Any box-lock experts here?

[Homesteader]

I have a little .41 caliber flintlock screw barrel muff pistol that I really like in theory. In reality I have a hard time with its box lock. The hammer / anvil / frizzen / pan cover isn’t tight enough to secure the powder in the pan. Certainly not tight enough that a gentleman could carry it in a weskit pocket without losing all the prime. And the cock doesn’t seem to let even the smallest flint hit correctly.

These pistols apparently worked at one time. What‘s wrong with mine? Any suggestions and comments are most welcome.

Pictures follow (I hope)

 

[The Crisco Kid]

Is it an original or a modern version? I've only seen a few but as I recall the stock was more rounded than your square one. That's no help with your question though.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

The old ones are made correctly and the new repops aren't.

 

[Sam squanch]

If that’s one of the Palmetto reproductions, just use it as a paper weight. I NEVER could get mine to work at all.

 

[Homesteader]

Yeah, it’s a reproduction alright. So far I have used it as nothing more than a display piece. Sure would like to fire the blamed thing at least once, but…

Thanks for chiming in guys

 

[French Colonial]

Here is an original Wilson, the hammer is at half cock in these photos, you can use these to compare to your pistol to perhaps diagnose your problem.

 

[Sam squanch]

If I remember correctly, I just modified mine to percussion. Looking back, I would have soled the frizzen with a better piece of steel . You can’t get many sparks out of a tiny flint.