Cone shaped breech?

[Bluegrass]

It seems like I remember reading something about some muzzleloaders having a cone shaped breech on this forum. Maybe I'm just goin' crazy or somethin' because I can't find squat about it now.

So if I'm not going crazy, and they do exist, what's the advantage of a coned breech. ::

 

A "snail breech" is kinda cone shaped,,(?) maybe that's where ya saw it?
The advantage is sposta be that the ignition source leads to the main charge following a curved progressivley larger cavity to the back or bottom of the main.( much like T/C and Lyman GP models)(Bridger Hawkin).
Other styles lead the ignition source to the main at "right angles" or from the side of the charge(drum breech or vent)

Or maybe you saw "coned vents" thats a plus too;(?)

 

[robinghewitt]

Original percussion revolvers have conical chambers, maybe that was it?

There is a wonderful old tool for cutting a cone up behind the touch on a flinter.

Around 1807 the British Army experimented with Nock's modification to Gardner's "nail breech". A conical restriction designed to catch and hold the ball one diameter above the powder. Test results were good, the balls were simply dropped in and without ramming the rate of fire increased 50%. 100 muskets were converted but field trials revealed all sorts of problems so it was scrapped.

 

[robinghewitt]

Or then again, maybe it was Crockett in the "Fouling scrapers and vent picks" thread" ::

 

[roundball]

Yes, for one, TC's patent breeches are coned and taper/curve down towards the vent / nipple

 

[Bluegrass]

Or then again, maybe it was Crockett in the "Fouling scrapers and vent picks" thread" ::

That's it! I saw it on Crockett's post! And if I'm not mistaken, my Cabela's Blue Ridge flinter has a coned breech. When I put the fowlnig scraper on my rod and drop it in, it just sticks in the bottom and I can't hardly get it to twist. I guess it's just getting wedged in there. Since I couldn't scrape it, I've been taking the vent liner out and using some big thick pipe cleaners to clean the breech out.

Now, does anybody know where I can get a scraper to fit my rifle?

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it's a .36.

 

[musketman]

my Cabela's Blue Ridge flinter has a coned breech.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it's a .36.

What you do is get a regular fouling scraper and contact member Harpman, he has a mini-lathe and he's just itching to turn some gadgets...

Ask him to taper it for you... :winking: