How to stop misfires?

[GAHUNTER60]

Shot my first match with my Kibler Colonial yesterday. Everything was going swimmingly, until shot number 28. That`s when things went to Hades!

Started with a single flash in the pan. So I picked the flash hole and tried again -- another flash. Pick again, another flash! By now, everyone was convinced I have a dry load, so I work a little 4f into the flash hole, prime, and BOOM, hit 80-yard gong.

To make a long story short, the next two shots were carbon copies of the above (only when they did finally fire, I missed). Fortunately, it was only a 30 shot match!

This is now a pattern, as I've had the same thing happen around 25 shots at every range session. And whatever it is, is too gunky to be cleared by a simple pick.

Now, I run a moose milk dampened patch down the bore after every shot, followed by a dry patch to dry patch to remove any moisture left behind. I thought this would prevent any gunk build up, but is it instead, creating its own gunk?

What can I do to mitigate this problem? My next match is 40 shots!

 

[Flintlock]

Water, and a patch, give the bore a good wipe down every so often, basically a light cleaning otherwise your just pushing the gung down there without getting rid of it. Bring a large tin cup to the range with you for cleaning ( hand some beads or ribbons from the handle so someone doesn't think it's their coffee.

 

[oldwood]

With some shooters the use of a bronze brush is taboo. However , the brush will pull lots of goo out of the bore if used perhaps every 5 or so shots. Follow the brush with a damp wiper and one dry. A breech face scraper might be needed at some increment . This problem can be remedied easily with the right fix.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Its possible by swabbing between shots you're leaving moisture in there and getting your powder wet. I use Murphy's and water to lube my patches in my flintlocks and I rarely if ever swab the bore between shots at the range. It cleans as you load. You might want to try not swabbing or just use a spit patch to swab every 5 or 6 shots.

 

[Mulebrain]

Now, I run a moose milk dampened patch down the bore after every shot

There in lies the problem, the breech is retaining too much moister and wetting the charge.

 

[bigted]

Until I roached out my flash hole, now with the re-hardened hammer, this L&R lock flash's and ignites my charge every time. This along with my trial of 4F for the prime, she not only fires everytime, but fires the charge very fast. Usually use Old E 3F and I am thinking this GOEX 4F powder not only uses less but is faster flash

My 54 is a real hoot to shoot now. Did this treatment to my old smooth bore(62) and it is very reliable and quick as well. Good times!!!

 

[Britsmoothy]

Swabbing!

 

[R.J.Bruce]

Back in the '70's when I got my first flintlock longrifle, I have no idea what the diameter of the touch hole was drilled to. I think I read here recently that in those days it was common for touch holes to be drilled at 1/16", or 0.0625" in diameter.

All I know is that if I picked the touch hole before every shot, with a tight patched ball combo that pushed the fouling from the previous shot down onto the powder charge of the next shot, and using a fairly wet spit patch.

Of course, back in those days, everybody was blowing down the barrel, and watching the smoke that was still in the barrel flow out of the unobstructed touch hole. If the smoke in the barrel did not freely flow out of the touch hole, then the shooter knew to immediately pick the touch hole, before putting a new powder charge in the barrel.

Nowadays, with range rules prohibiting the blowing down of one's barrel, it's a good idea to pick the touch hole with a wooden tooth pick, leaving the pick in place while charging the barrel with powder. That way a shooter knows that their touch hole is unobstructed before the next shot.

Then, all you have to worry about is the condition of the frizzen's face, the condition of the pan, and the condition of the flint.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Your rifle probably has a white lightning vent hole liner. Make sure that hole is drilled out to 1/16".

dave

 

[Art Caputo]

While anymore it rare for me to shoot more then 10-20 shots/session when I do, I will shoot without swabbing until I begin to feel resistance from the carbon ring formed at the location of the powder charge. This seems to coincide with misfires due to chronic flash hole fowling. This generally occurs between 10-20 shots depending on the particular rifle. Temperature and humidity seem to effect the number of shots and the degree of fowling. At the early signs of the carbon ring when loading, I have found that using spit or solvent dampened TOW is effective at not only eliminating the carbon ring, but also, due to its porous/Brillo-like construct, it “pulls” the fowling out of the breach area as opposed to.compacting it where it will fowl the breach/flash-hole area causing misfires.

 

[TreeMan]

I always use a jag that is way smaller than the caliber I’m shooting. If I’m shooting a 50 I use a 45 jag, if shooting a 58 I use a 54 jag. The smaller jag and a thin cleaning patch will go down the barrel without pushing crud into the breach. When you pull the jag and patch back out it will bunch up and pull the fouling out. Too tight of a jag and cleaning patch just pushes the fouling straight to the breach to block the touch hole.

 

[oldwood]

Whatever you do , don't inhale the smoke from the barrel. Addiction can be expensive and habit forming. Think of it........buying more stuff , horns , powder, guns , etc..

 

[Grimord]

TreeMan does it the same way I do. I use the smaller jag with an alcohol dampened patch to swab the bore when I start to feel some crud down at the powder charge level. I also use a section of vinyl hose (6" long) for blowing down the barrel to see if the touch hole is clear, and it also adds some moisture to the barrel for easy loading.

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Make sure your vent hole is drilled to 1/16", #51, or #52 drill size. Then you can swab, clean between shots, not clean between shots, use smaller jags, etc to your heart's content.

dave

 

[Grenadier1758]

You will find some benefit if you use one of the dental floss picks to pick the touch hole. The bristles will pull powder out of the flash channel. Even with the best of cleaning and wiping with a properly sized jag and patch to pull the powder out, there will be some fouling at the breech. The cavity in well designed touch hole liners, such as the White Lightning, will accumulate fouling and dampness in the open part of the liner as the fouling will pull water from even low humidity air. A thin pipe cleaner or the dental flossing pick will pull the fouling out and wipe the breech plug face. If you have a rubber suction bulb, you can use squeeze the bulb to blow air through the touch hole and do a little drying of the breech.

Of course, if at the range or a woods walk where the shooting is frequent, you can use the wet patch load and not wipe between shots. Another alternative is to use a damp patch on the jag as you load a damp patched ball. The fouling is pushed to the powder and any remaining fouling is pulled out on the patched jag.

If you feel the crust ring forming, then that should be addressed. A wipe with the damp patch. Use rubbing alcohol to dampen the patch as that will evaporate much quicker than water. Pick the touch hole to make sure the flash channel is clear. A few grains from the pan gets some powder close to the breech. The expanded internal flash channel will not display the fuse effect but act more like the Manton breech accelerator section.

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

When I do swab I might use a murphy's/water/alcohol dampened patch, or maybe just a spit patch, and when I feel the jag grab the fouling ring at the bottom I just touch it and pull it up, touch and pull up about 5 or 6 times grabbing a little fouling at a time. I do this several times until I hit the bottom. This does two things. It prevents the jag from getting stuck, and it pulls the fouling up absorbing into the patch instead of pushing it down into the bore (at least that's my theory).

 

[Hatchet-Jack]

Another alternative is to use a damp patch on the jag as you load a damp patched ball. The fouling is pushed to the powder and any remaining fouling is pulled out on the patched jag.

That's a good idea Grenadier!

 

[oldhunter1954]

I have a Kibler Colonial in 54. I use a tight ball / patch combo with a lubed patch. I can get 10 to 15 shots without having to swab the barrel.

 

[Flinty Scot]

I'm not really sure it helps but when I hammer my copper picks from stripped wire, I give them a square or triangular cross section s0 twisting them should scrape the touchhole clean. I also make sure they are long enough to touch the far wall of the bore w/out binding in the hole.

I used a round iron pick on my pistol (1/16' hole) last time out & was frustratingly plagued with flash in the pan.

I wipe w/ alcohol between shots. I have best luck using a braided line with a wad of tow on each end; alcohol damp on one and dry on the other. I push them down w/ my (tapered)ramrod butt - which lets the tow collapse w/out pushing fouling down to the breech- then reverse my rod, to expand the tow wad. I hold tension on the wad w/ the rod, expanding it and pulling fouling out.

Unless it's badly fouled, I save the clean tow end for the next shot, w/ more alcohol.

Between uses, it wads up into a small pouch pocket. I carry spare tow and save the soiled tow for washing out & reuse.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

Shot my first match with my Kibler Colonial yesterday. Everything was going swimmingly, until shot number 28. That`s when things went to Hades!

Started with a single flash in the pan. So I picked the flash hole and tried again -- another flash. Pick again, another flash! By now, everyone was convinced I have a dry load, so I work a little 4f into the flash hole, prime, and BOOM, hit 80-yard gong.

To make a long story short, the next two shots were carbon copies of the above (only when they did finally fire, I missed). Fortunately, it was only a 30 shot match!

This is now a pattern, as I've had the same thing happen around 25 shots at every range session. And whatever it is, is too gunky to be cleared by a simple pick.

Now, I run a moose milk dampened patch down the bore after every shot, followed by a dry patch to dry patch to remove any moisture left behind. I thought this would prevent any gunk build up, but is it instead, creating its own gunk?

What can I do to mitigate this problem? My next match is 40 shots!

Sounds like similar issues I have had!! Don't swab until you have shot 5 to 10 rounds. Do swab only to the muzzle end of your powder charge. If a patch goes all the way against the breech, it most always will pack fouling against the TH. Right after a shot, stroke a naked RR jage down and watch the smoke come out the TH. (keep your powder charge distance as aforementioned) If smoke comes out, don't pick, cuz that is a waste time. After 30 or 40 shots, it is time for the fouling scraper. Hard fouling can build on the breech plug. After scraping then run a water wet cleaning patch, a dry one and then pick. Start over.
Hope this helps, it works for me