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Flintlock Touch Hole
- Thread starter Dbackfed29
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
You just drill it out with an ordinary drill bit.
The hard part is size. Muskets were slightly larger as this makes for better reliability.
I honestly cannot recall the size I used on mine but I think it was about 1.5mm
The hard part is size. Muskets were slightly larger as this makes for better reliability.
I honestly cannot recall the size I used on mine but I think it was about 1.5mm
Most of the guys here use a 1/16" drill bit for drilling a touch hole, I like mine a little bigger at 5/64. If I were you I would use a 1/16" bit first and see how the gun likes it.
Metalshaper
40 Cal.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2004
- Messages
- 472
- Reaction score
- 128
think I used a #50 drill bit on the last one I drilled?? about 0.070 +/- if you consider run out?
Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan
Respect Always
Metalshaper/Jonathan
I would just run a 1/16" bit through that existing hole. Someone, I cant rememeber who, did quite the study on touch hole size and 1/16" seemed to be the best all around size without affecting load pressure. If you think 1/16" is too big, just start small and work your way up to whatever works the best for you.
Over the past few years I have ended up making the touch holes on all my muzzleloaders 5/64."
"If I were to enlarge it, how would I undertake such a project?"
This is how I do it: I have a set of numbered drills, Harbor Freight, and I use one as a gauge to measure the size of the existing hole, of course with the lock removed. I then decide what the final size I want will be, remove that bit from the index and lay it aside. That leaves me with one or more bits between the 2 empty holes. I take the smallest of those, chuck it in a pin vise and using a thumb and 2 fingers drill the hole out. Repeat the process up to and including the final bit; it's easy, doesn't take long and reduces the chance of breaking a drill.
This is how I do it: I have a set of numbered drills, Harbor Freight, and I use one as a gauge to measure the size of the existing hole, of course with the lock removed. I then decide what the final size I want will be, remove that bit from the index and lay it aside. That leaves me with one or more bits between the 2 empty holes. I take the smallest of those, chuck it in a pin vise and using a thumb and 2 fingers drill the hole out. Repeat the process up to and including the final bit; it's easy, doesn't take long and reduces the chance of breaking a drill.
Fitzhugh Williams
40 Cal
I start off with .065" (1/16), then progress as needed. I have found that .073 to .078 works best for me. This is on larger bore guns from 54 to 69 caliber.
