If you really want to keep the lock. I wouldn’t attempt to harden the frizzen with compound powder, most of these frizzens on Indian made locks just don’t absorb carbon well becuase they’re too heavy in alloys that have different fusing points (per a metallurgists explanation to me and most of the compounds available dont have a potassium or sodium ferrocyanide component). The retailers often say they’re case hardened high carbon steel, that could mean a lot of different things, but is often not the same case as a lock maker that disclose the actual steel type such as chambers and log cabin shop and rifle shoppe.
Best bet is to resole the frizzen with a piece of high carbon steel, saw blades work well i believe they are made of 15N20 or 80CRV2 steel. Its your best long term solution for an Indian lock to function well. Otherwise you’ll be recaseing the frizzen with cherry red or whats available often, that actually can hurt the frizzen more than it can help it in the long run.
Resoling is actually a very authentic way of repairing a worn frizzen too. I have an original Dutch lock with a resoled frizzen face that is welded on and it still sparks after 270 years.
Perhaps LRB or Dave_Person can provide some additional input on this, their advice for servicing frizzens is what i attempt to follow with my locks. There are several forum discussion by Dave that show how to appropriately case harden a frizzen and resole a worn out one. Heating a frizzen to red hot and dipping it in kasenite Or cherry red is very superficial, and will need to be redone eventually.
best of luck bud . Take that gentleman up on his very gracious offer !! Very kind of him , very cool ! Remember ...antique lock ! You ain't lying ! Dont say gun anything ! Freaks the ignorant out !! Flintlock if your forced to ...
