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Scout1

32 Cal.
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
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Hi guys. I've been out this afternoon with my flintlock for its initial shooting session and I'm having a problem. A little of my background first. I've been shooting percussion rifles for approximately 40 years but this is my first flintlock. The rifle is a semi custom 36 caliber. I'm getting good spark as the powder in the pan goes off every time. I've fiddled around with the amount of powder in the pan as well as it location in the pan. Also with using a vent pick. I shot 12 shots this afternoon and each "boom" took an average of 3 to 4 primes. Please help me avoid being overrun by a charging rabbit or squirrel.
Thanks, Jim
 
First off, you need to be using real black powder for both the prime and for the main charge. Your percussion guns will work with the synthetic black powders but a flintlock works very poorly if they are used.

Next, check the size of the vent hole. If it is a factory built gun or if the builder just used the vent liner as it comes from a supplier like Track of the Wolf, the hole thru it will be smaller than 1/16" in diameter.
If it is smaller than 1/16", use the drill bit to drill it out to size.

Also, if the gun is a custom made one, it's a good idea to pull the vent liner out and check its length against the wall thickness of the barrel. The liner should be the same length as the barrel thickness. A little shorter is fine but a bit longer will cause misfires like you are seeing.
 
I am using real black powder, 3f for both the main charge and the prime.
I do feel the vent hole is on the small side. But having no experience in such matters ????? Without measuring it most definitely is smaller then 1/16. Probably closer to 1/32 if that big.
No the first shot took 4 primes with alot of fiddling. Second shot was 5 primes etc...
 
I am using real black powder, 3f for both the main charge and the prime.
I do feel the vent hole is on the small side. But having no experience in such matters ????? Without measuring it most definitely is smaller then 1/16. Probably closer to 1/32 if that big.
No the first shot took 4 primes with alot of fiddling. Second shot was 5 primes etc...
Sounds like a White Lightning vent. Drilling mine out to 1/16" solved the problem and ignition with 4F prime has been instantaneous ever since.
 
Got to ask what kind of gun you are using? custom , factory, brand etc.
If your gun has a patent breech the powder may not be getting down near the vent, especially if there is an obstruction of some kind or excessive oil residue. Vent location in relation to the pan may also be an issue.
Otherwise I'd say it's the vent size, like was mentioned.
 
When the pan flashes and the main charge doesn't go off, there is something that blocks the path to the main charge. On new guns there may be a grease build up at the breech. The touch hole may be too small. Tell us more about your rifle. We can do a better job of getting to the best solution to your problem if we know all the details.

Have you been wiping between shots and pushing fouling to the breech? You might be able to hear air rush out the touch hole as you wipe the bore or feel some air compression.

My suggestion is to thoroughly clean the rifle using patches soaked with rubbing alcohol to remove all the new gun grease at the breech. If this gun has a patent breech, plug the touch hole and pour a couple of ounces of rubbing alcohol down the barrel. Let it set for a few minutes. Pour out the alcohol and if you have some compressed air, blow air through the touch hole to clear up the patent breech if you have one.
 
Scout1, I have also just started shooting a flintlock. Mine's a .45 TVM. It's a blast!
I am using 3f for the main charge and to prime as well, after reading the input of several people here on the forum. I've had absolutely no problems with ignition.
I'm believing that the suggestions about the the size and location of the hole is probably the problem, as previously stated. These guys have a lot of experience and great information.
I found out that my particular rifle will ignite the main charge WITHOUT priming the pan (I've only tried it once).
 
I open every touch-hole with a #49 bit. White lightning or internaley coned touch-hole and I prime with whatever I am using for my main load ffg or fffg. the only time I have an issue is when my flint is dull enough to not ignite the pan.
 
I use electronic contact cleaner in the aerosol can to clean a patent breech. Put the little straw in the vent hole and send a few short blasts through it. Do this with the barrel facing down. It will get crud out and evaporate quickly. I agree with all the previous advice.
 
Thanks for the information so far guys. To answer a couple of recent questions. Yes I was wiping between shots. Using a patch wet with M-A-W followed by 2 dry patches. The barrel is a Colerain with a vent liner.
This morning I'm going to attempt to thoroughly clean the breech area.
The position of the vent hole IS NOT an issue as it is positioned correctly.
Thanks, Jim
 
This morning I'm going to attempt to thoroughly clean the breech area.
Thanks, Jim
Ah yes. I've had that experience. Fouling can build up on the face of the breech plug, impeding ignition. Sometimes the easy solution is the one that works.
 
If your using a very wet patch to do your barrel wiping, that can cause a problem in the vent liner. Also, your method of wiping the bore can cause a problem.

First off, the wet patch should only be slighter wetter than "damp". If it has too much liquid on it, the liquid will be deposited in the cone on the inside of the vent plug. There, the liquid will wait until some nice dry powder from the new load comes in contact with it. The powder will become soaked with the liquid and then act as a hard to ignite block to the flash from the pan.

If you are pumping the wiping patch up and down the bore, that is almost guaranteed to shove wet fouling into the cone inside the nipple. This will be an even more effective dam against the flame from the pan flash because where the slightly wet powder can ignite, damp fouling can not.

The right way to wipe the bore in my opinion, is to run the damp patch completely down to the bottom of the bore and let it rest there for at least 5 seconds. Then, in one smooth action, pull the damp patch up completely out of the bore.
The 5+ second wait time will allow the moisture from the damp patch to soak into the fouling in the bore and make it soft. Then, when the patch is pulled out of the bore it will wipe off almost all of the wetted fouling.
Follow this with a dry patch to dry the wetness that was left in the bore and then reload.
 
Modern spray cleaners might have petroleum products in them. You might be contaminating the powder. Moisture from a wet patch will put you out of business too. I don't wipe between shots. Why push fouling into the touch hole?
 
If you do get the electronic contact cleaner, the brand in the Red can has alcohol and some "thanes" in it . It evaporates very quickly. No oils or lubricants to worry about and wont harm the wood in small amounts if wiped off. Blast it through the touch-hole and then push a patch gently to the breech to pick up anything that was blown out of the breech. I swab with 91% alcohol before loading. I never put a dry patch down the bore. Before charging I put a vent pick in the hole. When I pour the powder charge I hold the rifle sideways, tilt the barrel forward, lock side down. After pouring the powder I rap the opposite side of the lock twice and tap on the barrel just above the lock with my short starter (wood or antler). Just before pan priming I ease the pick out and either feel for powder or see a granule come out into the pan. That makes me sure the powder is there. I use FFFFg for priming and use 2 presses of the pan priming flask. Wipe the frizzen and flint with a dry patch, close it and I just know it will go off. Everyone has different tricks, anecdotes and advice. You really have to try it all to see what works. I too had inconsistent ignition for a while. I really never knew when it would go off. Sometimes I would cock and squeeze 3 or 4 times and it would finally go. Sometimes after 3 or 4 times I put more prime in the pan. After much experimentation, my little routine ensures an instant discharge time and time again. I know when something isn't right by look and feel, so I keep taking corrective action until I get what I want and then I know it will go off. I experienced exactly what you describe. Methodical loading practice taking certain steps that work for your rifle will help tremendously. You have to experiment a bit and work it out. Best of luck to you - it will work soon!
 
I would have to very strongly disagree with telling anyone new to flintlocks to take a drill to a flash hole, particularly a new "semi-custom" rifle. There are no commercially made touch hole liners with a hole diameter too small to require 3 to 5 successful pan flashes to get the gun to fire.

It is obviously something else- most likely (as some have stated) do to improper, and mostly unnecessary wiping.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys. This morning I had a small window of time to shoot again. Following Zonie's advice on wiping I shot 6 shots that all went bang on the first prime. My habit of wiping between shots is a carry over from my percussion rifles. I never run into problems of any kind with them. Next time out I'm going to not wipe between shots at all and see how that goes. Again I always get ignition of my pan powder so I hearty agree that my problem is self inflicted by improper wiping.
 
I only swab the bore when it begins to get difficult to load the next round. That's usually after about 4 to 6 shots. Then one damp patch followed by a couple dry ones gets me up and running again. I load first then pick the vent. This ensures that any fouling that may have been shoved into the vent is removed.
 
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