Cake like powder in vent liner

[lonewolf5347]

I can run 5 shots no problems in my Lyman flintlock rifle hawken made back in 1980.
I see to run into my afterburn powder more like getting moisture damp looking also my Flint set off the 4f in the pan not getting threw to the main charge also more like a fuse effect fire.
I just use a few drops of cleaner on a cotton patch after run a dry patch to remove any moisture down the bore.
My load 80 gr.3 f 490 RB and .016 spit patch.
My group at 50 yards run a 2" group.
Any ideas how to stop the cake moisture.

 

[bang]

I would start by trying a different powder just because it's the easiest thing first. Another thing that you might try is to run a wire through vent prior to priming.
Are you swabing? Possible it might be pushing fouling into the vent. In which event the wire through vent after swab should help. If you are swabing push the patch loose down and tight up. This will draw the fouling out. Plus make sure the patch is not too wet.

 

[Grenadier1758]

One of those flossing brushes will clean out the vent liner. You may be able to find a pipe cleaner that fits the touch hole and the bristles will clean the liner.

A vent pick is also a good accessory to open the touch hole.

Use only one drop to dampen the patch and use a dry patch to mop up any left over moisture.

 

[Carbon 6]

Ambient humidity, the bane of all flintlock shooters.

 

[Captjoel]

"Keep your powder dry" is an expression that goes back as far as flintlocks themselves!

 

[tenngun]

Blow down the barrel before dumping your next charge.
Should you be worried that a loaded gun that you didn’t know was loaded will go off when you blow down the barrel, (Impossible, But happened to some one at some shoot some where in front of son, daughter, newlywed wife or grand stand full of tourist or elementary school students not seen by the story teller himself but knew a man who had heard from another who had seen the event) you can do it with a plastic tubing placed in the muzzle and your head held safely to one side. That solid whoosh of air going out the touch hole tell you it’s open and clear.

 

[Sidney Smith]

The glowing ember in the chamber is hogwash. I've never had it happen and have never witnessed it happening. I do not ever put my mouth near the barrel or my face for that matter.

Better to vent pick the touch hole before each shot to insure reliable ignition.

 

[Brokennock]

Keep your touch hole plugged while loading. Remove feather/wire/pick, when ready to prime. Keep pan and touch hole area clean between shots, alcohol prep pads are great for this.

 

[Zonie]

Keep your touch hole plugged while loading. Remove feather/wire/pick, when ready to prime. Keep pan and touch hole area clean between shots, alcohol prep pads are great for this.

While I agree with this for a flintlock that has its vent hole going straight thru the side of the barrel, plugging the vent hole on a gun with a chambered breech or a "Patent breech" like most of the factory made guns have can lead to misfires.

Most of these modern factory made guns have a long flame channel between the actual vent hole and the bore.
Because of this, the vent hole should be open while the ball or bullet is being rammed down the barrel. Leaving the vent open allows the air in the bore to blow the loose powder charge down thru this flame channel so some of it ends up at the actual vent.

This is the same idea as leaving the hammer at half cock and the nipple uncapped while loading a factory made percussion rifle. In this case, doing this allows the loose powder to be blown back thru the flame channel to the base of the nipple.

 

[BullRunBear]

With all my flintlocks I leave the vent hole open when loading and use a vent pick before every shot. That's always worked for me. Also, my patches are lubed with Hoppe's 9 Plus, their black powder lube and cleaner and I seldom have to swab bewteen shots. But, in my opinion, using the vent pick before each shot is the key.
Jeff

 

[Greenjoytj]

BullRunBear has the right answer with “pick the vent before each shot”.
If you don’t then your leaving vent to chance is it clear, is it clear enough?
I want my GPR to fire every time I squeeze the trigger.

If you haven’t all ready Installed a replacement vent liner the check out the link I’ve posted below.
I use it and the % of failure to fire has gone down to the point where only if I forget to clean off fouling from the frizzen will I get a FTT.

https://rmcoxyoke.com/product/rmc-flintlock-touch-hole-liner-replacements/

 

[Britsmoothy]

I just don't get all this swabbing mumbo jumbo between shots.
Use the correct concoction of lubricant and it's not an issue.
I don't recall seeing old depictions of hunters carrying a cleaning rod with them!

 

[Zonie]

I just don't get all this swabbing mumbo jumbo between shots.
Use the correct concoction of lubricant and it's not an issue.
I don't recall seeing old depictions of hunters carrying a cleaning rod with them!

I think the idea behind it is, uniformity.
People who are looking for the smallest group of shots they and their gun can deliver know that they need to load their gun exactly the same way every time.
The size and weight of the ball, the thickness of the patch, the size of the powder charge, the force needed to ram the patched ball, the way they hold the gun and the way they squeeze the trigger all should be the same.

That's when fouling comes into the picture.
With each shot, the fouling in the bore gets thicker. Due to this, the effective depth of the rifling becomes shallower and the force needed to ram the patched ball becomes greater, making it impossible to get the uniformity needed.

By wiping the bore with a damp cleaning patch, the condition of the bore remains constant. This allows the shooter to maintain the consistency needed for accuracy.

For people who are hunting or just shooting to have fun, wiping between shots isn't needed and I don't bother to do it because I'm not looking for that last 1/4" of accuracy. I only wipe my rifles bore when the force needed to load a shot becomes slightly difficult. Then, following the shot I will wipe the bore.

 

[Carbon 6]

I think the idea behind it is, uniformity.
People who are looking for the smallest group of shots they and their gun can deliver know that they need to load their gun exactly the same way every time.
The size and weight of the ball, the thickness of the patch, the size of the powder charge, the force needed to ram the patched ball, the way they hold the gun and the way they squeeze the trigger all should be the same.

That's when fouling comes into the picture.
With each shot, the fouling in the bore gets thicker. Due to this, the effective depth of the rifling becomes shallower and the force needed to ram the patched ball becomes greater, making it impossible to get the uniformity needed.

By wiping the bore with a damp cleaning patch, the condition of the bore remains constant. This allows the shooter to maintain the consistency needed for accuracy.

For people who are hunting or just shooting to have fun, wiping between shots isn't needed and I don't bother to do it because I'm not looking for that last 1/4" of accuracy. I only wipe my rifles bore when the force needed to load a shot becomes slightly difficult. Then, following the shot I will wipe the bore.

I swab between shots to minimize final cleaning.
Accuracy is also a reason
So is ease of loading, that way I can use a wooden ramrod without fear.
I do it for all types of shooting.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I think the idea behind it is, uniformity.
People who are looking for the smallest group of shots they and their gun can deliver know that they need to load their gun exactly the same way every time.
The size and weight of the ball, the thickness of the patch, the size of the powder charge, the force needed to ram the patched ball, the way they hold the gun and the way they squeeze the trigger all should be the same.

That's when fouling comes into the picture.
With each shot, the fouling in the bore gets thicker. Due to this, the effective depth of the rifling becomes shallower and the force needed to ram the patched ball becomes greater, making it impossible to get the uniformity needed.

By wiping the bore with a damp cleaning patch, the condition of the bore remains constant. This allows the shooter to maintain the consistency needed for accuracy.

For people who are hunting or just shooting to have fun, wiping between shots isn't needed and I don't bother to do it because I'm not looking for that last 1/4" of accuracy. I only wipe my rifles bore when the force needed to load a shot becomes slightly difficult. Then, following the shot I will wipe the bore.

So it's all to do with the number of shots. Right.

So how did they go on post smooth bored musket in battle then?

When I had a rifle years ago and I shot it a lot, I never swabbed, I did however use a suitable lubricant on the patches that kept the fouling soft. No pounding on a short starter too.
What I also know is that any breech loader that uses black powder if there is not a wet star from lubricant from the bullet or other accuracy will be pants.
My rifle was the same, I would also have a wet star. I use to shoot less than 3" groups at 100 all the time, off hand. Never tried it rested.
If muzzleloading was as difficult as some seem to make it I would not bother with it !
Just my opinion.....

 

[Britsmoothy]

I swab between shots to minimize final cleaning.
Accuracy is also a reason
So is ease of loading, that way I can use a wooden ramrod without fear.
I do it for all types of shooting.

Final cleaning is the same for one shot or twenty Budd. Nothing boiling water can't fix with little physical effort. That's another over complicated aspect!

 

[Carbon 6]

Final cleaning is the same for one shot or twenty Budd. Nothing boiling water can't fix with little physical effort. That's another over complicated aspect!

Not the way I clean. I'm done cleaning and half way through a pint of good ale before that water will ever boil.

 

[Britsmoothy]

Not the way I clean. I'm done cleaning and half way through a pint of good ale before that water will ever boil.

Cool.
I prefer the time tested method of dissolving salts, water a heat energy.
Carbon deposits I don't concern myself with too much. That is inert.

 

[Carbon 6]

Cool.
I prefer the time tested method of dissolving salts, water a heat energy.
Carbon deposits I don't concern myself with too much. That is inert.

I dissolve the salts too, I just remove most of them first.
How much water do you use? I use less than an ounce.
I could use more, but since I've removed most of the salts first, my gun just isn't that thirsty.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I dissolve the salts too, I just remove most of them first.
How much water do you use? I use less than an ounce.
I could use more, but since I've removed most of the salts first, my gun just isn't that thirsty.

Untill black deposits stop coming out and the breach is to hot to touch. The hardest part is picking the gun up and putting it gently down again.
Sorry, I never realised you may live in a water deprived area