Flintlock smith needed

[exarcher]

i bought a hawken with green mtn barrel, & the flash hole is forward and low... i need this hole plugged & properly located one installed.. any suggestions for where to send my rifle??

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

If you gave us an idea of ‘where you are’, we could perhaps recommend places closer to you. But one option would be Brad Emig @ Cabin Creek muzzleloading, link = Custom Guns – Cabin Creek Muzzleloading

And if you showed us a picture of your current ‘touch hole to pan placement’, that might also help.

Now what I would do - again, without seeing any picture - (which might change things) would be to use an end mill, positioned offset to your existing touch hole, but centered for where the tap drill hole for a Chambers type White Lightning touchhole liner would need to be placed.

Use the end mill, possibly of different sizes, to ensure that the tap drill hole will be in the right spot and not get ‘futzed’ by any interference with the existing touchhole. Size to the tap drill needed, or step up to that size with a drill, then tap for the liner.

Easy peasy for any machinist/gunsmith!

 

[exarcher]

i'll have a photo "toot sweet".. i'm in upper east tennessee

 

[exarcher]

 

[exarcher]

This barrel has never been fired,, i just got it in the mail today (the entire rifle).. the base of the barrel is at the back edge of this flash hole,, so it would prob be best to drill on in to center of bore i would think? I could do this myself were it not for 3 knee replacements and a gimped up low back.. it shouldn't be too complicated or take very long on the mill.. Thanks for the replies! kirk

 

[webb116054]

I am a licensed gunsmith and can do the work for you, but honestly, you can do it yourself if you have a electric drill ! Take your rifle barrel off and take it to any welding shop and have them weld up the touch hole. It only takes 10 minutes to do, then sand or file the weld down even with the barrel! Now, put your barrel back on the stock and mark the spot on the barrel with a scribe and then remove the barrel . Now take a sharp center punch and mark the spot by hitting the punch with a hammer to mark the spot for the drill! Now put the barrel in a vise and drill your touch hole with the proper drill size . If you are going to install a barrel liner, just use the proper drill size and then thread the hole for the barrel liner and screw it in ! If you need to purchase the correct drill/tap for your touch hole liner, you can get them at home depot, lowes or Grsinger or your hardware store for $25.00 ! The weld job should not cost over $25.00 ! If a gunsmith, like myself does it for you, you will have to pay shipping both way for the barrel and then roughly $75.00 to do the work . This is a very easy job to do , but I will do the work for you if you would rather for a gunsmith to do it ! Green mountain barrels should do it for you, if they installed the original touch hole ! Just contact them and explain what is wrong !

 

[webb116054]

Didn’t see you are bunged up ! I would contact green mountain and have them replace or repair the barrel !

 

[waksupi]

Have your fired the rifle? Although it isn't in ideal position, this shouldn't hurt your ignition at all.

 

[waksupi]

I am a licensed gunsmith and can do the work for you, but honestly, you can do it yourself if you have a electric drill ! Take your rifle barrel off and take it to any welding shop and have them weld up the touch hole. It only takes 10 minutes to do, then sand or file the weld down even with the barrel! Now, put your barrel back on the stock and mark the spot on the barrel with a scribe and then remove the barrel . Now take a sharp center punch and mark the spot by hitting the punch with a hammer to mark the spot for the drill! Now put the barrel in a vise and drill your touch hole with the proper drill size . If you are going to install a barrel liner, just use the proper drill size and then thread the hole for the barrel liner and screw it in ! If you need to purchase the correct drill/tap for your touch hole liner, you can get them at home depot, lowes or Grsinger or your hardware store for $25.00 ! The weld job should not cost over $25.00 ! If a gunsmith, like myself does it for you, you will have to pay shipping both way for the barrel and then roughly $75.00 to do the work . This is a very easy job to do , but I will do the work for you if you would rather for a gunsmith to do it ! Green mountain barrels should do it for you, if they installed the original touch hole ! Just contact them and explain what is wrong !

Going with that method, you would end up with a mess inside the bore from the vent being welded up. Electric drill? Drill press. What kind of gunsmith are you? Looking at your previous posts, it's obvious you have very little experience with muzzleloaders.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

i bought a hawken with green mtn barrel, & the flash hole is forward and low... i need this hole plugged & properly located one installed.. any suggestions for where to send my rifle??

I would not do anything until I tried it. That TH without a liner appears forward, not a big deal for ignition, but hard to tell height witout the actual TH. Really, if the TH liner is a safe one, try it first before anything. Priming correctly for a TH also makes a difference. Another thing to consider: Where is the breech plug relative to the existing hole? Is there room to move the TH liner back? Got to think this out.
Larry

 

[BoomStick]

I also think it will probably shoot just fine. I'd install a liner and try it before welding, redrilling and such.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I am a licensed gunsmith and can do the work for you, but honestly, you can do it yourself if you have a electric drill ! Take your rifle barrel off and take it to any welding shop and have them weld up the touch hole. It only takes 10 minutes to do, then sand or file the weld down even with the barrel! Now, put your barrel back on the stock and mark the spot on the barrel with a scribe and then remove the barrel . Now take a sharp center punch and mark the spot by hitting the punch with a hammer to mark the spot for the drill! Now put the barrel in a vise and drill your touch hole with the proper drill size . If you are going to install a barrel liner, just use the proper drill size and then thread the hole for the barrel liner and screw it in ! If you need to purchase the correct drill/tap for your touch hole liner, you can get them at home depot, lowes or Grsinger or your hardware store for $25.00 ! The weld job should not cost over $25.00 ! If a gunsmith, like myself does it for you, you will have to pay shipping both way for the barrel and then roughly $75.00 to do the work . This is a very easy job to do , but I will do the work for you if you would rather for a gunsmith to do it ! Green mountain barrels should do it for you, if they installed the original touch hole ! Just contact them and explain what is wrong !

I am a carpenter, not a gunsmith. I disagree with welding. To me that is the wrong approach. No disrespect intended to you.
Larry

 

[exarcher]

I would not do anything until I tried it. That TH without a liner appears forward, not a big deal for ignition, but hard to tell height witout the actual TH. Really, if the TH liner is a safe one, try it first before anything. Priming correctly for a TH also makes a difference. Another thing to consider: Where is the breech plug relative to the existing hole? Is there room to move the TH liner back? Got to think this out.
Larry

if i did it myself i would epoxy in a tight screw in it, mill it off flush then drill the new hole... the answer to every question asked is in my first post and 9:53 post. The liner that was in it looks like a hex head with a hole in the middle, ,(cause thats what it is).. didn't look like a good spark gathering device to me at all. & why i took it out.. (i think i've already lost it,, but i've not looked for it too hard;>)) .. it may shoot fine in the forward low location, but i bet you won't see one in that position on any winning competition flintlock?? The middle has to be the the point of maximun flash, most efficient, reliable ignition.. forward or rear is getting a fraction of the flash. .

 

[waksupi]

Y

if i did it myself i would epoxy in a tight screw in it, mill it off flush then drill the new hole... the answer to every question asked is in my first post and 9:53 post. The liner that was in it looks like a hex head with a hole in the middle, ,(cause thats what it is).. didn't look like a good spark gathering device to me at all. & why i took it out.. (i think i've already lost it,, but i've not looked for it too hard;>)) .. it may shoot fine in the forward low location, but i bet you won't see one in that position on any winning competition flintlock?? The middle has to be the the point of maximun flash, most efficient, reliable ignition.. forward or rear is getting a fraction of the flash. .

You're over thinking it.

 

[FlinterNick]

Going with that method, you would end up with a mess inside the bore from the vent being welded up. Electric drill? Drill press. What kind of gunsmith are you? Looking at your previous posts, it's obvious you have very little experience with muzzleloaders.

I only advise tig welding the touch hole on very low amps only (40-60 amps) if there’s a serious integral issue. This is not serious. Do not weld it. Put a screw in it, tightly, countersunk and peened, and drill the touchhole through the screw.

Welding on very high heat or amps makes the steel cool too quickly causing it to be brittle susceptible to cracking

You can drop a little solder over it to hide the seams. Polish up the area.

This is what a gunsmith would do.

A serous issue is if there are more than one touch hole and or a touch hole very off center too low near the lock inlet.

Also …. I doubt too many welders would do the job knowing it’s a gun. That’s a lot of liability to take on.

 

[Pete G]

Do not ever weld on a barrel .

 

[longcruise]

Find the liner, re install it and shoot it.

Also go here and read. Lotsa empirical data. Some even contradict conventional wisdom.

https://www.blackpowdermag.com/

 

[FlinterNick]

Do not ever weld on a barrel .

Agree, and there’s a lot more involved than just welding.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

if i did it myself i would epoxy in a tight screw in it, mill it off flush then drill the new hole... the answer to every question asked is in my first post and 9:53 post. The liner that was in it looks like a hex head with a hole in the middle, ,(cause thats what it is).. didn't look like a good spark gathering device to me at all. & why i took it out.. (i think i've already lost it,, but i've not looked for it too hard;>)) .. it may shoot fine in the forward low location, but i bet you won't see one in that position on any winning competition flintlock?? The middle has to be the the point of maximun flash, most efficient, reliable ignition.. forward or rear is getting a fraction of the flash. .

Most likely not. It is your gun, do what you want to do. Most shooters want the gun to function well, but still want to be conservative with respect to additional work and or cost. If it were me, I would still shoot it first and then decide what to do.
Good luck.
Larry

 

[BoomStick]

I replaced the liners in my T/C guns with the hex-type. The inside is nicely coned and I've found they give good ignition. If lost, RMC sells them...I think other places I see them are resellers of RMC's...
https://rmcoxyoke.com/product/rmc-flintlock-touch-hole-liner-replacements/