Flash in the pan, what gives?

[TN.Frank]

Well, this is strange. I took my poorboy rifle out today, "Old Riley" is his name, and on the first go this a.m. everything went off without a hitch. Then, this afternoon I had 2 out of 4 shots give me a flash in the pan. The first one I had to prime 3 times before it'd go off the second one twice. The flint is sharp and made good sparks, the pan powder was dry and proper, the vent was open(stuck the vent pick in it my dang self to make sure) but still, just "flash" and no "Boom". I wonder what'd make it do something like that? Any ideas?
P.S.
I swab with a spit patch between shots, wonder if I might have pushed some fouling into the vent?

 

sounds like you may have a floater in the vent area

 

[Flintlock_bob]

Does this gun have a patent breach? I've sometime wondered if they can get enough fouling down there to keep main charge powder from getting into the breach?

Maybe your powder got damp? When this happens to me I push some 4f into the flashhole and prime it close to the vent, that generally gets it to go of on the next try.

 

[mmahlock]

Sounds to me that you've spoted the problem. For me it seams to depend on the weather as to just how much fowling gets generated and pushed back down the barrel.

Flintlock Bob, I've had that problem with my squirel gun and am currently looking for someone to de-breach it and open up the chanel from the antichamber to the breach so it won't clog up.

 

What is a floater?

 

[TN.Frank]

It has a standard breech plug,not a patten breech but when I drilled it for the 1/4x28 stainless vent I did notice that the breech plug was right there on the other side of the vent. I tried to drill into the plug as much as I could, didn't want to drill all the way thru the barrel,LOL. I thought I got at least half way thru. I may be getting fouling in the breech area. I may end up having to remove the breech plug and tapper it back on the vent side a bit. Man, I'll hate doing it but if this keeps up I just may have to.

 

[Stumpkiller]

What size is your vent hole? I use 5/64" on my flinters if they seem to flash well but not fire.

Any oil left at the breech will cause the same symptoms. It "kills" the powder inside the vent. I wipe with a dry patch then an alcohol damp patch before the first load.

 

[TN.Frank]

I think I found the problem. I pulled the stainless vent(it's a Dixie Squrriel rifle vent,1/4x28, small touch hole, nothing near as big as the one in my A&H flint Mt.Rifle) and the in the vent it was plugged. The back side of the vent is about 1/8" dia. hole and that had all kinds of thick goo in it, I guess from cleaning this a.m., it must have settled into it and thickened up. There's plenty of room behind the vent for the powder charge so that's not the problem. I wonder if I need to drill the vent out a bit or if it'll burn out over time?
I really need to get that little C clamp gizmo that will allow me to put a hose into a bucket of boiling hot water and swish it up and down the bore. Dixie has em' for $25 bucks. Looks like now that I've got a job(yeehaw, watch me buy some more flintlocks, LOL.) I'll have to send off for one. This little rifle looks ugly but it shoots great. Just got to work out a few bugs and learn the gun a bit.

 

A piece of trash in the breech that is not stuck down but can fall in front of the vent

 

[jderrick]

I am so glad you asked. I've been having a little of the same problem....

 

[TN.Frank]

It's funny, I don't have this problem with my A&H. It has a bigger vent hole and it's 50cal, I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I may get a 5/64 drill and drill out the flash hole, that should help a bit. Also, I think if I just remove the vent and clean it good it'll help too. Oh well, I had such good luck with my first flintlock, stuff like this was bound to happen. LOL.

 

[paulvallandigham]

clean the current gunk out with alcohol, followed by firing a few blank loads in the gun, to burn out any residue. Than use alcohol on a clean patch and again attack the bottom of the barrel. Then use dry clean patches to check to see that you got it all out. You can put a round toothpick in the TH to keep fluids in the barrel, and then just soak the crud out with soap and water. I do like to use rubbing alcohol to get all the moisture, and any oiled based crud out that resisted my soap and water. the Alcohol will also dry the barrel. Can't tell you to open the TH until you tell us what its diameter is now, and what powder you are using. My .50 is using FFg, and I opened it up to 5/64" and it now shoots without a hickup.

 

[TN.Frank]

Whatever the standard factory size if for the Dixie Squrriel rifle vent, that's what the hole size is. It seems a bit small compared to my Austin n' Halleck vent. I may start out by going 1/16" then bump up to 5/64 if that doesn't work. Seems like a larget touch hole would blow the crud out and keep it's self clean better then a small hole. It'd also be easier to get the vent pick into to clear a path to the main charge.

 

[TN.Frank]

Well, the hole was 1/16" so I opened it up to 5/64 and lowered the pan a bit to allow more flash into the thouch hole. I'll take it out tomorrow and see how it'll work.

 

[TN.Frank]

Well, it seems like it's working ok now. Man, I love tweekin' guns and making em' shoot. This is a sweet little rifle. I think when I get around to ordering a new poorboy from Early Rustic Arms, TVM or whoever It'll be a 40 cal. That a good all around caliber for a rifle in my neck of the woods where deer would be the largest game I'd be going after.

 

[HistoryBuff]

I have a problem pushing a lot of fouling into the vent on my .62 fusil. I am thinking of trying some tow around a worm for swabbing between shots instead of the patch on a jag. This might be a solution to our problem. Any thoughts?

HistoryBuff

 

[TN.Frank]

Now that I've got the vent open and the pan lowered so it'll get more flash the problem is gone. Fouling in the vent doesn't matter so long as you use your vent pick to polk a hole thur it to the main charge. I always pick my vent after I load to make a clear air pocket into the main charge so it'll go off faster, no powder to burn thru, that along with the larger vent(pressure helps to clean it out when you shoot) seems to have solved my problem. I put a few shots thru it yesterday without a hitch.

 

[Birddog6]

MOst likely the problem is the jag you are using & too tight a patch. Modifly the jag by turning it down on the first land to about .590 and on the other about .0600 to .0605...... and you want all the jag lands tapered back & sharp. Use tee shirt patching to swab with & you want it just barely snug, Not tight. Use a damp patch to swab with. I never us pillowticking to swab with, it is too thick & just shoves all the cruds to the breech.

The idea is the smaller first land & all of them tapered will push past most of the fouling & when you get to the breech you have not shoved all that crud into the breech. On the outstroke the sharp lands grap & gather the patching & also the fouling & you pull it out with it. I started modifying my jags about 20 years ago & it made allot of dif. for me. To turn one down just chuck it in the drill or drill press & use a small 3 corner file & keep turning to you get what you want.

This is the one I use in my .62 cal.

 

[TN.Frank]

Old tee shirts are my cleaning patch of choice, that's all I ever use. That's a good tip on turning the jag though. Since I've opened up the touch hole it really seems to work a lot better. Also, I always run my vent pick into the touch hole after I load to make an air pocket back into the powder, it aids in ignition quite a bit. I'll do the jag deal tomorrow, sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

 

[rebelyell62]

You may want to consider coning the vent on the inside, I've done this to my liners with good success. Take a dremel tool with a small stone and grind away, as far as cleaning , I "spike" my vent with a toothpick, pour solvent into the barrel , let it sit for a few minutes, patch my jag , remove the pick and push that crud right out