How much prime?

[silly goose]

There is no liner, just a drilled 1/64" hole, which has been coned on the outside. When I mark the cleaning rod and do as you say, the touchhole appears to be just before where the rod stops, maybe 1/8", no more. I'm sure, I will just need to learn this gun, maybe enlarge the hole a bit, we'll see. I appreciate all the help.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Are you clearing the vent with your vent pick after loading the powder charge, and seating the PRB, but before priming the pan?

Its the Heat from the priming powder that ignites the powder in the barrel. If you don't make a hole in the powder charge with a vent pick, so that the heat gets into the barrel, Its my personal experience that, without opening a hole in the powder charge, and clearing the entrance to the TH, ignition can be "iffy", as you describe, with a HOST of factors affecting whether that charge will ignite. :hmm: :idunno: :surrender: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

I went through this frustration with my FL rifle, and its Cochran lock. The pan is relatively narrow, and the TH is in the "sunset" position to the line across the top of the pan. I consulted my local BP gunsmith and Gun builder repeatedly through the ordeal, slowly opening up the Vent with ever increasing larger drills, beginning with 1/16" and ending with 5/64". I was opening a hole in the powder charge with my vent pick every time, and still had misfires, and hang fires, occasionally. They stopped when I reached the 5/64" diameter. I use 2Fg powder in the barrel, but prime with either 4Fg powder, on the range, or 2 or 3Fg powder in the field- whatever I have on hand. All the hiccups were experienced on the range using 4Fg priming powder. I don't seem to have any problems with ignition anymore, as long as I pick that Vent before priming, and keep the prime below the TH( vent) In that lock, it takes about 3 pumps of my Priming gizmo to put enough powder in that narrow pan to do this. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[tg]

"There is no liner, just a drilled 1/64" hole"

if that is a correct measurement it needs to be bigger but checking the relationship of the face of the plug to the hole is still a good idea, i would go no smaller than 1/16 preferably a drill size large, one can test as he drills to know when to stop.It is best to have the hole coned a bit from the inside but requiers removing the plug and making a tool.

 

[ebiggs1]

I don't have the sophisticated equipment that Pletch has but nevertheless less a person can do specific tests to determine just how things are.
I do have two adult sons that like shooting. I will typically try loads or other things (without letting them know) and let them shoot the gun and have them tell me what is what. If a person can not tell or feel a difference than most likely it is bogus. Or at the very least not worth the effort to do.

Huntin Dawg if I loaded your gun and didn't tell you how it was primed, do you still believe you can tell me, with accuracy, where the prime was placed? I have done this experiment with the boys. You know my answer.

While on this topic I also don't believe in the ”fuse effect” either. It just doesn't matter if a grain or two gets in the touch hole.
I am still going to say prime against the touch hole is best. The best size is a #50 or #51 drill. But if you are a not going to shoot immediately, as in huntin, it really doesn't matter.
On the subject of heat, yes heat but there must be fire to make heat. Closer is better!

A lot of the time if a person thinks something is a certain way or it works great, it probably does!
Flintlocks are fascinating to say the least.

 

[jtmattison]

Huntin Dawg if I loaded your gun and didn't tell you how it was primed, do you still believe you can tell me, with accuracy, where the prime was placed? I have done this experiment with the boys. You know my answer.

Most likely not. Like I said, there are no rules on how to prime your flinter. If you feel your system works best for you then go with it. As long as it goes boom in the end it really doesn't matter.

:v

What are we doing sitting here on the computer? Let's go make smoke!

HD

 

[silly goose]

I just went downstairs and tried a 1/16 drill bit in the touchhole. It wouldn't go. So I chucked it up, and with next to no effort it passed through the hole. I'm wondering if there was a little burr on the edge where it was "coned" from the outside. It gives me another place to start now and see how she does. Thanks for your patience, fellas. I can see that this is something that I will ultimately have to work out on my own. I'll let you know how she does. Thanks.

 

[tg]

If the right size a plain hole will work fine on your gun the inside cone is a plus particularly with a thick barrel wall I did mine thusly mainly because I have a 1 1/16" barrel in .58 there is a lot of steel there, you may have to go a bit larger than the 1/16 but I am certain the gun will come around, also if you shake rattle and roll the gun there will a particular way to hold and tap one side or the other that will put the powder back to where you want it every time it just takes some experimenting, once learned all you have to do is tap the side now and then and the powder wil be where you want it

 

[hanshi]

I drill all touch holes to 1/16" and get fine reliability. A touch hole should be at least 1/16" or larger. Are you swabbing out the bore really well prior to shooting? You should also run a pipe cleaner through the hole to make sure no oil remains to inhibit ignition.

 

[ebiggs1]

What are we doing sitting here on the computer? Let's go make smoke!

It is plain to see you are wise beyond your years there young fella. :wink:

 

[silly goose]

Ok, I ran a couple dry patches to remove the light coat of Ballistol I left in the barrel, and ran a pipe cleaner through the touch hole. Loaded her up during a break in the rain and went down in the woods. Put up a turkey target and a tuna can lid. Loaded up some prime, next to the touchhole, about 2/3 full. She went bang. I ran a damp patch down the bore of a ballistol, water mix and then ran a pick in the hole to make sure she was clear. Loaded her up, wiped the prime pan with a finger and primed the same way, bang. This is gettin fun. Killed the turkey and penetrated the lid with 3 pellets at 25 yards. Lets try it again. Same process, only it seems that some ballistol is migrating from somewhere and coating the touchhole pan area. Maybe from the light coat I put on the lock mechanism. Took about 3 tries to make her go bang. Tried to wipe away the pan as good as could be done with my fingers, ensuring the touch hole was clear. This time I loaded her up and went for a little walk. After about 20 min I tried to let her rip. This time not even a flash in the pan. I checked my flint which was a little loose and tried again. This time a whoosh with no bang, then nothing, a whoosh, then nothing, and then bang. So I'm thinking I may need to cut back on the ballistol around the lock, and maybe even running the damp patch between shots. I do this now to simulate a cleaner barrel for turkey hunting. When I bunny hunt, I wont be running patches in between shots. I've got about 30 strikes or so on this flint, its probably about time to change it out, I'm guessing. This is all new to me guys, first go round with flint. I'm liking it, just learning is all.

 

[Zonie]

Everyone has a different idea about this but I say that people should not wipe the bore any more than is needed to allow the next load to be loaded easily.

With my guns when shooting black powder this amounts to wiping the bore about every 4th shot or so.

Then, when wiping the bore I use a patch that is just slightly wetter than damp.
Fluid does not squeeze out of it when it's run down the bore (where I leave it for the count of 3) and when I retract it the dampened fouling gets wiped off on the way out.

The lock area and the touch hole never show signs of wetness before or after I have wiped the bore, even though a drying patch has not been run.

IMO, it doesn't take much water/oil/Ballistol or whatever to effectively 'kill' the main powder charge in the area of the touch hole so try to keep it as dry as you can.

 

[jtmattison]

You're doing exactly what you need to be doing... Learning how your flintlock works and what you need to do to keep it firing. It's not as easy as putting a cap on the nipple. You'll get the feel for it and soon you'll make her go boom every time.

Good luck and enjoy the ride!

:thumbsup:

HD

 

[tg]

"I'm liking it, just learning is all."

You are doing great it will come quite quickly I thimk have fun and enjoy he journey I think you will find the plain hole will serve you well as it did on the originals.

 

[ebiggs1]

Wiping the bore in a hunting gun is not needed. Stop! You can carry a small spray bottle of de-natured alcohol, like and eye glasses cleaner bottle, and clean around the frizzen and pan if needed. But unless you shoot a lot, hunting, that isn't even necessary. Main thing is keep shooting and try different things, one will work! I doubt anybody had a rougher time getting started than I, so keep at it.

 

[jaw69]

I use 2 or 3 grains maybe up to 5