Tried to Make Sparks

[Arrowstorm]

Paco, I hope they send you the right size frizzen. They have TWO locks for the pennsylvania. And older and a "newer". Look on the barrel of your gun and if it shows the year 99 or older, then you have an old lock. If it's newer, you probably have a new one. I had all of the problems you described with MY penn. and once they sent me the "new" lock, it threw sparks like a chain dragging behind a truck. Your problems sound like they stem for an incorrectly tempered firzzen. Cuz I can put a rock in this lock any way I please and it will at least throw SOMEthing.

Also.. this gun seems to hate pyrodex. Make sure you use black powder for truly reliable and fast ignition.

 

[FKnorr]

buckknife
My gun is somewhere between 10 and 15 years old. Kinda lost track of time. I really like mine works great for me.

Frank

 

[paco97]

Should I see sparks in daylight? I did another test with my PA Flintlock and took it into a completely dark room and it did spark a little, about the size of a dime maybe a little smaller. I was under the impression that I should see sparks in the daylight with no powder in the pan. Am I correct?

Also, does anyone know where I can get instructions on taking my lock off and removing the frizzen. I'm a little intimidated with it.

 

[buckknife]

runner make sure you have a good smooth frizzen face to start with and you will see an improvement with the lead wrap around the flint i bet.
anyone intrested in a new frizzen?Mine looks like the second frizzen,wheather its a replacement part i dont know.Its a was a very lttle used gun from the looks of it.After all the manure i have had to do to it i can see why :haha[url] http://www.traditionsmuzzle.com/eShop/accessories.asp[/url]

 

[Swampman]

I've seen one that snapped in half. I don't have a picture. I wouldn't even think of using lead.

 

[roundball]

Good eye roundball. Just the ends of the screws had a little, all else is good. I'll be sure to double check my pictures next time. Don't want to be scolded here.

My interest wasn't it the photos themselves, it's that I'd be woried there was rust inside, in the internals, maybe even out of sight from the naked eye, in pivot piints causing friction, sluggishness, etc...if it was me, I'd completely disassemble the lock, clean and polish every moving/contact surface light oil and reassemble.

 

[roundball]

"...I have shot flintlocks for about 25 years and I use leather wraps for the flint..."

You've got it right...leather is the appropriate material to use for properly holding a flint in place...never had a flint move on me yet and cause any ignition problems...ignition is always instantaneous, get long flint life, etc...
:thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Should I see sparks in daylight? I did another test with my PA Flintlock and took it into a completely dark room and it did spark a little, about the size of a dime maybe a little smaller. I was under the impression that I should see sparks in the daylight with no powder in the pan. Am I correct?

Also, does anyone know where I can get instructions on taking my lock off and removing the frizzen. I'm a little intimidated with it.

You should definitely not have to go into a dark room to see sparks.

 

[buckknife]

and would that be the hammer?

 

[Swampman]

I'm lost here? Flintlocks don't have a hammer. It was the cock that snapped in half.

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Frizzens were originally called the steel, or hammer, as that was what the flint in the cock struck.

 

[roundball]

Right...and FWIW, also the basis for the original name of the leather safety device called a "Hammer Stall".

(The terms frizzen and frizzen cover are relatively modern terms, comparatively speaking)

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Those stalls carried over. When a kid, we had to pick cotton in the heat, and pull bolls in the frost, fingers would get cut up and infected with what was called, dew poisoning.

Mother would sew up a cloth finger or thumb stall, dope up the cut with Bag Balm, slip on and tie off the stall, and you never missed a day dragging a 12 foot tar bottomed cotton sack.

Ugh, don't miss those days at all.

 

[buckknife]

i think you are right,if someone is not willing to check the pressure of the springs and likes the flint bashing the frizen and has come to like the nice wave of the wash board look and just loves to knap their flints alot is happy they should keep using leather.

 

[Swampman]

I've used leather for 25 years without any of the problems you mentioned. Perhaps you could find a flintlock shooter locally to show you what you are doing wrong. It's not worth damaging your gun.

 

[roundball]

i think you are right,if someone is not willing to check the pressure of the springs and likes the flint bashing the frizen and has come to like the nice wave of the wash board look and just loves to knap their flints alot is happy they should keep using leather.

:rotf:
That's funny...I shoot a 40-50 shot range session every Saturday morning...75% of the time I never touch the 3/4" black English flint that I start the session with, other than to clean it periodically...and the frizzens are in perfect shape after about four thousand shots across two different rifles.

Doesn't matter to me what others decide to use to hold a flint in place, but it's a little inappropriate to make sarcastic comments about all the rest of the flintlock shooters who don't happen to share the very, very minority opinion on using lead to hold a flint.

Sounds like you might need to get your lock checked over by a gunsmith if that's your experience.

:thumbsup:

 

[jernestc]

Paco97, when you get your lock working properly you'll probably laugh at yourself for wondering if you should see sparks. A good frizzen and flint can probably throw 15 or more 'sparks'. Over half go into the pan, some go sideways, some can even bounce out of the pan. You can see them on a sunny day.
I can't give better advice than what you've gotten, keep working at it.

 

[buckknife]

I said it cause i knew it would get a response.Kinda like Swampman says a lead wrap around a flint will break your lock.Now i guess you know how Paul feels.How would you like it if every time someone said they were going to use leather around the flint i would jump in and say dont do it,it will ruin a good frizzen.When we both know it just aint so.
Now the feller who started this thread was looken to get some spark going,i hope he gets it.
What was one person advice,spend the money and get a good gun :haha: Bet that really helped his spark problem.
Thats all i got ta say about that,think i will just go back to reading instead of writing :blah:

 

[paco97]

Paco97, when you get your lock working properly you'll probably laugh at yourself for wondering if you should see sparks. A good frizzen and flint can probably throw 15 or more 'sparks'. Over half go into the pan, some go sideways, some can even bounce out of the pan. You can see them on a sunny day.
I can't give better advice than what you've gotten, keep working at it.

Thanks! After spening two months on this forum, and hearing others talk about their flintlocks, I thought I was correct to assume that I should see sparks in the daylight. I'm hoping in the next 3 days or so to have some time to take my frizzen off and polish the spring and to try and harden my frizzen. I'll report my findings once I get them

 

[FKnorr]

Roundball,

I had the lock off and everything is good. There is no sluggishness in the lock and no rust other than the tips of the screws. I already cleaned it up and check out the gun. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Frank