Wont Spark w/new flint

[7.62FMJ]

I'm new to this, and it' great, I finished my Track Of The Wolf .45 Flintlock recently and couldn't wait to fire it. So I was using a flint I found in a shipwreck several years ago...anyway I guess it was brittle and broke in pieces (dumb move-I know). I just got some 3/4 x 7/8 Tom Fuller flints in the mail and they look great. When I put one in the jaw and fired it; it wont flip the frizzen up. Is the flint just too long and binding the frizzen up? Should I nibble some flint off the back side of the flint with a pair of pliers? The shipwreck flint didn't have as much of a sharp long face on it and actually produced very little spark but it flashed the pan every time up until it broke. The lock is a Siler large if that makes any difference.

 

[Frank/Pa]

Turn the flint over and try it the other way. The flint should come close to the frizzen face but not touch it with the frizzen down, and the lock on half cock.

Try the flint both ways, bevel up and bevel down to see which way works the best.

 

[Birddog6]

On a large Siler lock, for me they work best with the hump Up, and when you have worn it down & knapped it a dozen times you can usually turn them over & get some more shots from them.

The jaw leather should be about a 4-6 oz leather & should cover the top & bottom jaw. (Formed in the jaw in a U shape) Sometimes you have to put a notch in the leather at the jaw screw to get the flint back far enough in the jaw, as you want the flint Edge to be within 1/16" of the face of the frizzen with the hammer on halfcock on a Large Siler.

Now if it is a Chambers Deluxe Siler or Chambers Golden Age this adjustment will not work as you cannot set it this way. On them just set it in there so it will be parallel & then open the frizzen & let the hammer down carefully as to insure the flint doesn't hit the barrel. The Deluxe & GA lock will fire with almost any flint in them, sharp or dull.....
If you put it on halfcock & the flint is about 1/2" from the face of the closed frizzen, it is a Deluxe or a GA lock. :thumbsup:

 

[Mike Brooks]

I think that flint size is to big for a siler. I think you want 5/8" wide. Make sure you've got oil where the frizzen pivots and where it rides on the frizzen spring. For that matter, lube all the moving parts on your lock and make sure your mainspring isn't draging on wood inside the lock mortise. Make sure the edge of the frizzen isn't draging on the barrel too.

 

[7.62FMJ]

Hey Thanks for the advise everyone...I flipped the flint over and after three firings it began sparking like mad!! I guess it just needed to work itself onto the face of the frizzen.