Originally Posted by
gtonini
All the flints I have for the TC 54cal renegade are about 27 years old never used I put a flint in the gun and adjusted it about 1/16 away at half cocked doesn't seem like like a lot of sparks do flints deteriorate over time or do you think I have one of the bad TC frizzens the gun is 27 years old but I only shot it twice back when I built it.
I have the original frizzens on two of my T/C flintlocks, one of which I bought new in 1976. While I am not a competitive shooter, both of these rifles have fired a lot of rounds and the frizzens work just fine. I would look into getting some Tom Fuller hand-knapped English flints from TOW.
I use the 6S 3/4" square size in my T/C locks... and they're only $1.65 ea. compared to the $9.12 for 4 as mentioned in the previous post.
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/141/1
Adjust your flint so that it's square to the frizzen face and just shy of touching at half cock. Use a good piece of supple leather about 1/16" or so thick to grip the flint. You can also use two thickness' of a thinner leather to hold the flint, just make sure that you snug it down good in the jaws as you don't want the flint pushing back any when it strikes the frizzen. You should get good spark when set up in that manner. Stay away from the "manufactured" (ground) agate or quartz flints...as far as I'm concerned they're not worth the space they take up.
BPS