flintlock ignition trouble what do you think please help.

[CZMark]

Are you cleaning this way after every shot? Just curious, because if I had a gun requiring that, I'd make it work better or send it down the road. That doesn't add to my shooting pleasure to have to clean for 10 minutes after every shot. But, to each their own.

NO, but every time you clean the rifle.

 

[Bill Bryan]

I had a similar problem years ago and I solved it by drilling out the vent liner to the next larger drill bit size that I had. Also I sharpened my vent pick so it goes well into the charge in the barrel (over half way). The wider vent hole made my .50 cal flintlock almost self priming (using 3f powder) when I load a charge with the frizzen closed. I always pick the vent just before each shot. I never wipe the pan but I always run a patch down the barrel as I load each shot so that the barrel is consistently clean. I hope this helps. Bill

 

[Grenadier1758]

If you are going to drill out the touch hole, I recommend getting a set of number drills. There's 5 number drills between 1/16" and 5/64".

@Just-a-hunter, I would also like to know the diameter of the touch hole. If you are having ignition problems, you will find that a touch hole of 1/16" diameter is a significant improvement. The largest touch hole should be no greater than 5/64". Number drills can be your friend here as there are 5 numbered drill diameters between 1/16 and 5/64.

52​	0.0635​	​
51​	0.067​	​
50​	0.070​	​
49​	0.073​	​
48​	0.076​	​

Some find success with the #51 or #50 drill.

Could there be a little bit of metal flakes left over from drilling the touch hole?

Most find the #51 or #50 drills open up the touch hole for reliable ignition and are small enough that self-priming doesn't occur.

 

[adkmountainken]

I will be at the range again Sunday to see if we have solved the issues

 

[flntlokr]

First, is this a White Lightin Liner or a close copy? If so, I can give you a good answer to the problem. Some of those (or copies) have the spark channel from the outside to the inside of the cone that is way too deep (long). I had the same problem on some of my custom builds and I knew everything was built right. It took a little trouble shooting to discover the issue. Take the liner out and when you put the next one in, deepen that liner cone from the inside. I measured some of the liners I had and found that channel to be almost three times the depth it should have been. I found that somewhere around .035 is about the maximum depth the channel should be.

It is not a design or manufactoring problem with those type of liners. The problem comes from the installation, when you put in the chamfer to allow the liner face to set down into the barrel flat. If you put in too much of a chamfer, the liner goes in deeper which in turn makes your spark channel longer. I would just put a "very small" chamfer in, then screw in the liner tight and then cut off the lug. You want to have to file off quite a bit of the face of the liner.

Another option is to go to the Allen Wrench Head liner that is sold by RMC. I hate the looks - but it works. I don't like the flash hole size (too big) - but it works.

I make my liners out of 5/16 1/4x28 stainless set screws. Allen wrench socket drilled through 1/16" and coned on the inside to create a venturi and shorten the flame path. Very few misfires.

 

[Crow#21957]

Grenaidier1758 I use tovhave bad ignition with a percusion but could apply to flintlocks too. Bottom line I was stabbing between shots but my patch was to wet just making mud down by the breech. I went to a damp I mead just damp patch and cured the problem. Good luck

 

[DixieTexian]

Could your main powder have absorbed some moisture from the atmosphere? Try using the main powder in the pan and see if it flashes easily.

 

[Rob M.]

Flat faced breach with the T.H. right at the face of the breach solves all this head ache . Darn shame ....

 

[bronko220002]

Can you remove that touch hole? If so it might behoove you to check the thread size. Maybe you can get a RMC replacement or retap the hole to 1/4-28 for an RMC liner. The cup in the rear of the liner puts the powder up against the touch hole and closer to the pan. Also the allen wrench socket assist the spark from entering the touch hold.

 

[Mr. Flintlock]

S

i have been having bad ignition problems with my .54 Hawken and at first i thought it was a bit of bad lock placement and a member on here did some fantastic work to correct it. went to the range today first 2 shots flawless then could not get ignition for the life of me! touch the flash hole with pick and can feel dry powder right where it should be flash hole is clear. priming with FFFF pan powder getting great ignition lot of fire. i am no flintlock expert BUT have shot a LOT. after looking over and over as well as before the continuing problem here i feel the vent liner and touch hole is just a tad to high and off center to the right. i have had worse then this with no problem BUT it is all i can come up with. barrel and breech were THOROUGHLY cleaned and dried, GREAT spark and flash, i am at a loss including pic's here. any ideas? forum member is now coning the vent liner for me and will try again. i think main priming charge maybe hitting slightly to the right of touchhole.

Straighten a paper clip and push it into the vent hole. The paper clip should go straight into the barrel. If it's a breechplug problem the paper clip will be deflected. The fix would be, pull the breechplug and dremel a straight channel into the face of the breechplug.

 

[gemmer]

Having experienced it myself, I believe your problem is powder bridging at the mouth of the chambered breech. It drove me nuts. A lot of them have a powder chamber that is way too small in diameter, leaving a flat shoulder for powder to build up on rather than flowing into the chamber. Here's what I suggest. Remove the breech plug. Use a flashlight to inspect the chamber to see if there is space between the back edge of the vent threads and the bottom of the plug. In other words, if your liner is 5/16"(.3125) which is also the size of the mouth of the liner, you should have at least half that diameter(.15625) from the touch to the bottom of the chamber. A little more is better. Put dowel into the chamber, then push a paper clip with paint on the end through the vent, up against the dowel. Measure from the paint spot to the end of the dowel. If necessary, drill the chamber deeper as well as wider. I made mine 7/16"wide which leaves plenty of meat on a 1'' plug. I'm assuming that your barrel is 1". Do that with a drill press and make sure it's plumb in a vice. Next, still in the vice, chamfer the mouth of the chamber with a grinding ball until the outside edge of the mouth is the same as the caliber of the barrel. Use some oil on the ball. Then, polish the chamber mouth smooth with fine emery cloth. Reinstall the plug. My ramrod is 3/8"with a taper on the raw end. When I Ioad my rifle I pour a small amount of the charge being careful not to run it down sides of the bore. I run the raw end of the rod down the bore and into the chamber to make sure the powder is packed up against the vent and then pour the rest of the charge and ram the ball home. This method works for me. The last time out at the range, I fired over 20 rounds without cleaning and had nary a hang fire. I'm still not a fan of chambered breeches, but my frustration level has dropped considerably. Sorry for the long winded reply.

 

[Bill Bryan]

See if you can get a pipe cleaner up into the breach. It really sounds like it's clogged. I had a TC flintlock years ago that had a similar problem, especially in high humidity. Bill