Rubbing magnesium on frizzen ?

Bumped into a fellow flintlock hunter this season and as we talked he mentioned that he rubs his frizzen with magnesium with one of those fire starter sold at camping supply stores. He claims it gives him an increased shower of hot sparks for 5 shots or so and said it was just for extra "insurance" while hunting . Now I agree there is no substitute for a sharp flint and hard frizzen on a tuned lock, but it did peak my interest. I plan to try it out when I get some time, but wondered if anyone has heard of this or have tried it ? Just curious. -Thanks

Sounds like a solution for a non existing problem to me. But hey whatever folks wanna do I suppose

dont know how you could get magnesium into the face of the frizzen. to make a difference. And even if it was powdered and used with priming powder it would eventually pock up the pan.

Logically, I'd think if you coat the frizzen with anything that reduces contact between the flint and the frizzen and the friction generated thereby would actually have an adverse impact on sparking.

sussexmuzllodr said:

dont know how you could get magnesium into the face of the frizzen. to make a difference. And even if it was powdered and used with priming powder it would eventually pock up the pan.

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Just waiting for someone to use flash power in their "flash pan" for better and faster ignition next....

I use bottle rocket engines in the end of my Arrows ya know for that extra boost.....

Salty Cracker said:

Sounds like a solution for a non existing problem to me. But hey whatever folks wanna do I suppose

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Someone always think they have a better idea. Good flint and lock has work for hundreds of years. But hey I have a better idea.

Why not just get a gun with a decent lock?

Sounds like hog wash to me. Magnesium shavings will burn, however the bar used to make the sparks is made of ferrocerium and it doesn't rub off.

LongWalker said:

Why not just get a gun with a decent lock?

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Because… Science!
Yeah that’s the ticket,
Science!

If you think it will work, then it will. At least in your mind.

I ain’t the sharpest patch knife in the bag, but I can’t figure how you get the magnesium to stick to the frizzen.

Juice Jaws said:

Someone always think they have a better idea. Good flint and lock has work for hundreds of years. But hey I have a better idea.

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Do you believe that something that was invented centuries ago cannot be improved? We need to have an open mind!

Sandro_Ventania said:

Do you believe that something that was invented centuries ago cannot be improved? We need to have an open mind!

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Metallic cartridge. Nitrocellulose. Lead fulminate. Fission reactions.

However, flint and steel is mature technology.

Banjoman said:

I ain’t the sharpest patch knife in the bag, but I can’t figure how you get the magnesium to stick to the frizzen.

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Magnesium does not spark.

If you want to turbo boost your frizzen sparks, pass go and use depleted uranium. Not the healthiest choice, but if you want sparks….
https://www.nmlra.org/news/uraniumfrizzen-bevelbros

Tom A Hawk said:

Magnesium does not spark.

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And then there’s that,,,,,

Anything that guy says I pretty much automatically discount as "bad science".

Hmmmm, how about flaking some of that magnesium into the pan along with the powder?

Don't mind me, just trying to throw som ga.... er think outside the box.