TC lock improvement

[woodbutcher]

Hello everyone:
Nice site!
In mid January mention was made of an improvement to TC flintlocks, the geometry was changed, so flints don't get "eaten". This was good news to me since both my Hawken's are older vintage.
My question is, can the newer improved hammer/ frizzen be installed on the older TC Hawken rifle locks, or does it require a new lock?
Thank you, Woodbutcher

[roundball]

Woodbutcher said:

Hello everyone:
Nice site!
In mid January mention was made of an improvement to TC flintlocks, the geometry was changed, so flints don't get "eaten". This was good news to me since both my Hawken's are older vintage.
My question is, can the newer improved hammer/ frizzen be installed on the older TC Hawken rifle locks, or does it require a new lock?
Thank you, Woodbutcher

Yes, the new style parts simply replace the early style parts...TC has done that for me on a half dozen locks at no charge under the lifetime warranty...they've installed new parts on three of mine, and wholesale replaced three others with complete new lock assemblies.

What has worked best for me is to mail the lock directly to TC Service Manager Tim Pancurak with a nice memo explaining your dissatisfaction with the reliability of the lock, ask him to do whatever he can to make it more reliable so it's dependable enough to practice with it, hunt with it, etc,

You should get it back shortly with the appropriate set of parts replaced...in some cases, depending on just how old your particular lock is, you might even get an entire new lock assembly...the main improvements are a harder frizzen (jet black color) and a redesigned hammer that is taller than the early style, impacts the frizzen at a higher and better angle of attack, etc.

In addition, TC also now uses a significantly improved vent liner with a larger touch hole and hex wrench exterior design that acts like a big funnel...suggest you replace the old style screwdriver slot type with the new style liner at the same time...a couple in a package run around $4-5 bucks.

With the improved lock, improved vent liner, 3/4" black english flints, and Goex powder, shooting mine are like shooting .30-30's.

[woodbutcher]

Thank you, Roundball. Gee! That easy? Thank you very much!
Busted flints have been experienced, so I carry a spare hammer with a tried flint as a backup.
Some time back I let a friend use my centerfire on our deer huntin trip. He felt like I was really treating him special, cause that left me stuck with a sorry ol' muzzleloader. He almost felt bad for me. Maybe someday he'll understand.
I got a heck of a lot more confidence drawing down on a target, offhand, with that Hawken, than with any scoped centerfire I ever handled! Carries nicer too.
Woodbutcher

[roundball]

Woodbutcher said:

Thank you, Roundball. Gee! That easy? Thank you very much!
Busted flints have been experienced, so I carry a spare hammer with a tried flint as a backup.
Some time back I let a friend use my centerfire on our deer huntin trip. He felt like I was really treating him special, cause that left me stuck with a sorry ol' muzzleloader. He almost felt bad for me. Maybe someday he'll understand.
I got a heck of a lot more confidence drawing down on a target, offhand, with that Hawken, than with any scoped centerfire I ever handled! Carries nicer too.
Woodbutcher

=====================================
Yes, busted flints, "eating flints" comes from the hammer being too short hitting too low down on the frizzen where it meets very strong resistance.
And the angle of attack of the old style hammer is too straight head-on into the face of the frizzen, instead of a nice downward, chopping, slicing angle.

With the flint hitting way down too low on the frizzen, it's hitting much closer to the pivot point of the frizzen, and it has very little leverage...when flints smash into this almost immoveable object it causes them to wear & break prematurely.

With the redesigned hammer, they hit way up higher in the top third of the frizzen, which gets a lot more leverage and tips the frizzen open easily like they should...this results in a lot more frizzen face to scrape down to make more sparks, and no broken flints...my 3/4" black english flints average 40-60 shots each.

(Just this morning I did a 40 shot range session, and will start next Saturday's range session with the same flint)

[woodbutcher]

Well, I ain't been here 24 hours yet, and I know how and where to improve my flinter, where to get the best flints, and a bunch of other stuff I needed to know.
This is a pretty good place to hang out!
Sincerly, Woodbutcher