locks usually ok as far as the angle of the hammer to the frizzen is concerned or does that need to be tweaked also.
Has anyone ever done a tutorial on completely tuning a lock because that would be very helpful.
Thanks Again!!!
IMO, a tutorial on completely tuning a flintlock would be textbook size.
The subject is far from being so simple it could be covered in a couple of DVD's.
Unless you have a good knowledge of carburizing, hardening and tempering steel, you would be wise to leave things as they are.
The same could be said about lightening springs.
While polishing, bluing or browning lockplates, cocks and frizzens can be safely done to lock parts, processes that require the use of high temperatures or removing material from hardened and tempered springs can easily cause more damage than leaving things as they are.
The subject is far from being so simple it could be covered in a couple of DVD's.
Unless you have a good knowledge of carburizing, hardening and tempering steel, you would be wise to leave things as they are.
The same could be said about lightening springs.
While polishing, bluing or browning lockplates, cocks and frizzens can be safely done to lock parts, processes that require the use of high temperatures or removing material from hardened and tempered springs can easily cause more damage than leaving things as they are.
You will find that polishing surfaces will help some. The cam on the frizzen where it interfaces with the top of the frizzen spring, and the top surface of the frizzen spring are often benefited by polishing on India origin locks. The edge of the main spring and the inner surface of the lock plate too. (You should also check the depth of some of the screws..., they should not over penetrate, and press on the springs but be flush with the lock plate) The same is true for the edges of the working parts where they rub, polishing may help, BUT NOT the full cock notch nor the tip of the sear. It is very easy even when using hand tools and stones to completely FUBAR the angles of the sear tip and full cock notch.
Some of the Indian locks have good geometry, some do not. In some cases simply by adding a bit more lead, just beneath the rear, edge of the flint, (about the thickness of a small, wooden matchstick) will cant the forward, striking edge of the flint downward to a proper angle. In extreme cases the cock needs bending, which should not be done by a novice.
Zonie is right one should be extremely careful and knowledgeable when working on springs or the metal hardness on a lock, especially one of India origin. Unlike an Italian lock, one cannot simply order a replacement part if you bugger up the modification, when using the Asian lock. You'd first have to get a part that was close to the right dimensions (this might take several orders and returns), then modify it to fit the lock, and not bugger it in the process and be returned to "square one".
LD
Some of the Indian locks have good geometry, some do not. In some cases simply by adding a bit more lead, just beneath the rear, edge of the flint, (about the thickness of a small, wooden matchstick) will cant the forward, striking edge of the flint downward to a proper angle. In extreme cases the cock needs bending, which should not be done by a novice.
Zonie is right one should be extremely careful and knowledgeable when working on springs or the metal hardness on a lock, especially one of India origin. Unlike an Italian lock, one cannot simply order a replacement part if you bugger up the modification, when using the Asian lock. You'd first have to get a part that was close to the right dimensions (this might take several orders and returns), then modify it to fit the lock, and not bugger it in the process and be returned to "square one".
LD
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Along with what others have pointed out, one thing I think many people do not realize is that with many reproduction locks, you should not snug down internal lock screws hard. In many cases, it is best to snug them a bit and see if the parts move freely BEFORE further assembly of the lock. Some times when snugging down a sear screw or bridle screw, it will cause binding on the sear or tumbler or both. When that happens, you have to back off the screw a bit (loosen it) until the part moves freely before you continue assembling the lock.
Now one might think that the sear screw and bridle screw should be snugged down a bit to keep them tight and in high quality locks or locks that have had the screw threads carefully fitted to the parts, you can do that. HOWEVER, many reproduction locks don't go to that expense of the cost of adding such fitting of the screws. Repro military flintlock and percussion muskets and military single shot pistols usually don't have these screws carefully fitted, so these screws on them should not be tight or they will sill bind up the sear or tumbler.
BTW, I have been inside a lot of original military and civilian locks where those screw threads were not fitted that carefully either and snugging down sear and/or bridle screws too much also bound up the parts.
Gus
Now one might think that the sear screw and bridle screw should be snugged down a bit to keep them tight and in high quality locks or locks that have had the screw threads carefully fitted to the parts, you can do that. HOWEVER, many reproduction locks don't go to that expense of the cost of adding such fitting of the screws. Repro military flintlock and percussion muskets and military single shot pistols usually don't have these screws carefully fitted, so these screws on them should not be tight or they will sill bind up the sear or tumbler.
BTW, I have been inside a lot of original military and civilian locks where those screw threads were not fitted that carefully either and snugging down sear and/or bridle screws too much also bound up the parts.
Gus
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