Patch is wet but not dripping. 3f.
Schuetzen.What brand powder?
UPDATE:
After a good scrubbing yesterday and overnight dry by the woodstove, I got 2 good shots before the FNF (Flash No Fire) reared it's ugly head. I picked the touchhole, tapped and reprimed 3 times, FNF. On the 4th try I buried the touchhole in primer and it fired.
4th shot, after dropping the charge I tapped the barrel with a piece of wood (previously I tapped by hand), fast light taps, and again FNF. I then buried the touchhole in primer and it fired.
This is what seems to work: Clean touchhole then leave the pick in the hole. Drop the charge and tap with wood. Seat ball, run the pick in and out a couple times, then bury the touchhole. Every time I did that, it fired.
I hate to say this is the solution since, from what I understand, I should not bury the touchhole, but it seems to be reliable.
Yeah, I was getting a bit discouraged for a while!Do what works. That might just be what it takes for yours. When you figure out a method that works every time, stick with it. Seems like each one of mine likes something a little different.
That’s part of the fun of traditional muzzleloading!
again, pure BS! Your thumb Will not hurt that. I’m sorry William-Robert, but I’ve been shooting these since I was like 15. I always use my thumb. I know it’s hard to believe, but they didn’t have plastic squeeze bottles of alkyhol on the frontier.Be sure to wipe the frizzen face off with a clean ungreased patch after firing. Do not wipe the frizzen face with your finger. Oils and fouling crud can easily cause a misfire, particularly if there is significant moisture in the air.
Do you leave the patch in the bore or does it come out with the jag? And just water damp?It’s okay to run a damp (not dripping wet) cleaning patch down after several shots if you want. There are folks on here and other forums say they can shoot all day without swabbing the bore. Then there others who swab after every shot and some like me who swab after a few shots. No right or wrong way really.
Here’s a little trick I learned for rifled bores. I like to use a fiberglass rod with a cleaning jag (of what caliber the gun is) as a range rod. On maybe the tenth or twelfth shot I’ll load everything same as usual but with a damp patch on the jag so I’m loading and swabbing at the same time.
So you run a soaked patch on a jag on an empty chamber? Do you run it through only once?I use an alcohol cleaning patch every 5 shots or so, whenever I feel the ball start to go down too hard. I have a small plastic jar with a dozen or so that are damp not drenched, in my bag. The alcohol dries fast so it doesn’t impact the next powder load going down the barrel
Yes, I usually run it down once then flip the patch over and run it a second timeSo you run a soaked patch on a jag on an empty chamber? Do you run it through only once?
Do you leave the patch in the bore or does it come out with the jag? And just water damp?
hey thanks for explaining and the photo.The breach plug should NOT be removed , and nis not meant to be removed. It is "cross pinned" by a threaded insert that the touch hole liner screws into. In theory you could drill out or otherwise extract the insert then remove the plug , but would be near impossible to line the plug perfectly with threaded hole up . Make sense ?
Here is another image of the patent breach, from a cap lock but same idea.
See how the drum threads through the barrel into the breach plug and acts as a cross pin . See the channel/hole ? This one appears to be around 1/4" (.250") , on this one, which I believe is from a Pedersoli. Most Traditions and CVA's have a much smaller hole.
Disclaimer: for information purposes only.
Here is an extreme option I would only recommend to someone with machining skills. The channel (center hole) in the patent breach on a friends barrel measured .177" or 4.5mm , very small and easily fouled and making powder flow difficult causing misfires. Using a 3' section of 3/8" steel rod I center drilled the end using a lathe starting with a 3/16" (.187") drill and secured it (press fit) also adding two set screws on the drill flats. I used a brass muzzle guard on the rod to center the rod and with a lot of cutting fluid and low speed carefully drilled the hole out to .187" .This is very hard steel a quality colbalt drill is needed. Then repeated the process going up in size .015" at a time stopping at 15/64" (.234"). This increased the diameter by .057" , not a lot but enough to allow better powder flow and less clogging from fouling and not enough to affect the wall thickness of the plug as to weaken the threads. We tested after this size and the issues all but went away so we left it at that. Again this is an extreme option left to an experienced machinist. You screw up and snap a drill and you're done, barrel is scrap metal.
I believe with the advice you've got from proper cleaning, vent picking, and loading that 95% of your problems should go away. This would be my advice as well.
Great job ! I have found with muzzleloader it's not a one size fits all, there are so many variables in designs. When I started with flint locks I was told to use very little prime powder and bank it away from the touch hole. I would get misfires and hang fires. After experimenting I found filling the bottom of the pan from just under the touch hole to the end of the pan I'd get fast consistent ignition.UPDATE:
After a good scrubbing yesterday and overnight dry by the woodstove, I got 2 good shots before the FNF (Flash No Fire) reared it's ugly head. I picked the touchhole, tapped and reprimed 3 times, FNF. On the 4th try I buried the touchhole in primer and it fired.
4th shot, after dropping the charge I tapped the barrel with a piece of wood (previously I tapped by hand), fast light taps, and again FNF. I then buried the touchhole in primer and it fired.
This is what seems to work: Clean touchhole then leave the pick in the hole. Drop the charge and tap with wood. Seat ball, run the pick in and out a couple times, then bury the touchhole. Every time I did that, it fired.
I hate to say this is the solution since, from what I understand, I should not bury the touchhole, but it seems to be reliable.