• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades
  • Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.

    We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.

    Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103

Flint to frizzen spacing...

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
It makes sense. Smaller flints wear faster. Im not complaining really, because I dont think I'm doing anything wrong. A new flint sparks great, and the gun always goes boom, until it doesnt. I dont have excessive frizzen wear. And both locks are consistent...15-20 shots>failure to fire>take flint out and knap/pressure flake it then reset in the jaws>5-10 more shots, then its too short to stay in the jaws. Is what it is.

Ive never tried shimming it/sticking something behind it when it gets short. Might try that next time.
 
I keep a small bottle of alcohol in my bag and one of the first things I do before priming for a hunt is to wipe the face of the frizzen, under the frizzen, all the pan from front to back, and the edge of the flint.
My leathers have a small notch cut in the center when folded over so the flint shows. When I set my flint the back of the rock is held tightly against the screw. A flint separated from the screw by leather might last longer but one tightend against the flint throws more sparks. At least I think it does.
I load for one successful shot at a time. One shot.
I have 2 LH Silers and neither one cares about bevel up or down.
When hunting I use full size flints but other times I shoot a flint down to a nub. I shim the back with a piece of tooth pick and shoot it until it's too short to spark.
I've been shooting these old guns since '76, and the experience should be stressfree and enjoyable. I think we're getting too technical guys and might scare some new shooters away.
 
Darkhorse said:
I keep a small bottle of alcohol in my bag and one of the first things I do before priming for a hunt is to wipe the face of the frizzen, under the frizzen, all the pan from front to back, and the edge of the flint.
My leathers have a small notch cut in the center when folded over so the flint shows. When I set my flint the back of the rock is held tightly against the screw. A flint separated from the screw by leather might last longer but one tightend against the flint throws more sparks. At least I think it does.
I load for one successful shot at a time. One shot.
I have 2 LH Silers and neither one cares about bevel up or down.
When hunting I use full size flints but other times I shoot a flint down to a nub. I shim the back with a piece of tooth pick and shoot it until it's too short to spark.
I've been shooting these old guns since '76, and the experience should be stressfree and enjoyable. I think we're getting too technical guys and might scare some new shooters away.
Click to expand...

A patch with spit works just fine. Drink the alcohol.
 
Sparkitoff said:
Questions: Any harm or foul with the flint being 1/2" off the frizzen? Is that likely why it stopped sparking after just 10 shots?
Click to expand...

Mine sits 1/2 inch off the frizzen when at full cock. (you made me good look)
I shoot 25-28 shot trail walks. One flint lasts all that and the fort shoot.
A 1/4 inch at half cock, I agree with what is above, and would add. I had a store bought flinter once, the fizzen spring was way too strong, and would break flints.
The fizzen broke, and that is when I found out the spring was way over tension.
Replaced the frizzen, milled down the spring, and it was a whole new rifle, until the EX ran off with it. ( I gave it to her).
 
DARWIN, drinking it? mabie that is where that his THEORY CAME FROM ??
 
Took some pics.
-half cock
-full cock
-where the flint strikes the frizzen(60-70deg angle)
-uncocked
20201024_135627.jpg
20201024_135642.jpg
20201024_135704.jpg
20201024_135720.jpg
 
BTW, if your flint is too short, use JB Weld and glue a matchstick on the back side.
 
Along with the placement of the flint to frizzen is the strength of the mainspring and surprisingly enough, the strength of the frizzen spring. The balance of the springs will decide how many shots with a particular flint. Too heavy of a mainspring will smash the flint quickly and if the frizzen spring fights the cam-over of the frizzen, it will do the same.
 
Few locks are as well proportioned as the Davis Twigg it stands boldly at half cock and has a good run from full. Plus it has a wide shallow pan Original Ketland's I have used are of perfect geometry. Was just the one Ketland & Co wedded to a barrel by Alonzo Martinez historicaly years apart but restock for a conservative shooter . Not every sportsman went for the London Regency trends .
Rudyard
 
Many Klatch said:
BTW, if your flint is too short, use JB Weld and glue a matchstick on the back side.
Click to expand...
I just cut a piece of leather and set it behind the leather or lead being used to cushion the rear of the flint, so easy, you can shoot right away, no waiting for epoxy / JB WELD to dry.
 

Similar threads

M
flint skipping on frizzens
Replies
7
Views
642
M. De Land
M
M
Flint orientation
Replies
10
Views
584
Pete G
Pete G
Numlok
Longer flints; Or inserting flints farther out?
Replies
13
Views
441
Larry (Omaha)
Larry (Omaha)
tarawa1943
Indian Spanish Musket
Replies
5
Views
258
tarawa1943
tarawa1943
K
Rubbing magnesium on frizzen ?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
deerstalkert
deerstalkert

Latest posts

Back
Top