Traditions Kentuck Flinter: Need advice...

[Stoots]

Fellas, I got a Traditions Kentuck Rifle flintlock at a yard sale for $40.00.  Seems to be near new!

It feels solid, but I know Traditions aren't the best in the world.  Since I have so little invested in it, what modifications or improvements would you all recommend?  I searched the site and found a few mods, but any advice would be appreciated!

Also, how do you 'harden' the frizzen?

Thanks all!

Jason

[quickdtoo]

The best way to harden a frizzen is to have a gunsmith that knows what he's doing take care of it. There are several methods, not all work best. From heating the strike surface only to cherry red and quenching in water to using Kasenit on the strike surface. If the frizzen gets too brittle it can break. All of the traditions locks that I have worked on had poor geometry, the flint hit the frizzen too square. The cock can be bent forward so the flint hits the frizzen at a little better angle but also is more likely to beat the flint up. Poor geometry is hard to deal with, best method is to try different size flints and positioning for what works best. Good luck.

http://www.ninety-eight.net/ibha/flint1.htm#top

Another option if you don't want to mess with the lock business, is to replace the lock with a good lock from L&R, they have replacement locks for Traditions rifles.

http://www.lr-rpl.com/

[Trapper-Jack]

I have a Late English Flintlock action by L&R in a rifle that I built a couple of years ago.  I have gotten upwards of 50 shots out of a flint without a misfire before having to knap it.  One competitive shoot had a target where the rules were that the sights had to be on the bottom when the rifle went off, in other words, up-side down.  It went off without a hitch, although I didn't hit the target!  Several other flintlocks took several trys before they could get theirs to fire, and then there were others that didn't fire at all in that position.  In my opinion L&R makes a good lock.