Hang fire....

[msuspartan]

I have a flintlock pistol that I purchased at Friendship (a intercontinental arms .45 flintlock) and after a little clean-up, spring adjustment and a new screw it was ready to shoot.

Here is what it does, I get decent spark and I think I have the flint correct, but when the pan fires off I get a lag (1/2 sec+)then the pistol fires off. I thought flints were a bit faster. I looked down the barrel and saw the vent hole and the drill line/groove from where the vent hole comes in to the barrel base. It is nice and clean. Not sure what to do next? Any insight is helpful. Using amber flints,4f prime, 20gr. 3f. Thanks.

Cheers, Don

 

[Tom Compton]

I like a 5/64" touch hole for quicker ignition.

After loading use a vent pick thru the touch hole to losten the powder a little (makes more surface area available to the flash).

Be sure not to cover the touch hole with prime powder as there is a fuse effect. just enough prime to reach bottom of touch hole. If the touch hole is near the bottom of the pan, keep a little distance between the prime and the barrel flat.

Good luck,
TC

 

[denster]

The problem is probably two fold. No vent liner and a too small hole. What 40 flint said is correct on a 5/64 vent if you don't want to install a liner that will cut the hang considerbly but a good vent liner will make it practicaly non existant.

 

[msuspartan]

The vent hole can take a large paper clip when inserted and it is a bit loose when 'wiggled'. Should it be bigger? And who installs vent liners?
Thanks for the replies!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Use a drill size chart available from any hardware store. Drill bits come in fractional sizes, or in Numbered bit sizes. The drill size chart helps you know the Exact diameter of the bit in thousandths of an inch( or in metric measurments, now.)

Normally, a 1/16" drill bit is about the minimum size of TH you find in both barrels without TH liners, and in Liners. That is a wire, .0625" in diameter. A paper clip is usually smaller than that. With out a micrometer, or caliper, its anyone's guess as to what size YOUR paper clip is. My paper clip measures approx. .041".

Use drill bits to open up your TH liners.

You will also find a conversion chart in the Member Resources section on the Index page to this forum. :thumbsup:

 

[Zonie]

You probably don't want to consider installing a vent liner because your vent is already very close to the face of the breech plug. ("looked down the barrel and saw the vent hole and the drill line/groove from where the vent hole comes in to the barrel base").

Vent liners need an oversize threaded hole that would defiantly interfere with the breech plug.

Buy a 5/64 (.078 diameter) drill and use the existing vent hole as a pilot for it.

You will have to remove the lock and remember to go real slowly when you drill the existing hole out because it is fairly easy to break a drill bit. This is especially true as the bit starts to enter the bore of the barrel. At this time the bit will be cutting only on the breech plug face which can produce a tremendous side load on it.

Carefully done, this is a fairly easy job and it will greatly improve the speed of ignition in your gun.