Hex socketed vent liners?

[M. De Land]

Here are a couple of pictures of the liner next to a WL liner if I can get them to attach.

Finally got them to attach. Click on the image to blow them up for viewing.

 

[longcruise]

Nicely made.

 

[Griz44Mag]

OK, I give. They are not removable for regular cleaning.

LOL, non-illigitimide corborundum. (sp?, I am not a Latino so I don't speak good Latin.)
Mine are removable for cleaning.
I like my guns spic and span clean when they go back in the safe.
It's harder to get them clean=clean through a 1/16" hole between the main charge and the source of ignition.
High volume flushing is pretty hard to do through a vent.
I have flush kits with a tube and use a basting syringe to flush those channels for both types.
The gasketed 8-1.25 flush nipple fits in the liner hole perfectly and keeps the sludge and slime off the woodwork.
For the Bess, I have no recourse but to use the C clamp flush, but based on advice on this forum, it will be retrofit with a liner.

 

[GregLaRoche]

I have an original 1777 Charleville produced in 1815. The touch hole was much larger than original. A muzzle loading gunsmith told me that, at this time many of the guns touch holes were drilled out so they could pour powder in the muzzle and tap it on the ground to prime the pan. They used a lot more powder then and weren’t so concerned about accuracy as a fast reload. With such a large hole I was loosing a lot of pressure.

I bought a plug with a square on the end. The inside was a cone. After I drilled and tapped for it, I screwed in the plug, and cut off the square and drilled a new hole.

When talking about how to do it, I suggested using Locktite. He said no! Use Teflon tape so it can be removed if needed.

I can’t see the need for a hex head, unless someone wants to constantly change the touch hole plug. A good quality screw exterior should do the job. Especially if it was installed using Teflon tape.

 

[longcruise]

If one is making a liner a hex screw could be useful. Use an extra long screw and the hex key to install them cut it off and finish flat. By fiddling with a through tap you could get the fit just right and tight with the liner just to the groove depth.

 

[Griz44Mag]

If one is making a liner a hex screw could be useful. Use an extra long screw and the hex key to install them cut it off and finish flat. By fiddling with a through tap you could get the fit just right and tight with the liner just to the groove depth.

OR - just buy one for 6 bucks that is made for the gun.....

 

[excess650]

(1) Latinos don't speak Latin.
(2) I flush my touch hole (White Lightning) by pouring a mix of dishwashing liquid and water into the bore and pushing it out the vent with a patch on a jag several times. Its a good idea to clean the bore and use a breech scraper first, but it works well on guns without patent breeches.
(3) antiseize should be fine unless your thread fit is too loose
(4) fitting to groove depth isn't necessary with patent breeches
(5) Hex key fitted liners DO work well. Those as sold by TC were drilled .070", IIRC.

 

[user 34300]

An easily removable liner is a fine thing when you dry-ball in the field.

 

[longcruise]

OR - just buy one for 6 bucks that is made for the gun.....

Nah! I do this stuff for fun.

 

[GregLaRoche]

When I drilled and tapped for a new one, I was told to use Teflon tape on the threads, so it could be removed and changed if necessary. I think a good extractor should be able to get one out. I don’t see the need for hex heads. To me, this is something not done all the time. Maybe others want to change theirs depending on conditions. That’s something that I don’t know about. Otherwise, why not keep it simple?

 

[flntlokr]

I install liners I make from 1/4x28

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set screws. Drill a 1/16 hole for flash and countersink in from the end to leave only a narrow shoulder in the flash hole. The narrow shoulder creates a venturi effect which should accelerate the flash into the main charge. I usually use a 1/4 inch long screw, and run it in flush with the barrel flat. With or without Teflon. I always take them out for cleaning, and have made a brass fitting which screws in and has a piece of tubing which I run into a soda bottle with my soapy water. Lay the gun flat, so that any drips escaping past the threads drop free, and pump the water until it gets no darker. Change for clear water and do it again to rinse. Remove the hose fitting and dry with clean patches followed by anti-corrosion stuff of your choice. No fuss. No mess.

 

[Zonie]

For anyone tempted to make a vent hole liner out of a socket set screw, here's a bit of advice to help you hold it while you drill the hole.

First off I'll say flat out, do not use locking pliers (Vise Grips®) to clamp directly on the set screws threads. Clamping the screw that way will deform the threads on the screw and it will damage the threads of anything it is then screwed into including your rifle barrel.

The way to prevent this damage from happening is to buy one hexagon nut that has the same threads as the set screw.
Use a hack saw or an abrasive cut off wheel to cut completely thru one wall of the hexagon nut.

Screw the set screw into the slotted nut. Then, use your locking pliers or a vise to clamp on the outside of the nut. The cut thru the nut should not be under the clamping jaws.

By doing this, the hexagon nut will pinch tightly on the screws threads without deforming them.

This same slotted nut can be used to hold the set screw or a vent liner tightly to allow you to file the length of it to match the thickness of your barrel.
Just figure how much of the screw has to be filed off. Then, screw the liner or set screw into the nut with that much if it protruding from the face of the nut.
Clamp the nut with the locking pliers and then file the "too long" end of the screw flush with the face of the nut.

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

This is an excellent description and advice. Zonie, thank you for sharing your experience and wisdom.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I had a vent liner with a screw slot in it. The slot lined up vertically with the barrel and the pan. I started to get some gas cutting in the pan at the bottom of the screw slot so I replaced it with a permanent liner.

 

[M. De Land]

For anyone tempted to make a vent hole liner out of a socket set screw, here's a bit of advice to help you hold it while you drill the hole.

First off I'll say flat out, do not use locking pliers (Vise Grips®) to clamp directly on the set screws threads. Clamping the screw that way will deform the threads on the screw and it will damage the threads of anything it is then screwed into including your rifle barrel.

The way to prevent this damage from happening is to buy one hexagon nut that has the same threads as the set screw.
Use a hack saw or an abrasive cut off wheel to cut completely thru one wall of the hexagon nut.

Screw the set screw into the slotted nut. Then, use your locking pliers or a vise to clamp on the outside of the nut. The cut thru the nut should not be under the clamping jaws.

By doing this, the hexagon nut will pinch tightly on the screws threads without deforming them.

This same slotted nut can be used to hold the set screw or a vent liner tightly to allow you to file the length of it to match the thickness of your barrel.
Just figure how much of the screw has to be filed off. Then, screw the liner or set screw into the nut with that much if it protruding from the face of the nut.
Clamp the nut with the locking pliers and then file the "too long" end of the screw flush with the face of the nut.

Good stuff Jim! A method I use is to put the screw in my small machinists vice with both a vertical and horizontal V groove traverse in the jaws lined with a strip of copper around the screw body. The V holds the screw perfectly vertical with the drill press quill for an easy drill through.
I usually do this kind of thing in the lathe chuck without any padding, just don't cinch down on the hard jaws as it doesn't require much holding pressure to drill a hole, so as not to bugger the screw threads up. The tops of the threads are usually rounded off and not sharp so it takes more pressure to distort them than is needed to secure them for the hole drill out.

 

[Griz44Mag]

After this weeks target killing exercise and cleaning session, I installed the hex key liner (from RMC) in my Pedersoli Frontier 54.
I also deviated from my norm and wrapped this one with teflon tape (also non traditional).
The liner fit perfectly and it looks good.
If you don't get really close and inspect in detail, you can't tell it's a hex shaped hole.
I think I am really going to like this. I have 2 more ordered, one for my Pedersoli 45 and one for the Pedersoli Dixie that is in route to me now.

 

[flntlokr]

I make my own from set screws. Just find the right thread size, and the length you want, drill a 1/16 hole through the bottom, and there you have a 6 cent vent liner. I use stainless, but you don't need to. I also countersink in from the end to leave the shortest throat I can; that makes a venturi, which causes the flame to accelerate into the chamber. I remove mine every time I clean so the threads don't get crapped up with fouling. Use Teflon if you want, it keeps the threads clean. Thousands of shots; never burned one out, and they work well.