Replacement Frizzen

[Ringel05]

A while back I took my cheap, wannabe H&A reproduction of a flintlock (named the Minuteman) and reworked the stock. Not long afterwards I leaned it against the work bench and it fell over snapping the frizzen off. Okay, it's a cheap flintlock but so old now (1970s) that replacement parts haven't been made for quite a while and are mostly non existent.
Set it aside as I worked on other projects so last week I email pictures of the broken frizzen (and lock) with measurements to Track of the Wolf and they determined the frizzen for the Late Ketland lock should work.

Lock:

The frizzen is the L shaped part on the front.

The part arrived a couple of days ago and while it will work it's going to take some modification. First it's "in the white" (unfinished) so I had to grind off the casting gate and will have to grind, file and sand it. Once it's properly fitted I'll have to harden it. Already had to grind down and file the swivel to get it to fit and now I'm working on the cover which is too wide.

 

[1srelluc]

Looks like a standard lock from that period that many manufactures used....Check eBay for a like lock if all else fails.

 

[mudwhistle]

A while back I took my cheap, wannabe H&A reproduction of a flintlock (named the Minuteman) and reworked the stock. Not long afterwards I leaned it against the work bench and it fell over snapping the frizzen off. Okay, it's a cheap flintlock but so old now (1970s) that replacement parts haven't been made for quite a while and are mostly non existent.
Set it aside as I worked on other projects so last week I email pictures of the broken frizzen (and lock) with measurements to Track of the Wolf and they determined the frizzen for the Late Ketland lock should work.

Lock:

The frizzen is the L shaped part on the front.

The part arrived a couple of days ago and while it will work it's going to take some modification. First it's "in the white" (unfinished) so I had to grind off the casting gate and will have to grind, file and sand it. Once it's properly fitted I'll have to harden it. Already had to grind down and file the swivel to get it to fit and now I'm working on the cover which is too wide.

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My brother had a hexagon barrel flintlock and let me fire it when I was 15. He didn't warn me about the big ball of fire that shoots into your face when it goes off.
I was temporarily blinded and by the time the smoke cleared we had moved on. I don't even know if I hit the target. He said I did, but I never saw the target.
Lessons learned. Never let anyone set up your weapon for you. Learn to do it right yourself.

 

[The Duke]

A while back I took my cheap, wannabe H&A reproduction of a flintlock (named the Minuteman) and reworked the stock. Not long afterwards I leaned it against the work bench and it fell over snapping the frizzen off. Okay, it's a cheap flintlock but so old now (1970s) that replacement parts haven't been made for quite a while and are mostly non existent.
Set it aside as I worked on other projects so last week I email pictures of the broken frizzen (and lock) with measurements to Track of the Wolf and they determined the frizzen for the Late Ketland lock should work.

Lock:

The frizzen is the L shaped part on the front.

The part arrived a couple of days ago and while it will work it's going to take some modification. First it's "in the white" (unfinished) so I had to grind off the casting gate and will have to grind, file and sand it. Once it's properly fitted I'll have to harden it. Already had to grind down and file the swivel to get it to fit and now I'm working on the cover which is too wide.

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And I thought I went through a bunch of BS today!

Thanks!

 

[Ringel05]

Looks like a standard lock from that period that many manufactures used....Check eBay for a like lock if all else fails.

There are so many different locks even from the Golden Age of the Flintlock that trying to replace one can be a challenge. There is no "standard" lock, just go to Pecatonica or Track of the Wolf and you'll see what I mean. The H&A (Hopkins & Allen) flintlock I have is anything but a correct copy of any original and most locks sold today are exact copies of originals. Of course that's pretty much the same with Pedersoli longrifles and pistols with a very few exceptions.
That's the reason I eventually want to replace the stock & lock and might have to replace the trigger also.

Here's the H&A Minuteman, notice the patch box on the butt.......... Some call it the "paint spill" but I call it the "brass blob".

Original patch boxes never looked like that. Also if you look at it you'll notice the fore stock and butt are way out of proportion with the front having way too much wood and the butt not having enough.
Here's a Jacob Dickert's (Lancaster County) copy and his "school" was only one of hundreds of gunsmiths. Much nicer looking, much more elegant.

 

[The Duke]

There are so many different locks even from the Golden Age of the Flintlock that trying to replace one can be a challenge. There is no "standard" lock, just go to Pecatonica or Track of the Wolf and you'll see what I mean. The H&A (Hopkins & Allen) flintlock I have is anything but a correct copy of any original and most locks sold today are exact copies of originals. Of course that's pretty much the same with Pedersoli longrifles and pistols with a very few exceptions.
That's the reason I eventually want to replace the stock & lock and might have to replace the trigger also.

Here's the H&A Minuteman, notice the patch box on the butt.......... Some call it the "paint spill" but I call it the "brass blob".

Original patch boxes never looked like that. Also if you look at it you'll notice the fore stock and butt are way out of proportion with the front having way too much wood and the butt not having enough.
Here's a Jacob Dickert's (Lancaster County) copy and his "school" was only one of hundreds of gunsmiths. Much nicer looking, much more elegant.

Purty wood.

If only that was in .06

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

I was frizzen may ass off a few weeks ago

 

[The Duke]

I was frizzen may ass off a few weeks ago

Dude, the frizzen is the cover for the pan of powder that sets the charge off.

Why can I see stuff could pop up and hit somebody in the eye with that system?

Probably because I've had my middle finger burned by a revolver.

 

[Ringel05]

Purty wood.

If only that was in .06

Gotta love that curly maple.

This is an early Colonial Virginia style, typically smooth bore and a little fatter (and heavier) than the later longrifles that came out of Pennsylvania.

Jim makes the kits for this, a Southern Mountain style and a Woodsrunner (Pennsyslvania) style. When it comes to authentic copies his kits are the easiest to build.

 

[The Duke]

Gotta love that curly maple.

This is an early Colonial Virginia style, typically smooth bore and a little fatter (and heavier) than the later longrifles that came out of Pennsylvania.

Jim makes the kits for this, a Southern Mountain style and a Woodsrunner (Pennsyslvania) style. When it comes to authentic copies his kits are the easiest to build.

I wanaa drop an .06 action into THAT!

I know, blasphemy! I'm a sucker for pretty wood, though.

 

[JGalt]

Beautiful rifles, but all I can say is "Thank God for percussion caps."

Flintlocks are an art form I've never had much luck with. The flint has to be knapped just right, the frizzen has to be hard, and the humidity has to be low. It's a wonder how any of those 1700's fur trappers even survived.

 

[Ringel05]

Beautiful rifles, but all I can say is "Thank God for percussion caps."

Flintlocks are an art form I've never had much luck with. The flint has to be knapped just right, the frizzen has to be hard, and the humidity has to be low. It's a wonder how any of those 1700's fur trappers even survived.

BTW, good luck finding percussion caps......... Manufacture of those haven't caught up yet since the lockdowns.
We were having a problem with flint supplies until recently.

 

[JGalt]

BTW, good luck finding percussion caps......... Manufacture of those haven't caught up yet since the lockdowns.
We were having a problem with flint supplies until recently.

I've been snarfing up #11, #10, and musket caps for a few years, so I'm good. Walmart always put out a few tins of them right before deer season, but every one of them gets bought out within hours.

 

[Ringel05]

I wanaa drop an .06 action into THAT!

I know, blasphemy! I'm a sucker for pretty wood, though.

I believe you can get curly maple stocks for you 06. Or you could do what many gunsmiths did in the 1700s, paint the curly maple on....... Another method is wrap the (wood) stock in cordage so as to leave exposed areas then hit it with a propane torch.

 

[Ringel05]

Beautiful rifles, but all I can say is "Thank God for percussion caps."

Flintlocks are an art form I've never had much luck with. The flint has to be knapped just right, the frizzen has to be hard, and the humidity has to be low. It's a wonder how any of those 1700's fur trappers even survived.

Here's a plains rifle (AKA Hawken) in curly maple.