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Copied to a new thread from Nath's "Fire Lock" posting...
Ray wrote: ↑Sun May 14, 2017 6:44 am
Ironic you mention smashing flints.....that is exactly my problem......i am working with an incorrigible T/C Hawken .45 that absolutely eats flints......the fit and geometry of the relation between the frizzen and hammer seem o.k. and the frizzen moves readily but the hammer must be hitting too hard.....have read almost every reference and watched dozens of videos on the subject of flint selection and adjustment.....a 1" x 1/4 " ferrocerium fire starting rod in place of the rock sparks well and seems to last longer than any of the different flints i've tried.....even a toy paper cap glued with spirit gum to the front of piece of clothes pin used as a proving dummy sets off a pan of priming.....i got that idea from reading an account of u.s. army trials in the firelock to percussion transitionary era referencing "fulminate pills" as pan priming several years before the maynard tape.......
Hi Ray:
My twin had numerous issues with his T/C Flint Hawken, that finally got corrected by changing to the "later style hammer" offered by T/C. I don't recall all the details, but I remember that T/C ended up changing the shape of their flintlock hammers to improve ignition. I also recall seeing several posts and images of "old" versus "new" T/C flintlock hammers.
I think it will be worth your while to Google search this to find out more -- and maybe locate the new-style flint hammer too.
Prior to S&W gobbling up T/C , you could send your lock back to them for replacement/retro fit. I had it done with a Pennsylvania Hunter I bought used somewhere 2009-2010.
I'm assuming that's no longer possible since sadly they don't make any "traditional" rifles anymore, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
Many flints are broken from frizzen bounce also. But most production gun flintlocks have very poor geometry and are the cause for poor performance. Back in the late 70's and early 80's there were many articles on correcting the issues that most of the lock had at that time. If you swap cocks and still have problems it is frizzen bounce causing the broken flints.