Flintlock Help

[roberthamilton]

Well being new to the flintlock I have a slight problem. I took my GPR to the range and found I had a few miss fires. 4 out of 17 shots I had to pull the ball out. I was using 2f for the ball charge and 3f for pan. I did pick the hole everytime before and after loading the pan. The temp outside was -14 and sunny but I still think there was too much moisture in the air. I also wondered if by loading the same way I do for my caplock is causing a problem. My caplock fired every shot with no problems in the same weather.

 

[Trot]

You could try one of the higher quality aftermarket vent liners, or slightly enlarging the hole in your present one. You may also have some oil or crud in the breech area that needs cleaning out. My Lyman flintlock is very reliable, I have only had a few misfires and then a reprime and picking the touch hole would fix it.

 

[roberthamilton]

You could try one of the higher quality aftermarket vent liners, or slightly enlarging the hole in your present one. You may also have some oil or crud in the breech area that needs cleaning out. My Lyman flintlock is very reliable, I have only had a few misfires and then a reprime and picking the touch hole would fix it.

I wonder if the moisture was causing the issue? But even repriming and it wouldn't go off.

 

[Trench]

I'd agree that something is contaminating your main charge. Did you say it was -14 degrees outside? Farenheit? :hatsoff:

 

[roberthamilton]

I'd agree that something is contaminating your main charge. Did you say it was -14 degrees outside? Farenheit? :hatsoff:

-14 Celcius

 

[Le Grand]

Cooter, Celcius or not you were shooting in temps that are well below freezing and I don't think moisture is your problem. Always be sure your powder in the barrel is all the way down. And always make sure your gun's touchhole is open. You check both of those things with a touchhole pick, push it through the touchhole to be sure that vent is open. At the same time, if you don't feel powder crumbling in front fo the pick, on the inside of the barrel, it's because powder isn't there. Then let some of your priming powder flow through the vent, push it through if you're still using FFFg. Powder on the inside must be "in view" of the priming powder in the pan for the flash to ignite. Keep trying.

 

[roberthamilton]

Cooter, Celcius or not you were shooting in temps that are well below freezing and I don't think moisture is your problem. Always be sure your powder in the barrel is all the way down. And always make sure your gun's touchhole is open. You check both of those things with a touchhole pick, push it through the touchhole to be sure that vent is open. At the same time, if you don't feel powder crumbling in front fo the pick, on the inside of the barrel, it's because powder isn't there. Then let some of your priming powder flow through the vent, push it through if you're still using FFFg. Powder on the inside must be "in view" of the priming powder in the pan for the flash to ignite. Keep trying.

I wont give up! I just get more persistant lol. As for the well below freezing.....the snow was melting due to sunny conditions. I also was picking the flash hole before I loaded the pan and after. I could feel the powder in there with my pick. The local sport shop says the other locals are using 2f, with the low temps we have here. I hope to try again today, the temp is 0 dec Celius with 28K winds and 80% humidity.

 

[tg]

What brand of powder are you using?

 

[roberthamilton]

What brand of powder are you using?

Geox

 

[Bob J]

I'd agree that something is contaminating your main charge. Did you say it was -14 degrees outside? Farenheit? :hatsoff:

Cooterdog - I agree with Trench. The culprit could be the lube. What kind are you using? Too much lube will result in a sloppy goo in the breech area that dampens the charge. Also, if you are swabbing between shots (which I do), then a damp (not soaking wet) patch followed by a dry patch works well for me.

 

[roberthamilton]

I'd agree that something is contaminating your main charge. Did you say it was -14 degrees outside? Farenheit? :hatsoff:

Cooterdog - I agree with Trench. The culprit could be the lube. What kind are you using? Too much lube will result in a sloppy goo in the breech area that dampens the charge. Also, if you are swabbing between shots (which I do), then a damp (not soaking wet) patch followed by a dry patch works well for me.

I'm using the moose milk recipe quite squeezed out(barely moist). I do swab between every second shot and run a dry patch after before loading again.I may try using a bigger holed flashhole. I took some powder outside in my loading flask and seen some is sticking to the sides. I left it outside for 45min. I think the humidity is quite high today. I haven't had any temp or patch issues with my caplock, but they may be diferent in my flintlock. I'm going to the range to try again in a few hrs +2 deg celius now 75% humidity. I will figure this out with everybody's help. I have been told by a fellow at the range that I may be pushing the ball down compressing the powder to much. Any thoughts on that? I load the same way with my caplock!

 

[boar]

Right on, not packing the powder load. Also load with the pick in the hole. I use the moose milk. I dip and dry two times. Then I put some deer tallow on the bore side of patch. A little extra slide. Dilly

 

[Teach]

Cooter do you get the fail to fires right after you run the cleaning patch down ? Could be pushing crud into the vent liner.
Cheers Teach

 

[highbrow]

I have been having the same issue with my 50 cal GPR. What seemed to help the most, after opening the touchhole to 5/64, was using a 30 cal bronze brush with a cleaning patch, to dry the patent breech. You can feel it pop into the breech, then twist it. Works well for me.
Never had this issue with my custom 58 cal, with the regular breech.
No such problem with my 50 cal GPR in percussion.

 

[roberthamilton]

Well I am back. I found one issue that I resolved. I found Lyman's flints don't spark enough. So I knap my own flints and man do they spark. My other issue is using 50 grains in my 50 cal it was hit and miss. I found that by switching to 70-80grains it would fire. Any idea's why more gains work?
Thanks
Rob

 

[Many Klatch]

Cooterdog, sounds like it takes more powder to fill the patent breech. I don't know how tight your patch ball combination is but you should be able to shoot 4 or 5 times at least without having to wipe. Try going longer between barrel wipings and see what happens.

Many Klatch

 

[wulf]

That cold?? you could have ice on the frizzen :hmm: Are you sure your getting sparks??
No reason the pan wouldn't light if sparks are
hitting the prime. Lose flint??

 

[roberthamilton]

I get sparks now with my self knapped english flint. I am going to the range in the am to try out the new flint. 70% of the misses were flint issues using Lyman cut flints. I only had 3 out of 14, that when the pan ignited there was no bang lol. One way or anouther this will pass. I am sure with everyones help this will be solved.

THANKS
ROB

 

[Zonie]

I didn't see where you mentioned the size of vent hole.

In my opinion, the Factory made guns come with too small of a hole in their vent liners.
These small holes can easily lead to mis-fires even with a good strong flash in the pan.

If your gun has the original, unaltered vent liner I recommend that you drill it out using a 1/16 inch diameter drill bit.
Go slow and easy with this because those little drills are rather easy to break.

After drilling the vent hole out, try shooting your gun again and see if things are fixed.

If you still are having mis-fires drill out the vent liner to 5/64 (.078) diameter.
This is about as big as a person would want to go for a vent liner but it will almost always lead to instant ignition of the main charge assuming the pan flashes and the powder inside the breech is located next to the vent.

 

[roberthamilton]

I didn't see where you mentioned the size of vent hole.

In my opinion, the Factory made guns come with too small of a hole in their vent liners.
These small holes can easily lead to mis-fires even with a good strong flash in the pan.

If your gun has the original, unaltered vent liner I recommend that you drill it out using a 1/16 inch diameter drill bit.
Go slow and easy with this because those little drills are rather easy to break.

After drilling the vent hole out, try shooting your gun again and see if things are fixed.

If you still are having mis-fires drill out the vent liner to 5/64 (.078) diameter.
This is about as big as a person would want to go for a vent liner but it will almost always lead to instant ignition of the main charge assuming the pan flashes and the powder inside the breech is located next to the vent.

If it mis-fires now I will do the 1/16" drill bit as it is an original. The new flint rocks with major sparks. Kind of glad I had true flint here for knapping. Anybody else have bad experience with the Lyman flints?