Thanks, but that is not what I have. The touchhole screw is near the end of the bore where the charge is.
Ignition Problems – No I idea what I am doing!!! Please help!
- Thread starter Bumpy Rhodes
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
bldtrailer
Pilgrim
if possible try to find a local muzzle loader club most guys are very happy to help
It'll get inside that patent breach and get it clean, where the 50 brush is too bocoup
Banjoman
Hillbilly
It’s hard to tell really, but your flint looks a little dull. Here’s my method for sharpening flints and it’s similar to what some others have described. Those goofy little brass hammers and whisk brooms don’t work for me.
First, I take the flint out of the cock and place it on a flat surface. I use a small screwdriver, turn screw, nail or something similar. I’ll turn the screw driver blade sideways and place it about a millimeter (or less) onto the edge of the flint and press down taking off small flakes which you can see in the picture.
These flints are very sharp after this! Here’s the flint in my Chambers lock.
Here’s a short video using one of the flints I sharpened using this method. Please pardon the shaky one handed stuff.
Also, I always start with a clean, dry bore when shooting. NO OIL.
Four things I learned helped me more than anything :
No oil in bore
Use sharp flints
Use real black powder
And, if you can swing it, get a gun with a traditional, flat faced breech. It will make life much better.
Hope this helps.
First, I take the flint out of the cock and place it on a flat surface. I use a small screwdriver, turn screw, nail or something similar. I’ll turn the screw driver blade sideways and place it about a millimeter (or less) onto the edge of the flint and press down taking off small flakes which you can see in the picture.
These flints are very sharp after this! Here’s the flint in my Chambers lock.
Here’s a short video using one of the flints I sharpened using this method. Please pardon the shaky one handed stuff.
Also, I always start with a clean, dry bore when shooting. NO OIL.
Four things I learned helped me more than anything :
No oil in bore
Use sharp flints
Use real black powder
And, if you can swing it, get a gun with a traditional, flat faced breech. It will make life much better.
Hope this helps.
Last edited:
@Bumpy Rhodes, your rifle has a chambered breech with a diameter of about 0.300. This chambered breech will collect the fouling and sludge from shooting and oil eventually blocking the flash channel from the touch hole to the powder charge. The 30 cal brush wrapped in a cleaning patch can enter the chambered breech to capture the fouling and dry out the chambered breech. Cleaning the chambered breech is a tight fit and your working rod needs to be substantial and built to prevent the tip from being pulled off. The brush has to have the wire twist looped through the base. Avoid press fit brushes. They have been known to cause problems that can get up to 20 pages of dubious and useful hints. Once cleaned, store the rifle muzzle down so the oils and cleaning solution can drain out.
As preparation for the next shooting session wipe the bore and the chambered breech with an alcohol dampened patch to ensure that residual oil and grease are removed.
When installing a flint, use a piece of match stick to lift the back edge of the flint to achieve that scraping angle on the frizzen. You will overcome these early setbacks and learn how to make that lock perform.
As preparation for the next shooting session wipe the bore and the chambered breech with an alcohol dampened patch to ensure that residual oil and grease are removed.
When installing a flint, use a piece of match stick to lift the back edge of the flint to achieve that scraping angle on the frizzen. You will overcome these early setbacks and learn how to make that lock perform.
@Bumpy Rhodes, no insult intended, but in my opinion you really need to find a way to get some quality range time with experienced flintlock shooters. You seem to have both the desire and enthusiasm required to successfully enjoy the world of flintlocks, but I don’t see this thread doing it. You have a relatively inexpensive entry level flintlock, which can be very serviceable, however, in many cases it requires someone that knows what they are doing to get it serviceable. This isn’t a negative towards you or your gun, it’s just an inconvenient fact that you seem to have a Pandora’s box of little issues. By themselves, quite solvable. Collectively, can be quite the challenge.
If you were anywhere near Western North Carolina, we could arrange some play dates, as I have done with other forum members, though I am not the only one here that have done this. Quite a few members have both publicly and quietly provided one on one assistance to folks starting out. You will find most traditional muzzleloaders are more than willing to be helpful.
So what to do now? I did a quick check on the NMLRA’s website for clubs in New Hampshire and found none. But a quick check of neighboring states (Massachusetts. Maine and Vermont) found a number of clubs. Might be time to contact some of the closer clubs and attempt to arrange some range time.
Wish you luck with your adventure.
_________________________
MASSACHUSETTS
Westfield Sportsman’s Club
Various Shoots – Call for info. Francis T. Mitchell, 101 Montgomery St., Westfield, MA 01085, 413-568-5012, westfieldsportsmanclub.com
_________________________
MAINE
Acadia Frontiersmen
Various rendezvous – call for info., Beth Sundberg, P.O. Box 1256, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679, 207-244-9601, bethshininghair @gmail.com, FaceBook – Acadia Frontiersmen of Maine
Ancient Ones of Maine
Monthly “geezer” shoots TBA,
Ray Hamilton, 207-897-5058, [email protected], http://theancientonesofmaine.com/index.html
Penobscot Long Rifles
No shoots schedule at this time,
Wade Moffett [email protected]
York County Powder Burners
Shoots monthly beginning in May, Michael Davis, 103 Staples Rd., Limington, ME 04049, 207-637-2603; [email protected]
_________________________
VERMONT
Bayley-Hazen Muzzleloaders
Shoot last Sat. monthly March through October Bob Lindemann, 266 Turner Rd, Moretown, VT 05660, 802-229-2062, [email protected]
Lamoille Valley Fish & Game Club
Harland Blodgett, 22 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489, 802-899-3889; hfblodgett@ yahoo.com
If you were anywhere near Western North Carolina, we could arrange some play dates, as I have done with other forum members, though I am not the only one here that have done this. Quite a few members have both publicly and quietly provided one on one assistance to folks starting out. You will find most traditional muzzleloaders are more than willing to be helpful.
So what to do now? I did a quick check on the NMLRA’s website for clubs in New Hampshire and found none. But a quick check of neighboring states (Massachusetts. Maine and Vermont) found a number of clubs. Might be time to contact some of the closer clubs and attempt to arrange some range time.
Wish you luck with your adventure.
_________________________
MASSACHUSETTS
Westfield Sportsman’s Club
Various Shoots – Call for info. Francis T. Mitchell, 101 Montgomery St., Westfield, MA 01085, 413-568-5012, westfieldsportsmanclub.com
_________________________
MAINE
Acadia Frontiersmen
Various rendezvous – call for info., Beth Sundberg, P.O. Box 1256, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679, 207-244-9601, bethshininghair @gmail.com, FaceBook – Acadia Frontiersmen of Maine
Ancient Ones of Maine
Monthly “geezer” shoots TBA,
Ray Hamilton, 207-897-5058, [email protected], http://theancientonesofmaine.com/index.html
Penobscot Long Rifles
No shoots schedule at this time,
Wade Moffett [email protected]
York County Powder Burners
Shoots monthly beginning in May, Michael Davis, 103 Staples Rd., Limington, ME 04049, 207-637-2603; [email protected]
_________________________
VERMONT
Bayley-Hazen Muzzleloaders
Shoot last Sat. monthly March through October Bob Lindemann, 266 Turner Rd, Moretown, VT 05660, 802-229-2062, [email protected]
Lamoille Valley Fish & Game Club
Harland Blodgett, 22 Poker Hill Rd., Underhill, VT 05489, 802-899-3889; hfblodgett@ yahoo.com
See the smaller hole of the patent breach compared to the 50 caliber bore. Some can be as small as 4.5mm (.177") or 5.5mm (.220").
