Ignition Problems – No I idea what I am doing!!! Please help!

[kyron4]

But you do have a smaller flash chamber. That is what the cut away shows. 1 reason why I used 3f in the 1 I had. It would get down to the flash hole alittle easier.

Shortly after getting mine I switched to 3F also for the same reason.

 

[kyron4]

thanks for showing this. so will a thompson center hawken and renegade be the same kind of patent breech?

It does, though a different design. Here is a cut away from a caplock. and a bore shot from a flintlock with a tooth pick push through the touch hole.

 

[kyron4]

Yesterday I didn't know what a patent breech was, now I have one!

Yep , keep it clean and dry and you'll be fine. After a good cleaning , pumping water through it, dry it out good . You can pull the liner and use a q-tip to further dry/clean the small chamber.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

It does, though a different design. Here is a cut away from a caplock. and a bore shot from a flintlock with a tooth pick push through the touch hole.

thank you very much friend for answering my question and showing the pics. much appreciated

 

[snakebit]

Again guys, I do not have a patent breech, I have the standard touchhole screw in the side of the full bore.

You guys are correct, it is a patent breech, sorry I didn't check earlier. Hey, I have a lot to learn!

Not trying to kick you while you're down, but most offshore made ML's have them. Doesn't mean they aren't serviceable, just means ya gotta dance with them differently.

My first Flinter was a Lyman GPR I bought used. I experienced all the problems you are having. I was close to hucking that 9 pound hunk of junk into the creek. A few calls, texts and pictures with my buddy Gum Slough Muzzleloader, he talked me out of doing something stupid. I did a bunch of reading of old posts, I'm mean hours at a time, for days. Proper sized flints, proper cleaning techniques, and a new $6 touch hole liner, and that ol girl runs like a well made watch and I wouldn't sell it for twice what I paid for it. It'll happen for you too.

 

[Meadowlark Gallery]

I tried that, there is a flintlock club a bit over an hour away in Maine, they had already stopped activities for the winter when I contacted them in Nov. They'll start up again after the snow melts, about May.

I've been to dozens of clubs in the area over the last 30 years and have met only one flintlock owner, he was one of the guys who was on the field and fired his rifle when the Pats scored a touchdown. Which is why I am so dependent on you guys!

I use for my flints which I prefer over a percussion the following: 2f powder for the barrel and 4f for the pan. For example, I use 90 grains of 2f in the barrel but do not ramrod it down Hollywood style. I use a shotgun wad and seat it down followed by a lubricated patch and ball. I made a vent pick which use to push into the vent hole so there is a trough, if you will, into the powder. I do not fill the pan full but actually about just about a third of 4f. Before all of this I check my flint for sharpness and direct contact coming down on the frizzen.

FYI, if there are barely any sparks could mean problem with the flint or again the pan is too full.

Get back to me and I am no expert but prefer a flint all of the time.

 

[Bumpy Rhodes]

Yep , keep it clean and dry and you'll be fine. After a good cleaning , pumping water through it, dry it out good . You can pull the liner and use a q-tip to further dry/clean the small chamber.

I rigged up a clear vinyl hose to my shop faucet to run hot water to rinse the bore. I don't think it was flushing the patent breech though. I plan to make an attachment to screw into the touch to flush hot water trough there also.

 

[Bumpy Rhodes]

UPDATE:

I think you guys helped me get a good handle on the patent breech cleaning and keeping dry, and I like the idea of tapping the barrel to be sure powder gets down into it. I never knew to poke the touchhole after loading the main charge, I will start doing that, as well as not have primer powder blocking the hole. It was zero this morning so it'll be several days before I do more tests.

I am still playing around with the flints, lots to learn there. I get good sparks when the flint is too far forward and pushes on the firzzen at half cock. When I move it back, I get the bounce. I will try moving the flit around, lead instead of leather, I even read something about checking the hammer force and maybe lighten it.

Again, you guys have been extremely helpful and I'll provide updates as I work through it! THANKS!

 

[Banjoman]

UPDATE:

I think you guys helped me get a good handle on the patent breech cleaning and keeping dry, and I like the idea of tapping the barrel to be sure powder gets down into it. I never knew to poke the touchhole after loading the main charge, I will start doing that, as well as not have primer powder blocking the hole. It was zero this morning so it'll be several days before I do more tests.

I am still playing around with the flints, lots to learn there. I get good sparks when the flint is too far forward and pushes on the firzzen at half cock. When I move it back, I get the bounce. I will try moving the flit around, lead instead of leather, I even read something about checking the hammer force and maybe lighten it.

Again, you guys have been extremely helpful and I'll provide updates as I work through it! THANKS!