lyman frizzen....
 

i went to the bp shop today and picked up a lyman frizzen for my TC hawken because i heard they were better then the TCs....all i had to do was file it down some....or so i was told....i got it to fit in the slot and the screw fits fine and everthing....when i fire it though it barely opens and if it does open the whole way its really loose when its all the way forward...its not side to side play its up and down....did i mess it up or didnt i do enough yet??? did i ruin the frizzen or how can i fix it??? the springs not touching the second piece that comes out of the frizzen...the first one does though....on my original frizzen it does touch....i traced them and they are the same shape and size....i just cant seem to get it to work.....anyone have any advice....the lady at the store didnt want to sell me the frizzen because she didnt think it would work.....but i figured what does she know....she was calling it a frizzum and told me she never seen the hardened TC ones and that they should be better then the other tcs and the lyman.....anyone have any tips to get it to work??? the sparks are great coming off of it...when they do....and my flint life is 1000 times better already.....but its not opening right and not sparking too good....anyone?? thanx guys

RE: lyman frizzen....
 

I would have to have the lock and the two frizzens in front of my face to answer your question. In all probability, the two are not really interchangeable. Maybe the Lyman will work, maybe not. But if sparking is the problem, you can have the TC frizzen "half-soled" with a piece of file steel, or just re-heat-treat it to make it harder so it sparks better.

(You may have to reshape the spring, or make a new one. The spring is supposed to hold the frizzen good and SHUT before the flint strikes it, so good sparks are produced, then help snap it OPEN and hold it open when the frizzen is pushed forward by the flint so the sparks will not be impeded as they fall onto the priming charge. Consequently, the spring must have good, solid contact with the frizzen projections at both positions, open and closed!!)

RE: lyman frizzen....
 

Mauser, I also have replaced my T/C Hawken Frizzens with Lymans and have been doing this for years. I wouldn't worry about it being "loose" once it is open. You only need enough resistance for the flint to throw sufficient spark into the pan. Try turning out the lights when you test fire it (unloaded of course). All you should have needed to do with this frizzen is to file down the sides that fit into the mating groove of the lock and replace the screw. If it isn't opening, place a very tiny amount of anti-sieze on the spring and work the frizzen open and closed. I also position my flint to where it is just about touching the frizzen at 1/2 cock and no more than 1/16" gap.

RE: lyman frizzen....
 

One more thing mauser - it is possible that you got some oil on your frizzen from handling it. Wipe the face off with acetone and also your flint. Then try it.