Touch Hole Liner Use

[smoothy]

When I joined this forum last year, I did it to learn more about flintlocks. Especially pc/hc stuff because I am trying to understand the makings,thinking and use behind it all being interested in the way it was. Along the way I have been "schooled" on this subject from other posts and replies to mine. I have seen that there is a slight division between purists and those that just want to enjoy the sport their way. I'm sorry if anyone is insulted here, but excuse me for trying to learn something from the purists. And if you really knew me I wasn't :dead: as much as I was :stir:. Am I bad? :v
Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant,
Smooth Flinter

 

[tg]

"I'm about a 60/40 mix in my guns. Unfortunatly the 60% is TH Liners. Wish all my guns were traditional. Worse thing is that my best shootin gun has a liner. I ought to swap the barrel out and fix that problem.... '

I have an EV Chambers with a liner and used to have most of my guns with liners. I bought into the gotta have one BS a long time ago untill I found out that historicaly it weren't so and the plain hole worked quite well, I don't care if it would measure a bit slower if photoed I am looking to duplicate the experience, if folks want to use liners that is fine if that is the level they are looking for, I just put up the last post to find a place to put the pic of a Buzzard that lit on my fence yesterday checking out the Stink Lilly in the flower bed.Liners are just another thing that get passed off as PC/HC to those new to the sport without the benifit of the whole story about them, I deplore this with any item.

 

[paulvallandigham]

With gold, it would be thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. With Platinum, it would be corrosion resistance, and abrasion resistance.

I would not be surprised if the " gold" liners were some alloy, to increase abrasion resistance. Platinum is a pretty good conductor of heat, but no where close to Gold. :thumbsup:

 

[Mike Brooks]

Zonie...

Sorry if I confused things.....

I wasn't talking about touch hole liners. I was asking about a carry over of the English doubles that were by that time caplocked. They still had platinum plugs for awhile. Pretty sure Mike and Stophel know what I'm talking about.

These were vented and improved ignition time and reliability. Sort of like the "Hot shot" nipple that Uncle Mike's currently produces.
Gold and Platinum were used because of their corrosion resistance and their ability to with stand high temperatures, which is basicaslly the same thing in this aplication.
The gold wasn't alloyed. it had to be soft for installation since it was riveted into place, not threaded.

 

[colmoultrie]

Here's a picture of those plugs, just so everyone knows what Mike is talking about. Sorry, it's a pistol - a Lancaster double from about 1850...

The plug is the silver spot on the bolster (actually platinum). I've seen some with vents and some without. The ones without amy have just been peened shut. These are vented.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

Currently I’m reading “Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790” by W. Keith Neal. A passage stood out when thinking about this topic asking about original makers using vent liners. Also some one asked about the earliest use. This quote refers to a fine wheel-lock made in 1740 in Munich by Daisenberger and in the Packington collection.

Neal (page 40): “I had an unusual piece of luck with this rifle; so odd that I feel worth recording. The rifle has a rare feature in that the touch-hole is made to unscrew with a key formed like a forked screwdriver. Obviously, spare touch-holes were included in the kit so that if one got enlarged with firing or corroded, it could be replaced, but no spare parts in the butt-trap when I acquired it, nor did I expect to find any. One day however, I found an old German rifle which had obviously started life as a wheel-lock and later been converted to a flint-lock by fitting a new lock shaped to fit the same recess and in the butt, screwed inside the butt-cap cover, were three spare touch-holes of identical size and style to the one in the Packington wheel-lock. I at once took out the touch-hole and tried one of the spare ones I had found. It fitted absolutely perfectly, being identical in size, diameter and thread, and so the missing spares were added to my precious Packington wheel-lock.”

This example was made in 1740 and also was designed to be removable when it was built. I just happened on this after the topic was pretty much done, but thought you would be interested.
Regards,
Pletch