Misfires

[morb]

Hello
I'm new here and been shooting a TC Hawkin for the last 2 years or so.
I have been shooting Triple 7 in it until this spring when I switched to Goex. Latley I've been having issues with misfires, the first few shots go off with no trouble then I start getting hang fires then misfires, I put on another cap and bang she goes. I wipe between shots with a lightly moistened almost dry patch.
I removed the nipple to drop a bit of powder under the nipple to get it shoot and I noticed that there is a thin film of residue under the nipple.
I'm wondering if this is what's causing the misfire, the first cap punches a hole in the film then the second patch shoots it?
Is there a way to prevent this residue?

 

[sb 54 cal.]

use a nipple pick between shots and see if that helps. Pappy

 

[bpd303]

Sounds like there is a bunch of crud in the patent breech. What do you do when cleaning the rifle? What are you using to dampen the wiping patches?

 

[Ken Cormier]

Does the residue come from the ALMOST dry patch. Or is it left over cleaning solution do you pop a couple of caps before loading? Just my thoughts.

 

[morb]

I use t/c bore clean to actually clean it and I have a brass scraper to clean the patent breach.
I use a moose milk recipe to wipe between shots. Today I used the scraper after wiping and it seemed to help somewhat but I was still getting misfires.

 

[morb]

I'm not sure what the residue is from, I'm thinking it's from the powder. If you pull the nipple off after a shot you can see this film covering the flash hole where the nipple was seated. I hope that makes sence it's kinda hard to describe it.

 

[nwtradegun]

t/c have hook brech. pull the barrel, remove the nipple, place in a bucket of hot soapy water and use the range rod like a pump.it will clear out all the gunk in the patten breech. pour boiling
down the barrel and dry.

 

[Zonie]

Most likely, the hole that connects the nipple with the powder chamber in the breech is partially plugged up.

This is a small hole, and it doesn't take a lot of fouling to plug it up.

Things that can plug it up are
> Oil that has drained out of the bore when the gun is stored muzzle up.
> Fouling that was knocked off of the bore while wiping between shots.
> Never been cleaned with a pipe cleaner when the gun was being cleaned. (Pipe Cleaners are used to clean smokers pipe stems. Available at smoke shops or Hobby Shops.)

Normally, if this hole starts off clean and dry, some of the main powder charge will be blown down thru it towards the nipple. Fresh powder right under the nipple will make the guns ignition almost instantaneous. Yes, a little fouling will be deposited on the connecting holes walls but not enough to cause a problem if it is not allowed to build up.

To help the loose powder get thru the hole, make sure the nipple is uncapped and the hammer is at half-cock when your ramming the ball/bullet,

 

[morb]

Thank you.
I have never used a pipe cleaner to clean that area out, I'll pick some up tomorrow as well as a nipple pick.

 

[bpd303]

Can't post a link here, but click on the first one, Cleaning A Sidelock Muzzle Loader by Semisane, https://www.google.com/search?q=+C...la:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb it will give you a good idea what your up against. I would scrap the T/C bore cleaner.

 

[Tim Maxey]

Make sure your nipple doesn't have a sharpened edge on it- I had that happen once after many, many shots had eroded the inside diameter of the nipple to the point it became like a cookie cutter and was clogging itself with material from the caps.

 

[morb]

Thanks for the link, I'll give that a try as well

 

[morb]

I'll keep an eye on that

 

[mooman76]

In case you didn't know the patient breech is smaller in diameter than your barrel so if you scraper is not small enough, it will not be scraping the breech area.

 

[diana]

I would put a new cap nipple on it, first thing.

 

[Don Steele]

ANYTIME there's an ignition issue with a caplock..Replace the nipple with a new one and see if the problem persists. That's the easiest variable to clear right away...then you can work out cleaning, scraping, etc. issues that might be causing your problem.

 

[morb]

I thought it might be the nipple too, so I put a new one on the other day and still had misfires. I'm sure the scraper is bottoming out in the breech.

 

[shguns]

What has been working for me:
Swab the bore with a patch with rubbing alcohol on it before loading the first time to wipe out any oil. Make sure the alcohol has dried/evaporated. Put dry patch on the jag and run it down the bore and leave it at the breech. Pop a cap and then check the patch for a good black mark from the cap. now you know the flash channel is clear. I use Mink oil patch lube now, but Wonderlube 1000 or Bore Butter works too.
I don't swab between shots, the patch lube will help condition or wipe the bore as you load the next ball. I clean thoroughly with moose milk and then water after the shooting is over. If I decide to swab out the bore during the shooting session, I make sure the bore is dry before loading the next charge. Oh and I like RWS caps followed by CCI Magnum caps.

 

[crockett]

Well switching to real black powder should have improved ignition. You said the first few shots are okay and then the misfires and hang fires start. You said you wipe between each shot and if you remove the nipple there is a film under it.
One thing that MIGHT be happening is you start with an unfouled gun and the first few shots are fine. As you wipe between shots you may be pushing fouling down the bore and into the drum area.
The fastest and easiest way to test this is after you fire the rifle go ahead and wipe the bore just like you always do but before putting in the powder charge snap a cap on the nipple. Point the muzzle at soft sand or tall grass. The blast of the nipple will blow out any fouling in the drum area and will move the grasss or dimple the sand. Then pour in the powder charge and seat the ball. If that solves the problem then the nipple is fine, it's fouling being pushed into the drum area.
To solve this you can either snap a cap every time after wiping- a slight increase in the cost of shooting or stop wiping between shots. If the fouling is so thick that seating a ball is difficult try a wad over the powder but below the PRB, the wad will push some of the fouling down the bore and may help in seating the prb. That is, you fire, blow the barrel to put out any embers, add the charge from a measure, seat a wad, then seat a prb.
If you are at a range, try a lighter powder charge- less fouling so you don't need to wipe between every shot. Conicals are tight fitting and require a clean bore and therefore wiping, I'd just use prbs.
If none of this works then get a better nipple, there are after market designs that deliver more flash to the charge.
And of the scraping of the breech face. If the face isn't flat and you are using a flat scraper- you can get a build up of residue that could be causing trouble.

 

[stantdm]

Be sure your nipple is the right length when screwed in. I bought a nipple once that when seated was touching the bottom of the channel into the barrel and blocking the spark from reaching the charge.