What Greg said.
-
This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.
Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades -
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Flash pan touch hole question
- Thread starter TreeMan
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2011
- Messages
- 8,777
- Reaction score
- 3,768
I don't believe changing the vent hole position will help ignition in the slightest. You have already said it is reliable but just slow, no?
Erwan
45 Cal.
Well, that could be, that could be, you also know the fact that only shoot with an too much used vent hole (too big) change the speed of the ignition too, so I think that a too high position can do enough for inducing of a problem of speed (lower), not a fire in two times like a "PsshittBoom" for sure but, just a bit longer that the normal ignition...
Col. Batguano
75 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2011
- Messages
- 5,034
- Reaction score
- 1,407
Look at some of Pletch's data regarding TH placement. What he found was, that, so long as the powder doesn't cover the TH, there was very little difference in ignition speed. Things like location and amount of sparks coming off the frizzen make much more difference.
Crow-Feather
32 Cal.
I wonder if you change TH angle so that it is more in line with the pan, but not at an angle where the jet would strike the pan ???
Jack Pierpoint
32 Cal
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 1
Jack Pierpoint
32 Cal
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2020
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 1
It is high. No doubt about that but, the size of the flame from a pan of burning powder is a lot higher than that so I don't think that is the problem with ignition.
On the other hand, IMO, the vent hole looks very small to me. It should be at least 1/16" in diameter to give good results.
If you haven't measured it, take a 1/16" drill bit and try sticking the unfluted end thru the hole. If it doesn't pass thru the hole, turn the drill around, chuck it up in a drill and drill thru the hole to bring it up to size.
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Messages
- 1,867
- Reaction score
- 2,386
If the liner is getting into the oblique flat(and it is), the hole is too high, but that shouldn't hurt the ignition. However, it is there so drill it out and see what happens. There are 7 numbered drill sizes between 1/16" and 5/64" As mentioned above the numbered drills from Harbor Freight work well for that.
What type of liner is it? It looks like it's in backwards
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2013
- Messages
- 1,867
- Reaction score
- 2,386
It is called a counterbored liner. Two ways to look at it. You can take the fire to the powder or the powder to the fire. Works about the same either way, but I don't care for the larger hole(reverse cone?) being visible in the barrel flat. That is why they make chocolate and vanilla to give everyone a choice.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2005
- Messages
- 1,147
- Reaction score
- 1,438
It’s NOT too high. If anything, it’s too thick. The cone should be on the back , not the front.
The fast touch hole brings the main charge out to the prime.
The fast touch hole brings the main charge out to the prime.
smoothshooter
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Nov 6, 2005
- Messages
- 3,471
- Reaction score
- 2,157
I would not assume the high vent hole is your problem. I have a rifle whose vent is so high that the upper part of it is visiblt above the pan cover with the frizzen closed. I do not like it that high for several reasons, but I must say it lights up as fast or faster as any of my other flint guns, ( with the exception of a .62 smoothbore with a Davis lock that needs a hammer replaced) and the others all have fast ignition.
Larry Pletcher
50 Cal.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2006
- Messages
- 1,313
- Reaction score
- 67
It sounds like the vent is located high, and many posts have given solutions. It may sound dumb, but is the barrel bedded properly? Lowering the barrel a small amount may make a big difference. Makes me wonder if the percussion lock was mounted low to have space for the main spring. In a percussion this may not make a difference, but it would in a flint. Something about all this just doesn't seem right.
One item not covered in this discussion is spark location. I have handled locks that place most of their sparks ahead of the pan fence. An easy way to check this is to take a picture of the lock with a slow shutter speed and actually see where the sparks are landing. If the problem is sparks landing in front of the pan, you may need somebody good to tune the lock. Here is an example of a lock dumping sparks the right place:
Regards,
Pletch
One item not covered in this discussion is spark location. I have handled locks that place most of their sparks ahead of the pan fence. An easy way to check this is to take a picture of the lock with a slow shutter speed and actually see where the sparks are landing. If the problem is sparks landing in front of the pan, you may need somebody good to tune the lock. Here is an example of a lock dumping sparks the right place:
Regards,
Pletch
I am of a similar opinion to @Larry Pletcher. Before I would do much to alter the pan, the lock should be tuned for the best lock speed from your lock. My Derringer rifle has an L&R Late English lock. At first it seemed slow. I did a bit of polishing on the moving parts. I also started shooting it quite a bit. The more I shot it the faster the ignition. My touch hole was in a more optimal position at the "sunset" position above the pan, but really not much below the position of your touch hole.
If you are getting reliable ignition why mess with it? I have seen higher touch holes that worked fine. If you really want to do something, you can try a stainless bolt. Cut to aprox. length, install blank, drill the hole where you want it then cone the inside and file flush with bore.
