Iratic flinter

[silverfox]

Just a couple questions to you builders. I have a friend with a Lancaster flinter in .54 cal. who is not shooting it because it only fires once in a while and often verrrry slow. I looked and know the TH is small and can be opened up. It is also sunset position in reverse and low in the pan. Question is if I drill the TH polish the pan and Cone the TH this will hopefully fix most of the problem.
Can I shim the tang on this style of rifle to raise the TH or will it have to be replaced with a new TH. I'm thinking the barrel pins will not let me do this except on Hawken type guns with single barrel pins. Am I right and how should I proceed. He paid good money for the rifle to have it set in the corner.
Thanks Fox :hatsoff:

 

[nj1639]

Could put a liner in, if the liner would encompass the original TH.

 

[Zonie]

You are correct. Increasing the size of the touch hole will improve things a LOT.

As for changing it's position, if it is one of the removable touch hole liners you can make a blank threaded liner, install it and mark the location of where the hole should be on it, remove it and drill the new (larger) hole on the mark and reinstall it.
I don't know of anyone making blank liners, but it would be fairly simple to buy a standard bolt with the right threads on it and cut off a short piece.
Of course, the other way is to buy some steel (or stainless steel) rod and thread it with a die.

If this is too complicated with the tools you have, just drill out the existing liner with a .078 dia drill bit (5/64).
While your there looking at the touch hole, make sure it fully connects with the bore of the rifle.
(More than one gun built by amateur gunsmiths have the touch hole going right into the side of the breech plug which severely affects the firing of the gun!!).

To improve the verticle location relative to the bottom of the pan, determine the location of the bottom of the side barrel flat, relative to the existing bottom of the pan. You can remove "almost" this much of the bottom of the pan without causing problems. Of course you don't want to deepen it more than this because loose powder from the pan will leak down into the lock mortice eventually causing a small explosion that can blow the side off of the gun.

I may be wrong, but I think raising the barrel is asking for trouble. Not only will there be a problem with the barrel pins but the tang will require refiling/blueing/browning and the underside of the barrel will be unsupported unless you bed it with one of the modern compounds.

Just deepen the pan some and enlarge the touch hole and tell the owner to always load the pan so that the powder is away from the side of the barrel. It will fire so fast you won't believe it.

zonie

 

[Hunter66]

I shimmed the tang on my GPR upwards and forward about a 1/16" to get the hole in the correct positon without any problems. It didn't change how the wedges fit the barrel at all. It made a world of difference in how the gun went off and it shoots great.

 

[silverfox]

I think the difference is wedges and Pins you have a little more leeway with wedges. Yes I can rebed but I think I'll go with Zonie's ideas first to see if he will be happy without haveing to go the full route. I'll deepen the pan and enlarge the TH and see.
Thanks: Fox :thumbsup:

 

[BLAHMAN]

Do you have enough "meat" on the pan to wallo it out some? If you deepen the pan you thereby raise the touch hole.

 

[Halftail]

Do you have enough "meat" on the pan to wallo it out some? If you deepen the pan you thereby raise the touch hole.

Hey Blah?
What would be a good way to do that?Which tool?

 

[bob1961]

how much pan powder is he using also....if he's burying the touch hole that will slow things a bit....have him use as little pan prime as possible to get it to go boom....do ya remember those caps that came in a roll, i use bout 1 1/2 times of what's in one of those charges to light my gun off....the brass pan primer i have i grounded off the tube to a length that only dispences bout 1 grain of powder or less and i keep it to the out side of the pan so the touch hole is clear of any powder, just some things to have yer friend try :v .............bob

 

[bob1961]

Do you have enough "meat" on the pan to wallo it out some? If you deepen the pan you thereby raise the touch hole.

Hey Blah?
What would be a good way to do that?Which tool?

a dremel will work with a grinding stone :v .............bob

 

[BLAHMAN]

Do you have enough "meat" on the pan to wallo it out some? If you deepen the pan you thereby raise the touch hole.

Hey Blah?
What would be a good way to do that?Which tool?

I use a hand drill with a rotary file designed to cut metal. Works great.

 

[silverfox]

This all sounds like a plan. Now to get the rifle and start to work.
Fox :hatsoff: