A most frustrating day........

I polished the frizzen spring and toe of the frizzen on my large Siler. I also like to polish the pivot screws and keep both areas lubricated. I did lighten up the frizzen spring a bit on mine. Smooth surfaces are less likely to hang on to crud, but it's also fair to say that these mechanisms weren't meant to work flawlessly after 40 shots of crud build-up.

Sounds diconcertingly like your Siler was not properly made. Folks give Siler locks praise with a big, broad brush. That is not always accurate. Silers depend on who built them, especially tempering. The Siler in my Rev. period transitional longrifle (built by Ray Miller) gave unfailingly reliable service from 1976 until I retired it a few years ago. In that time I used only Gunter Stifter cut agate flints. When I installed one it became almost permanent. They lasted that long. I started with a couple dozen and still have almost half of them unused. That lock and those flints in combo were a beautiful pair. A properly built Siler will give that kind of service.

:hmm: 2 recommendations: first-use a smaller flint size. I have found that sometime a too big flint can catch up on the frizzen. Second--place a smal piece of leather under leather that is around your flint to pitch the back of the flint up and causing the flint to angle down a litlle more. Good luck and good shooting. :thumbsup:

I had another experienced flint shooter remark how much pressure was required to open the frizzen on my large Siler. It is stiff but also unfailingly reliable. I have a small Siler that I sent back and the frizzen was replaced; I believe it was a bit soft but ultra easy to open. It now works just fine. My Colonial Va. lock on my smoothbore requires a forceful grip to open the frizzen and you want to watch out for your fingers. Yet is is ultra reliable and easy on flints.

I mention this only to describe the range of spring tension that these locks will function within. It is possible the problem is the frizzen itself and not the spring pressure.

well lots of good advice as usual on here. after reading your other posts I'd call TVM and discuss this with them,BTW be sure and ck out the other stuff sugested too especially the tightness of the lock and flint size but if TVM installed the first flint it is most likely correct

hanshi
I am kinda thinking my frizzon might be a bit soft? The flint raises little burrs that catch a cloth when you wipe the frizzon face and pulls little fuzzies off. Also I have had to use crocus cloth a few times to get rid of a couple of burrs that cut actually cut you. I went shooting again today and even with the lighter spring tension the lock is very picky about having the flint very high in order to not jam it into the frizzon with it barely open. It really likes the flint to hit the very upper part of the frizzon [talking just about 1/4" down from very top.] I did fire 20 consecitive shots before the flint needed attention today,after that it was knap move, move knap ect. finally came home. I guess I'll get ahold of TVM and Chambers. Any thoughts on just sending the lock to Chambers to have em check it, tune it and replace frizzon if needed? After how great my lil .36 Tenn. works this .45 Lancaster sure has been a disappointment.
Thanks.......Macon

I'm no expert, but ... If it were mine, I'd take some pictures ... Maybe some of the more experienced shooters here could actually see the lock at half cock and all the way down .., might also send those same pictures to Matt & Jim ...

If it were mine I would contact TVM and see what they have to say about the lock and where they got it, alot of outfits such as them buy their locks as kits from Chambers and build them in-house or have them out-sourced to a lock builder of their choice.

The two lock kits that I have came with every part soft, so its up to the builder to heat treat the necessary parts correctly.


If they did buy it as a kit and assemble it you could then just send it off to Chambers and have it tuned to perfection, for a nominal fee.

A Builder
Good idea, do you by any chance know what the "nominal fee" is that Mr. Chambers charges for tuning?
Macon

Macon Due said:

A Builder
Good idea, do you by any chance know what the "nominal fee" is that Mr. Chambers charges for tuning?
Macon

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With all you have gone through with this gun I would think what ever it is would be worth it, just to get it right so you can enjoy it. good luck with it I sure hope you will get it straightened out.

Stone Knife
I think you are right and I hope so as well........Thanks....Macon

You do get small impact points on the frizzen simply because the flint has to impact it somewhere. They should be small, not deep and should not "till up" metal. I go by the size and depth of the impact zone. If you're getting gouges so deep that it's tilling up metal that will cut you, then it sounds like a mixture of frizzen hardness and the flint hitting too square.

Macon Due said:

A Builder
Good idea, do you by any chance know what the "nominal fee" is that Mr. Chambers charges for tuning?
Macon

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Sorry I don't, but a call to them would turn up an answer in short order.

Jim Chambers Flintlocks, Ltd.
116 Sam's Branch Road
Candler, North Carolina 28715
ph. 828/667-8361 (Mon-Fri 9 AM-5 PM)
fax 828/665-0852 (anytime)
[email protected]

Thank you Sir,I e-mailed em.
Macon

Ok, already got an answer back from Mr.Chambers. Bad news is......his answer was No, he does not have time to tune locks. But he suggested someone named Brad Emig? Oh well........... i'm thinking my new rifle's name might be "Disaster"...?
Macon :idunno:

brad's reputation is as good as jim's. no disaster here just a minor setback. i would name it DeLay if anything along those lines.

if there is a gouge in the frizzen that stops or hinders the flints movement it will break flints and not spark well. it needs to be resurfaced keeping the same profile. i have done this easily by lightly touching it to the curved surface of a belt sander held upsidedown in a bench vise. they are hardened throughout and not just case hardened so no need to reharden. a light touch on fine grit belt 'til the gouge is removed is all that's needed

Macon Due said:

Ok, already got an answer back from Mr.Chambers. Bad news is......his answer was No, he does not have time to tune locks. But he suggested someone named Brad Emig? Oh well........... i'm thinking my new rifle's name might be "Disaster"...?
Macon :idunno:

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Well I'll tell ya, In my line of work I only refer folks that I trust enough to hire, I would think that Chambers would most likely feel the same way about referrals.

I'd be lookin up Brad Emig and gettin in line.

Found this on the CLA sight
Contact Brad Emig at:
50 W. Beaver St.
Hellam, PA 17406
phone number: (717) 757-5841

Good Luck To Ya

Gentlemen
I got and E-mail from Brad Emig and just called him. He is a very pleasent person to speak with and he discussed locks with me and his tuning of them. The upshot is that this afternoon I will send my lock to him. Hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll have it back and 'finally' be ready to enjoy my new rifle.
Thank you all.
Macon

I think you'll be VERY pleased. Brad is one of the few gnsmiths who can and will build a rifle from raw materials - forging and rifling the wrought iron barrel and making all the screws and bolts himself.