TC flintlock short hammer fix

[lentuk]

I took my Thompson Center Pennsylvania hunter to the range this week, I have not shot it in years because it never seemed to fire reliably.
I had a brand new natural flint and only got 10 shots before it stopped sparking.
I looked at the flint and it was destroyed, I got back home and checked the web and sure enough there were many threads about the older "short" hammers that were replaced by TC with the longer hammers that hit the frizzen higher and at a better arc. Since TC is long gone, I looked for a replacement hammer, found some on fleabay for way too much money so I decided to make mine longer, it now hits the frizzen way higher and sparks way better.
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n358/longbowman/004_zpsuxpyxp7l.jpg (http://s336.photobucket.com/user/longbowman/media/004_zpsuxpyxp7l.jpg.html)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n358/longbowman/009_zpsirxwtxbf.jpg (http://s336.photobucket.com/user/longbowman/media/009_zpsirxwtxbf.jpg.html)
http://i336.photobucket.com/albums/n358/longbowman/010_zpsltxlgzfa.jpg (http://s336.photobucket.com/user/longbowman/media/010_zpsltxlgzfa.jpg.html)

[Tatume]

Very nice! Just FYI, you modified the cock. The hammer and frizzen are one and the same (counterintuitively to the modern ear). Congratulations on a job well done.

I recommend English flints, as opposed to the sawn agate you're using now. Natural English flints can be resharpened. Also, the sawn agates you have will wear out your hammer (frizzen) more quickly.

[lentuk]

That would have made the title of my post more interesting, hahaha

[True.grit]

Wow great fix. Looks as good as the factory. How much did you add ?

[lentuk]

3/16, tig welded in.

[pietro]

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Excellent work, IMHO !

If you don't mind, could you please expand upon how you arrived at how much material to add ?


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[bubba.50]

looks like what T/C should have done to start with. good job.

[lentuk]

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Excellent work, IMHO !

If you don't mind, could you please expand upon how you arrived at how much material to add ?


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With the springs removed from the lock and the flint installed, I used a powerful magnet to hold the hammer pieces together while widening the gap until the flint hit the frizzen higher and the arc of the hammers swing seemed to travel along the curve of the frizzen.

[Standing Bear]

Great job. Ditto on measuring for how much material to add.

Another ditto for English flints. Track o the Wolf sells them.
TC

[Geezer in NH]

Great job!!!

[OverMax]

Nicely done. Gott'a love those TIG welders.