Bent screw

[Johnny Tremain]

Talked to Barbie at Jim Chambers today.

I told her when I got my Late Ketland, the jaw screw was bent.

She told me its common in flintlocks that are dry fired without rocks in them.

My new screw is on the way.

Thought you might want to know this, if you come across it at an event, or in the field.

 

[Stophel]

I saw one bend right before my eyes. I snapped the lock with the frizzen open (accidentally), and whammo, the screw bent forward.

 

[bob1961]

the jaw screw that holds the flint :shocked2: wow that's some force then :v .............bob

 

[mckutzy]

wow, sure it isnt the threads in the cock that are damaged and are at a angle when the jaw screw is inserted.

 

[Stophel]

No, it'll bend the top the screw forward. Whiplash. Just change the screw.

 

[mckutzy]

wow, i have never heard of that before.

 

[Stophel]

Yup, it'll sure do it. I had always heard that it would do it, and I thought surely not, but then I seen it wit me own eyes!

 

[CrackStock]

UPS can do it too! Saw that in my own box.

CS

 

[Trkdriver99]

I had Dale Johnson put together a pistol for me and he told me that if you snap on with out a flint or with frizzen up it can break the screw. He is a really good smith so I believe him. I don't snap w/out flint or frizzen up......if I can help it. Accidents happen.

Ronnie

 

[paulvallandigham]

WADR to both of you, I think this is a bunch of :bull: You can bend that cock screw if you drop the gun on something that manages to hit just the scew head, or by banging on the screw head with a heavy mallet. But, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BEND THE SCREW BY DROPPING THE COCK ON EMPTY AIR. iT DOESN'T TRAVEL THAT FAR, TO GAIN THAT KIND OF MOMENTUM, NOR IS THE CAST STEEL USED IN THE SCREW SOFT ENOUGH TO ALLOW SUCH A BEND.

If a screw can be bent by falling on air, and then suddenly stopping on the hammer stop, you should be able to bend it back with your own two hands. The cock screws I have seen on my own guns, and have examined are all at least 1/4" in diameter, with a coarse thread, leaving even more metal to strengthen the screw.They aren't made of rubber!

 

[Dphar]

Talked to Barbie at Jim Chambers today.

I told her when I got my Late Ketland, the jaw screw was bent.

She told me its common in flintlocks that are dry fired without rocks in them.

My new screw is on the way.

Thought you might want to know this, if you come across it at an event, or in the field.

Never seen this and I just did this (dropped the cock with the frizzen open) by accident with a Manton lock I built. Didn't bend the screw, but it had a flint clamped in the the jaws which might lock things in place better. It also has a 1/4-28 top jaw screw that I case hardened.
Since screws made from leaded screw stock are butter soft I suppose the inertia of the screw head and the loose top jaw (no flint present) might be enough to bend something.
I sure as heck would not say its impossible.
Wonder it does not bend goose neck cocks, but they are not made of screw stock.

Dan

 

[Stophel]

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BEND THE SCREW BY DROPPING THE COCK ON EMPTY AIR.

YES YOU CAN! I have been told this by very knowledgeable people and have seen it myself, firsthand, right in front of me. No question. Besides, you're not dropping the cock on "empty air", you're dropping it onto a solid stop. Like they say about jumping off a bridge "it ain't the fall that kills you, but the sudden stop". If it is not possible, then take all your guns, remove the flints, open the frizzens, and snap the lock on all of them. Do it over and over again (since it can't damage anything...). Maybe you won't bend a screw....but maybe you will. :wink:

 

[Johnny Tremain]

Ya know Paul,

This is something I didnt know, I was told by someone that deals with locks for a living that it is common.

It happen to mine.

Just trying to give folks a head up, not start a war. (well not until I get my new screw and can fire back!)

 

[paulvallandigham]

Mr.Tremanin, and Der Fett Deutscher: I guess I will end this with an apology. I would still like to see this in person, and see what kind of fall and what kind of spring tension you have on that main spring that this can happen.

I don't cock my hammers, on my flint guns, unless I have first closed the frizzen. Its been a habit since I began shooting flints. I saw another flint shooter have a leather-wrapped flint fly out of the jaws when the hammer slipped out of the full cock notch with the frizzen up. I don't recall anything untoward happening to the cockscrew., but he only found his wrap and not his flint, lost in the grass. I decided that flints were too expensive to literally throw away, so adopted my procedure of closing the frizzen when the hammer is in the half cock notch.

So, I am not likely to experience what both of you describe unless I purposely want to sacrifice a lock.

 

[Stophel]

I only did it once by accident. In cycling the lock, I intended to just set the cock down, but it slipped away from me. Sure enough, that sucker bent forward. :wink:

 

[mckutzy]

now with all this, how far unscrewed is the hammer screw with all of these that are bent, is it undone just to letgo the flint or wide open just holding on the cock with a few threads?

i had to look at several bess's and my small siler to understand this.