Flintlock Pistols With Rare Safety Frizzens, c1740

Philip · 6th April 2016, 10:31 PM

[QUOTE=dana_w]I didn't know that Philip. I've been lucky enough to handle hundreds of flintlocks from the period, but most of those were English, French, or Spanish. This is the first swiveling frizzen I've seen other than one published image.

Would you disagree with the assertion that the design is rare?

Hi, Dana
I would most emphatically agree with you in that the design is rare WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF BRITISH-MADE FIREARMS, but this is not necessarily so in general. It was quite common in much of Scandinavia a century before your guns were made, as I mentioned. And as our fellow forumite has so kindly pointed out with photos, the swiveling frizzen was not uncommon in the German-speaking countries as well.

Thanks again for sharing these. I've given some thought to your caked-oil dilemma (I am a restorer of antique arms), and have in the past found mineral spirits to be a good antidote for oils. You apparently have an extreme case, so how about detaching from the wood and a prolonged, complete immersion? After awhile when softening does occur, removal can be accelerated with use of small brass brushes. Here in the States, we can often find at arms fairs and outdoor-equipment shops a product consisting of a wad of thin stainless steel filaments (somewhat like a pot scrubber but softer and without embedded detergents) that's touted as good for de-rusting steel surfaces without scratching the bluing on things like guns or reels. I recall the trade name Gun Scrubber on the last one I bought. 'Was skeptical about the non-scratching claim at first, tried it on a rusty blued rifle barrel of negligible worth, and lo, it did the job as advertised. I think that this, combined with the soaking, should solve your problem but patience is needed. Good luck on this.

6th April 2016, 10:31 PM	#7
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	depends on the time and place [QUOTE=dana_w]I didn't know that Philip. I've been lucky enough to handle hundreds of flintlocks from the period, but most of those were English, French, or Spanish. This is the first swiveling frizzen I've seen other than one published image. Would you disagree with the assertion that the design is rare? Hi, Dana I would most emphatically agree with you in that the design is rare WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF BRITISH-MADE FIREARMS, but this is not necessarily so in general. It was quite common in much of Scandinavia a century before your guns were made, as I mentioned. And as our fellow forumite has so kindly pointed out with photos, the swiveling frizzen was not uncommon in the German-speaking countries as well. Thanks again for sharing these. I've given some thought to your caked-oil dilemma (I am a restorer of antique arms), and have in the past found mineral spirits to be a good antidote for oils. You apparently have an extreme case, so how about detaching from the wood and a prolonged, complete immersion? After awhile when softening does occur, removal can be accelerated with use of small brass brushes. Here in the States, we can often find at arms fairs and outdoor-equipment shops a product consisting of a wad of thin stainless steel filaments (somewhat like a pot scrubber but softer and without embedded detergents) that's touted as good for de-rusting steel surfaces without scratching the bluing on things like guns or reels. I recall the trade name Gun Scrubber on the last one I bought. 'Was skeptical about the non-scratching claim at first, tried it on a rusty blued rifle barrel of negligible worth, and lo, it did the job as advertised. I think that this, combined with the soaking, should solve your problem but patience is needed. Good luck on this.