Flash, no bang

[Loyalist Dave]

Well as folks have pointed out, if you changed something in your loading routine, then that is probably the root of the cause.

I swab every other shot when just plinking, but sometimes if I'm experimenting with something new, I swab every shot. So I use a barely damp piece of ticking cloth. IF you squeeze it very hard in your hand and drops of moisture come out of it, it's too damp. The next time I swab with it, I don't add water or spit, I just reverse it to the clean side when it goes down the bore. Then after the second swabbing, it is removed and set aside to be rinsed, and reused in the future.

The other thing that I do is put a puff of air down the barrel after shooting.
Yes I know there are those that think that I'm going to somehow get a second shot out of my just fired flintlock, and blow off my face...,
But I cup my left hand over the muzzle at the pinky, and blow into my hand at the thumb and forefinger, which deflects enough exhaled air down the barrel to leave a little cone of ash on my pan to show me the reverse air flow it worked. It isn't any more dangerous than loading the rifle with my hands at the muzzle a minute or two after.

I don't put my actual face at the muzzle, because some ranges the folks get all upset about that. Some don't like it when I use my left hand to deflect my breath, but I point out they have no problem with either of my hands over the muzzle when loading.

LD

 

[bigted]

There is nothing wrong with swabbing if done properly.

When I want the utmost accuracy that I can get ( not too often and not PC ) I swab after every shot. This is my system that NEVER causes ignition problems ... ever. It also is a particular way to assemble your load column.

Load column looks like this;

Powder charge ... 1/8th inch vegi card wad ... and ... patched ball.

Load your powder charge.
Follow with the 8th inch vegi card loaded down tight on the powder.
Swab the barrel with your solution followed by a dry swab to dry the bore.
Load your lubed patched ball down your now clean barrel tight on the card wad.
Prime and shoot.

Not particularly common, but this method never gets moisture of any kind down near the touch hole nor compromises the charge. Added benefit is that you can rest assured of not burning thru the patch surrounding your lead ball.

May not be for everybody but it works. I discovered this when loading paper patched projectiles to polish a rough pitted barrel.

 

[Bugman]

I swab between shots for the simple reason that the residue is so thick that I don't want to push it all into the base of the barrel. I mean the residue is very thick on the swab patches. Besides, if swabbing between shots produces, now, acceptable accuracy from my rifle, why shouldn't I?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You do what you need to do with your particular rifle or gun to get it making a consistent BANG.

They all have personalities. Some can go several rounds without swabbing, and some must be swabbed between shots. Some must have the touch hole pricked every time, some like to have a cone shaped object like the tip of a toothpick, the tip of a feather, or a hawthorn thorn inserted into the touch hole when loading. It's all good...

LD

 

[Britsmoothy]

No point in quoting " keep your powder dry" and then introducing water down the barrel

 

[smo]

You do what you need to do with your particular rifle or gun to get it making a consistent BANG.

They all have personalities. Some can go several rounds without swabbing, and some must be swabbed between shots. Some must have the touch hole pricked every time, some like to have a cone shaped object like the tip of a toothpick, the tip of a feather, or a hawthorn thorn inserted into the touch hole when loading. It's all good...

LD

I thought that was why most guns are referred too as “She”.......

Sorry Ladies...

 

[rp77469]

I'd generally agree with you. But I have that ONE rifle that absolutely hates dirt. She will shoot a one hole group off the sandbags at 50 as long as I run a damp patch then dry patch after every shot. Otherwise the second shot moves right and up an inch or two, the third up another inch or so, and the fourth an inch and a half above the third for a lovely 3-4 inch group in three shots without cleaning. I run a damp and dry patch after every shot with this one.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I'd generally agree with you. But I have that ONE rifle that absolutely hates dirt. She will shoot a one hole group off the sandbags at 50 as long as I run a damp patch then dry patch after every shot. Otherwise the second shot moves right and up an inch or two, the third up another inch or so, and the fourth an inch and a half above the third for a lovely 3-4 inch group in three shots without cleaning. I run a damp and dry patch after every shot with this one.

Your treating the symptom and not the problem then!

 

[user 34300]

Swabbing between shots is required by my club for, "safety reasons". I disagree but it is required if I want to shoot with them. So, they key is use use a loose patch on a slotted jag that is only damp. The size of the patch is such that it drops into the bore with little to no force. Coming back out it jams itself a bit and gets tighter. IT removes enough fouling to shoot indefinitely without other cleaning. The "just damp" aspect is very important. A wet patch will cause misfires. Wring the patch out and blot it on a rag before you put it in the jag. It does not matter what you use for cleaning juice, just something that is mostly water. I use straight MOS, or GI bore cleaner most of the time. Spit works the same as does "windex with vinegar". . I use the same patch for about ten shots.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Swabbing between shots is required by my club for, "safety reasons". I disagree but it is required if I want to shoot with them.

Is that because they are afraid of a "cook off" or have they seen too many loaded rifles with bullets stuck at some point in the barrel, and it's tough to get the bullet out, so they simply say, "keep it clean or shoot it elsewhere"..?

LD

 

[user 34300]

They fear the charge will ignite from an ember that remains in the bore.

I find that maximum accuracy comes from consistent bore conditions. I would do it anyway for target shooting. I would not do it on a trail walk.

 

[Britsmoothy]

I have heard of this ember thing....has anyone here actually witnessed it. I have not but have only been muzzleloading for thirty years.

 

[user 34300]

I saw a video of a guy rapid firing a rifled musket with paper cartridges. It was on history channel, possible the R. Lee Emory show. I can not find it now. The charge ignited as he poured in down. I would speculate that there was smoldering paper in the barrel. The shooter was surprised but unhurt.

 

[Griz44Mag]

One time - a guy was using dry paper for wadding.
Again, no harm was done, the barrel flamed as the powder went down.
Just another reason why the powder shown NEVER be poured directly from the flask, even with a gated valve on it.

 

[ord sgt]

Many years ago, my flint rifle experienced a similar problem, flash and no bang.
I had installed a vent liner that was shorter than the barrel wall thickness. A layer of fouling built up in the gap under the vent liner, completely blocking the flash channel. I replaced that liner and never had the problem again.

 

[rp77469]

Your treating the symptom and not the problem then!

Well, I am certainly open to suggestions. I've tried 50-75 grains 3f, and 60-70 grains 2f in 5g increments, 0.016 and 0.012 patch thicknesses and three lubes. The only things I can think of to try is a .445 ball or some 0.020 patching with the .440 or another brand of cap. I have been using CCI for over 30 years. The accuracy shooting one or two rounds without cleaning is not effected enough that I would not use it for hunting since a second shot only moves the impact point an inch or so at 50y. It needs to group better than 3-4 inches though for sustained shooting without cleaning before I would be confident with it on a woods walk.

 

[Antonio Ferraioli]

I have the same problems. It is getting me down. I have tried everything. You have some great ideas I will try. I had an idea that I was packing my powder too much. I hope to get it squared away soon. My flinter is slowly beating me down. I shoot 3f and some 2f with 4f in the pan.

 

[BJHabermehl]

Yesterday was a bit frustrating at the firing line. With aggravating frequency my pan would flash but no ignition of the powder charge. On a couple of occasions I resorted to pushing powder into the liner hole with my pick to make the charge ignite. The last time I went shooting was about 4 weeks ago and nothing has changed since then. At that time the flash and firing was almost simultaneous, as always with this rifle. This time, same powder, same loading procedure and frequent misfires and slightest of delays before firing. Blue skies, sunshine, low (for here) humidity. I'm at a loss as to why I had such problems. Suggestions?

Try scraping the breech face with a breech scraper. Under certain combos of humidity and temperature I’ve had fouling buildup on the breech plug face that doesn’t respond to the usual wet patch treatment. The carbon crud cake eventually blocking the touch hole liner from the rear. I good scraping resolves this. BJH

 

[Britsmoothy]

Well, I am certainly open to suggestions. I've tried 50-75 grains 3f, and 60-70 grains 2f in 5g increments, 0.016 and 0.012 patch thicknesses and three lubes. The only things I can think of to try is a .445 ball or some 0.020 patching with the .440 or another brand of cap. I have been using CCI for over 30 years. The accuracy shooting one or two rounds without cleaning is not effected enough that I would not use it for hunting since a second shot only moves the impact point an inch or so at 50y. It needs to group better than 3-4 inches though for sustained shooting without cleaning before I would be confident with it on a woods walk.

Your using a cap lock right?
One of the first things I do with any cap lock is make sure that the nipple drum or bolster is not touching the lock plate. If it is then the barrel is not sitting in the stock channel correctly. It is bearing unevenly via the lock plate. After inspection decide whether to remove plate material or bed the barrel away.
Second, make sure the barrel is not touching the main spring. Is there any witness marks?
Third, the swabbing maybe cooling not cleaning! Is the barrel pinned or wedged? It maybe to tight on a wedge or pin.
Forth, it may need stress relieving. Maybe it was missed at the factory.
It may if all else checks out need baking in an oven.
Report back with your findings please.

 

[Grenadier1758]

The original poster (OP) is using a flintlock. Previous trips to the range, the firing was virtually instantaneous as were previous visits to the range. Noting of note changed other than the rifle was cleaned, stored for 4 weeks and brought back to the range. Last trip there was a slight delay.

We need to hear from @Bugman if the delay has been overcome.