Flintlocks and Ferrocerium firesticks

[Tasbay]

I have heard that Ferrocerium firesticks for lighting fires work well in a flintlock and last for ages, has anyone tried this?

Chert and flint is not found here where I live and importers are asking $20 per flint. Admittedly I normally get my flints from TOW but just thought I`d ask the above question.

[n.h.schmidt]

Flints are cheap here. That said I have wondered about the ferrocerium myself. When time permits ,will give it a try. I mostly do percussion . What do percussion caps sell for in N.Z.?
n.h.schmidt

[country gent]

The question I would ask is how is the Ferrocium wear on the frizzen and lock?

[Tasbay]

Flints are cheap here. That said I have wondered about the ferrocerium myself. When time permits ,will give it a try. I mostly do percussion . What do percussion caps sell for in N.Z.?
n.h.schmidt

CCI #11 percussion caps sell for $20nz a tin , so about $13.50 a tin U.S. We have very few Muzzleloader outlets so most guys get their stuff from TOW or Dixie. One of the main reasons for the lack of Outlets for Black powder related gear is we do not have hunting seasons for Deer. Deer and other large game are just hunted all year round generally with rifles even suppressed along with NV or thermal.

[Tasbay]

The question I would ask is how is the Ferrocium wear on the frizzen and lock?

Yes I had wondered that as well.

[crankycalico]

if I am thinking it is supposed to be a strip that is glued onto the face of the frizzen and a piece of something else is put into the jaws of the cock.

Or am I still remember the funny hijinks that someone did selling strips of depleted uranium for that purpose for a short time? back in the late 80s I think.

[Good Cheer]

Anyone tried zirconium?
:Bright idea:

[bedbugbilly]

I would wonder about frizzed wear as well. If trying to improve a flintlock, which has worked just fine for centuries just fine . . . well . . that was how the percussion cap got developed.

I'm not that familiar with the Ferrocerium fire starters - a flint and steel is just as reliable and I have carried such a fire kit in our cars for years just in case a person got broken down and stranded and had to spend a night out.

Just me . . . but putting modern stuff on a flintlock just seems to defeat the purpose of having a flintlock to begin with. As someone mentioned . . . if that is something that would be put on a frizzed than I'm guessing you'd have to put a piece of steel in the jaws? Reversing the process so to speak - why?

[country gent]

Trying to "improve" on a system that's been reliable for 150 years or better is going to be a big job to accomplish. Resurfacing a frizzen is a rough job to get dead right. This new material how is it shaped, knapped like flint? or special tools? How hard is it going to be on the lock? on the frizzen?

[waksupi]

Look around, and see if you can find any other native stone that will work. I've used quartz, obsidian, and other rocks that I am not geologist enough to know the names of. Look for a glassy looking stone to work with. Quartz last quite awhile, obsidian not long, but it sparks well when it does.

[RU shooter]

To just give it a dry run find a cheap thin flat file grind it the shape of your frizzen and JB weld or superglue it to the face , clamp a chunk of ferro rod in the cock jaws and see what happens . If no joy apply a little heat to the JB weld and it will come right off . If it works and sparks we'll find a second frizzen and file small grooves in it just like the file face and install . Worth a try Ferro rod is dirt cheap and you can file It into whatever shape you want , sparks like crazy when you do but you can easily it's not really that hard a material

[toot]

if it ain't broke, then don't fix it!!

[jaguarxk120]

Remember the cock holding the flint strikes the frizzen scraping
hard steel from it. Just like a grinding wheel against a piece of steel.
The cock is moving downward into the flash pan and throwing the
burning steel piece's into the pan.
If you hold the ferro-rod in the cock and glue a file section to the frizzen the sparks generated will fly
up away from the pan.

[RU shooter]

if it ain't broke, then don't fix it!!
Said all the flintlock shooters when they started making all those modern percussion cap guns! ! Lol matchlock guys said that about the new fangled flintlock too ....

[Bert2368]

Anyone tried zirconium?
:Bright idea:

Is there an emoticon of a BROKEN lightbulb/the bad idea fairy?

You were kidding?

I wouldn't care to walk around with both Zirconium and black powder in close proximity while hunting. Two of my most memorable BAD days at work involved finding out just how much more sensitive Zirconium is than any other powdered metals I had used previously for pyrotechnics (way freaking more sensitive to ignition from very mild friction indoors on one day, sensitive to a static discharge from a synthetic jacket outdoors on a windy cold fall day another time).

I can carry a ferrocerium fire steel around without setting my pants on fire... And it is MUCH softer than steel.

[KenH]

Remember the cock holding the flint strikes the frizzen scraping
hard steel from it.

Are you sure the metal cock that holds the flint is what strikes the frizzen? On my flintlock it's the flint it self that scrapes along the frizzen pan scraping off metal shavings that spark. Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying.

Ken H>

[Black Powder Bill]

I read long ago and back a few months on facebook guys were talking about this attempting to change the wheel. I do know the NMLRA banned the use of the special steel on locks as the sparks tended to live on dancing around the shooting area. Making it a hazardous fire boom deal next to where you were shooting at.

No reason why a properly tuned lock and good flint can't last over 100 strikes. https://youtu.be/HPPS8lo4Q9g

[Col4570]

using the Wheel and Flint off a Cigarette Lighter fitted into a Flint Shaped piece of Hardwood and held in the Cock Jaws and a leather sleeve on the frizzen a good spark can be achieved until the lighter flint wears out.OK for Hunting but might be frowned upon for competitions.

[GARD72977]

The cost of caps has nothing to do with why I shot Flintlocks

[Good Cheer]

Is there an emoticon of a BROKEN lightbulb/the bad idea fairy?

You were kidding?

I wouldn't care to walk around with both Zirconium and black powder in close proximity while hunting. Two of my most memorable BAD days at work involved finding out just how much more sensitive Zirconium is than any other powdered metals I had used previously for pyrotechnics (way freaking more sensitive to ignition from very mild friction indoors on one day, sensitive to a static discharge from a synthetic jacket outdoors on a windy cold fall day another time).

I can carry a ferrocerium fire steel around without setting my pants on fire... And it is MUCH softer than steel.

Zirconium fabrication and its gas shielding requirements; it is an art unto itself.

[quilbilly]

Look around, and see if you can find any other native stone that will work. I've used quartz, obsidian, and other rocks that I am not geologist enough to know the names of. Look for a glassy looking stone to work with. Quartz last quite awhile, obsidian not long, but it sparks well when it does.
Given the geology I have read about in Kiwiland, you ought to have both agate and obsidian somewhere on your islands. Both are found where there are hot springs and volcanoes. Obsidian is super easy to knap yourself into excellent sparking flints but rarely lasts more than a couple shots due to the brittleness of the stone so you must carry several per outing. Agate requires more preparation including heat treating but ultimately can be knapped yourself. You have to be patient with agate since not all agate sparks well (I have no clue why). I have even found a few especially hard jaspers that will spark on steel. If you happen to have a tile cutter left over from a home improvement project, you can even do a little rock cutting on small pieces yourself without having to buy an expensive rock saw. I will bet the right stones are out there if you develop a rockhound's eye for looking down where you walk.

[Tasbay]

Trying to "improve" on a system that's been reliable for 150 years or better is going to be a big job to accomplish. Resurfacing a frizzen is a rough job to get dead right. This new material how is it shaped, knapped like flint? or special tools? How hard is it going to be on the lock? on the frizzen?

Nothing to do with trying to improve a well trusted system, just looking at alternative options as gun flints are hard to get here. I like using flint!!