Faster ignition?

[hellbent]

In both my trade rifles Northwest and Lyman flinters I use ffffg for the prime. However it seems to me the ignition seems slow. my question is would a larger touchhole be a good idea?Possiblely drill the old touch holes out a couple of thousandsth larger? I am fairly new at flinters but have shot percussion for the past 30 years.
Wayne

 

[Tom Compton]

Most consider 1/16" the minimum size touch hole for good ignition and 5/64" maximum.

Indians used to have such a large touch hole that they could prime the pan from the main charge while on a running horse (frizzen closed). Not a good idea to load with the frizzen closed (cock could be on half or full and seer break).

I have seen shooters who had to plug their touch hole with the frizzen open to keep from loosing some of the main charge on the ground. They learned to do this after some of the lost BP ignited between their feet.

Be aware gas cutting will eventually open the touch hole up. If your guns have removable liners, won't be too much trouble or expense to try different sizes.

When the touch hole opens up an appreciable amount, the point of impact will drop or can be tracked with a chronometer. When I started setting cardboard flash shields on fire, I figured it was time to replace the liner.

TC

 

[shortstring]

Also along with what Flint said. I've seen touchholes large enough that the overall speed of the shot was actually slowed down. You could hear the pressure excaping form the hole until it built up enough pressure to move the ball.

 

[texcl]

Polish your pan, frizzen lid (where it fouls.) the foot of the frizzen where it contacts the frizzen spring, lube it all and use a vent pick on the powder charge before you prime. I always wipe my pan/ frizzen lid clean after each shot and it seems to help alot. Those are the simplest things I do to a lock to improve lock time, picking the powder charge in itself helps some of my guns dramaticlly, and has no effect on others.

 

[kherring]

I replaced the removable liner in my rifle with a white lightning liner from TOW. I have noticed that the ignition is faster. I guess this is because of the internal cone of the liner bringing the main charge closer to the pan flash.

 

[hellbent]

Thanks guys!
I need to make my weekly trip to the Black powder shop anyway. I will pick up a couple of larger liners and give them a try. I just finish polishing the frizzen and pan so I will also make a trip to the range! As if I needed an excuse to go!!!
Wayne :hatsoff:

 

[Mulebrain]

Load, and vent pick the main charge. Try fff for a prime, and see what happens.

 

[Paulussie0]

May bee this will help, I use CH2 crunched under a glass bottle so I get a mix of fine dust and fine grains.
Also it is importand to keep the primingpowder under the flashole , if it is above the flashole it first has to burn the primingpowder before it reaches the flashole.
The length of the flintstone is also importand , with the stone down it has to be in the centre of the pan.
So You can shorten the "fall"of the sparks.
Hope this wil help.

 

[Vaino]

I sometimes think that if a lot of "fuss" and other "so called" precautions are necessary for fast and reliable flintlock ignition,first a proper TH liner w/ a very short hole land and 2nd perhaps a better lock itself is in order. On my flintlock LRs I've never used a vent pick and use a wire brush in lieu of cleaning patches and they always go "boom" shot after shot. A good flintlock shouldn't be "choosy" as far as priming level and location, shouldn't require the use of a pick, should tolerate some deviation in flint length and not require a degree in "rocket science" in order to produce fast and reliable ignition. Wars were fought w/ flintlock rifles and if they weren't reliable some other weapon would have been chosen....Fred

 

[bigsam]

you might want to try something as simple as using less priming powder if you havent done so already.with priming powder sometimes less is more.