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Blue Ridge Flinter Blues
- Thread starter Keith
- Start date
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Generaly above the table is just fine and better than even and defintely better then IN the pan. Most closeup pictures I've seen of original Bess's show an enlarged (burnt-out) hole, well above the pan.
; This allows the flash to set off the charge, rather than the fuse effect frm having the hole down in the pan.
; How high is it?
; This allows the flash to set off the charge, rather than the fuse effect frm having the hole down in the pan.
; How high is it?
I agree with Daryl, Its generally better higher up, than down in the pan, as Daryl stated you don't get the fuse effect, when the pan powder ignites the flash shoots thru the hole into the chamber, some shooters have had problem with flash hole being to small, and have drilled there liner hole out a little bigger, but never had a problem with mine, ignition is almost instantanious. You were using real black powder, and not artifical stuff??? 
eace: eace:
eace: eace:Guest
I had the vent enlarged on mine and had the frizzen ground so that it would work easier,but after that was done it was just fine.Are you sure that is the reason for your trouble,and has been said,be sure to use real black powder.Why don't you tell us just what kind of problems you had.Lots of things can go wrong if you are new to flinters.
Guest
Be very careful on enlarging the vent hle size. I use 1/16" on all my flinters and igniction is just great. I've seen recommendations on enlarging the vent hole to 5/64", but there will be a definite veloctiy drop, out of proportion to the increase in hole size and improvement in ignition, in my opinion. If 1/16"(4/64") isn't big enough, there is a problem somewhere else - from not enough spark- then look to frizzen hardening, flint position, geometry of the lock, angle of the strike, etc, mainspring tension and frizzen spring tension. Another improvement, other than a new liner, is to hollow out the inside of the flash channel(more info if requested) inside if there isn't a liner, or install one. Yes- as said by rich e, you must use REAL Black Powder for priming & 4F granulation is the best.
: My feelings are that 1/16" is plenty big enough. The Factory White Lightening liners I put in my .45 flinter and pistol had smaller than 1/16" holes. I enlarged them to 1/16" and feel I might have improved ignition, maybe not.
; Someone on here said they got a recorded reduction of 200fps by going to 5/64" from 1/16". Now, 200fps is not much when referring to a small bore rifle that runs normally in the 1,900fps to 2,100fps range, but for a .54, or .58, or maybe even a .50, it's a big drop as most hunting loads only run in the 1,500 to 1,700fps range. In order to maintain flatness of trajectory, and punch, the amount lost starts to become significant.
: My feelings are that 1/16" is plenty big enough. The Factory White Lightening liners I put in my .45 flinter and pistol had smaller than 1/16" holes. I enlarged them to 1/16" and feel I might have improved ignition, maybe not.
; Someone on here said they got a recorded reduction of 200fps by going to 5/64" from 1/16". Now, 200fps is not much when referring to a small bore rifle that runs normally in the 1,900fps to 2,100fps range, but for a .54, or .58, or maybe even a .50, it's a big drop as most hunting loads only run in the 1,500 to 1,700fps range. In order to maintain flatness of trajectory, and punch, the amount lost starts to become significant.
I don't have the rifle any more so I have to rely on my memory. As I recall the vent was 3/16" above the pan. It used a liner, and I think it was coned inside. I real BP, 4f for a prime and 3f for the main charge. The flint seemed to spark well and I could get the prime to go off easily. I think the main charge went off once out of hundreds of tries over many days. I decided it was to high after reading about the proper placement and examining pictures of other guns.
I have read other comments that the owners seem really pleased with these, I wonder what was with mine.
I have read other comments that the owners seem really pleased with these, I wonder what was with mine.
Guest
3/16" is way too high, and the liner must be sticking above the next flat's edge. Perhaps not quite 3/16", but too much anyway. For the prime to fail to fire, is interesting - obviously, the problem was more serious than I perceived and probably not entirely the fault of the liner position.
: If the lock appeas to throw good sparks, sometimes the sparks aren't going INTO the pan. Try reversing the flint or putting a spacer under it to raise it a bit if beveled surface down is still too low. Problems the other way are more difficult to correct- perhaps meauring the required throw, from the centre of the cock screw, to the touch-hole(vent), then ordering the correct hammer from Track's catologe would be the best answer.(or a replacement lock) I am afraid you are stuck with the touch hole, unless the hole is filled with a solid plug, then re-drilled in the correct position. Back chamfering on the inside(cupping) with a dremel tool bit can give the same internal shape as a liner and work about the same. This is wat I did with the Bess and ignition is virtually instantaneous with shapr flints, properly knapped.
: If the lock appeas to throw good sparks, sometimes the sparks aren't going INTO the pan. Try reversing the flint or putting a spacer under it to raise it a bit if beveled surface down is still too low. Problems the other way are more difficult to correct- perhaps meauring the required throw, from the centre of the cock screw, to the touch-hole(vent), then ordering the correct hammer from Track's catologe would be the best answer.(or a replacement lock) I am afraid you are stuck with the touch hole, unless the hole is filled with a solid plug, then re-drilled in the correct position. Back chamfering on the inside(cupping) with a dremel tool bit can give the same internal shape as a liner and work about the same. This is wat I did with the Bess and ignition is virtually instantaneous with shapr flints, properly knapped.
Agree, the bottom of the touch hole should be about even with an imaginary line drawn between the top edges of the pan...some call it the "sun rise" position. Lower it tends to get powder in it from the priming and can act like a fuse which adds time, at least. A little higher shouldn't hurt but much higher would certainly result in erratic ignition. Guess one got by the inspectors, most of the flint Blue Ridge users seem to have good luck.
