Enlarging touch hole

[FlintRock]

Hi,

I want to enlarge my touch hole, planning on using a 1/16” bit. My touch hole liner is seized into place and cannot be removed. Are there any issues with drilling it while in the gun? Will the metal shavings that go into the bore present any issues or will they shoot/clean out?

 

[Flintlock]

I've done it a few times. put a cleaning patch with a sticky oil like Vaseline, crisco or grease and daub up anything that might be in the breech. it will not be much.

 

[moose23]

Just blow it out with an air hose when you’re done

 

[deerstalkert]

see broken .062 drill bit removal?
if you do drill it and i have done, be very careful. one thing is try to determine if your vent liner is ahead of the breech plug.
one of mine wasn't and i lucked out and didn't break the bit when it caught on the breach face.
what i have done since is use torch tip cleaners that graduate in size to determine actual size of the hole in the liner and go from there. one vent was cleaned out sufficiently with just the cleaners to give proper ignition.
the few shavings that will enter the fire chamber should be easy to swab out with a patch.

 

[deerstalkert]

Oh yeah! what gun? pictures required!
or at least appreciated by the addicts here.

 

[Gonetocamp]

Have you set the breech end of the barrel in hot soapy water. That may loosen any fouling holding the liner and allow removal of the liner. If that fails, I would try kroil to seep into and around the liner threads. Kroil is good stuff.

 

[Art Caputo]

I have also drilled several liners while mounted in the rifle. No issues. Just swab the bore with a lightly oiled patch.

 

[FlintRock]

Thank you for the advice, I will go ahead and patch it out afterward.

 

[moose23]

FlintRock, I see you’re new…welcome to the forum! This is a great place for advice.

 

[Jim Evans]

Hi,

My touch hole liner is seized into place and cannot be removed.

You may want to soak your touch hole liner in Kroil overnight than with the right size straight slot , tap on it before and while trying to turning it out. I have gotten some really tight ones out this way.

 

[DuncNZ]

1/16 " is a bit big . I'd go 3/64 " first . Don't forget to break the sharp edge of the hole by cutting a fine chamfer on it , using a larger drill bit turned in your fingers . I'd just pour some lube down the barrel then using a tight cleaning patch squirt it out . What firearm is it?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The Kroil soak mar require more than a couple of days. I do believe that the slight turning and light impacts help in removing seized threaded items. I have found that a light impact tool such as this one from Lowes applies a modest amount of torqque as the impact is applied.

On the Lowe's web site, search for Model #81337.

 

[tdoyka]

lite taps in kroil for several days.

when the touch hole liner is pulled out, you put in a new one and you use never seize.

Amazon.com: Never-Seez NSBT-8 Silver Gray Regular Grade Anti-Seize Compound, 8 fl. oz. Brush Top Can : Automotive

 

[Pete G]

FlintRock, I see you’re new…welcome to the forum! This is a great place for advice.

...but learn to separate the wheat from the chafe; there is a lot of chafe

 

[hanshi]

Having drilled out a few liners already installed in the barrel I think it's simple to run a 1/16" bit through the pilot hole. That's as large as is necessary, at least in my rifles.

 

[smoothshooter]

Thank you for the advice, I will go ahead and patch it out afterward.

If you miss any shavings with the patches they should be blown out when you fire the first shot.
I would use a copper bore brush on a cleaning rod and make a few very short strokes back and forth while cleaning out the breech area.
There should not be any issues. What you are wanting to do should only take about 5 minutes. Don’t over think it.

 

[hawkeye2]

"I have found that a light impact tool such as this one from Lowes applies a modest amount of torque as the impact is applied. On the Lowe's web site, search for Model #81337."

Grenadier1758 you posted about that tool on another thread a few days ago and I found them in stock at both the local Lowes stores. Bonus, the price was $4.97 rather than the regular $9.98. The bits are probably worth that. I have serious impact drivers in 1/4, 3/8, & 1/2 inch drives but it's nice to have a handier tool that I can dedicate to screws and other gun work.