Author Topic: Brown Bess? (Read 785 times)

sherppa · « **on:** November 27, 2004, 04:39:42 AM »

Just purchased a Brown Bess replica. Good looking but but one huge problem. It wont spark. Tried hardening it but that did not help, bought brand new english flints. Still no spark, no BOOM. Any help would be appreiated.

KING · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2004, 01:45:03 PM »

Which eplica did you purchase? I have the Pedersoli and have not had a problem with it at all. If you have good flints,and a hard frizzen,you should have some spark. Do you have good tension on the hammer spring? If nothing else,reverse the flint in the jaws,bevel up,to bevil down or vis a versa......stay safe.King

quickdtoo · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2004, 02:21:56 PM »

Make sure the jaw screw isn't hittin the frizzen before the flint, sometimes with the right flint it will throw the frizzen forward before the flint gets to it.

sherppa · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2004, 03:17:53 PM »

Thanks for the suggestions guys, but still no BOOM. It is not a Pedersoli, there are no markings on it.

IntrepidWizard · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2004, 03:22:27 PM »

Take a file and scrap it smartly across the flint and see if it is the flint.

dlemaster · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2004, 04:55:05 AM »

Is the Frizzen hard?
Sometimes these repo's come with frizzens case hardened. Once they are fired a few times you wear through the thin hardened surface. There must be enough carbon in the steel to reharden it just by heating and quenching.
It can easily be restored with Casenet compound available from Dixie Gun Works. Heat it to a red color, dip in Casenet, reheat and hold at the red color for several minutes, repeat to get a deeper case hardening. Hope this helps.

Regards, Dave

sherppa · « **Reply #6 on:** December 30, 2004, 11:36:23 AM »

thanks for the help guys. Dave, the Kasenit did the trick. Went to the range today, "We have ignition"! First time, spark - boom!!! Now the fun begins.