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frizzen

n. An L-shaped piece of steel hinged at the rear used in flintlock firearms, positioned over the flash pan so to enclose a small priming charge of black powder next to the flash hole that is drilled through the barrel, such that when fired the flint scraps it so as to create a spark.

Wikipedia
Frizzen

The frizzen, historically called the steel, is an "L" shaped piece of steel hinged at the rear used in flintlock firearms. It is positioned over the flash pan so as to enclose a small priming charge of black powder next to the flash hole that is drilled through the barrel into where the main charge is loaded. When the trigger is pulled, the hammer or cock—which includes a shaped piece of flint held into a set of jaws by a scrap of leather or thin piece of lead—snaps forward causing the flint to scrape down the face of the frizzen (historically called the 'battery'), throwing it back to expose the black powder in the pan. The flint scraping the steel causes a shower of sparks to be thrown into the pan, igniting the black powder and sending flames through the touch hole, which in turn ignites the main charge of black powder in the breech of the barrel, shooting the projectile out the barrel.

The development of the frizzen which combines both the "battery" or striking surface and separate pan cover on the less advanced " snaphaunce" lock is often credited to French gun maker Marin le Bourgeoys around 1610. He may have been influenced by the Spanish " miquelet" lock that utilized a similarly shaped frizzen at least two decades earlier.

It is important that the frizzen be case hardened to a high carbon content. Materials such as horn or hooves were wrapped around the frizzen which were then placed into a fire for several hours to increase the carbon content of the steel. It is important to keep the fire below the melting point of the steel. This process hardens the outside while the center stays relatively ductile so as to prevent cracking. With continued use a frizzen will lose its ability to create enough sparks to reliably ignite the powder. As such it needs to be rehardened or replaced.

Usage examples of "frizzen".

He fired, and the golden tiger-mask doghead snapped forward onto the frizzen.

To tear off the ends of the thick cartridge paper, prime the gun, close the frizzen, upend the musket, pour the powder, put in the ball, ram the ball and paper, drop the ramrod into the barrel rings, bring the musket to the shoulder, pull the doghead to full cock, aim at the smoke, remember to aim low, wait for the order.

Their nails bled where they had dragged at cartridges, levered stiff frizzens, and torn on flints.