Loading a flintlock

[Flint1]

Does anyone plug the touchhole on their flintlock while loading? I've been shooting flinters for a number of years and have read of this, and how the old hunters used feathers to plug their touchholes while loading, but I have never tried it. At a recent match I saw someone doing this with very good results. Each time the rifle went off there was a distinctive klatch-boom. What are y'all's thoughts on this?

 

[Dave K]

When I owned a Blue Ridge 32cal. I did that. I usually reached down and took a leaf stem and inserted it in the vent. Of course pulled it out once loaded.It sure speeded up that gun! Now with my guns having White Lightening vents, I don't need to bother. JMHO

 

[TN.Frank]

I stick my vent pick into the touch hole after I load to make an air pocket into the main charge, that seems to speed up things a bit over just loading and shooting.

 

[boar]

RwI I stick my pick in when I load, I keep it on string tied to triggerguard. Dilly

 

[AZ-Robert]

Ditto. I have a dove feather in the shooting bag and use it sometimes, but most often I use the vent pick. Hold it in place while loading by closing the frizzen on it and pull it out just before priming the pan.

 

[riarcher]

Yup, same here,,,,,,,,
except for when a quick(?) follow up is warrented.

 

[Big John]

I like to feel the powder crunch in the vent hole, therefore I use the vent pick. A buddy uses a round toothpick with one end broken off inserted before he puts in the main charge.

 

[2172]

Boar, soon as I fire, I open the pan, and I put in the pick which I keep tied to the trigger guard...great minds think alike..Hank

 

[mmahlock]

OK, I'll bite, how do you keep in in the touch hole? Every time I've tried something like that the air being compressed under the ball pops it out as the ball goes down the barrel and finally seats on the powder. :hmm:

 

[AZ-Robert]

Closing the frizzen on it works for me. If the air pushes the feather out, it is just enough for the air to escape around the edges and not enough to pop it out. The pick doesn't have those problems as it doesn't fit that tightly... mine is just a bit of brass wire and not wide enough to completely block the vent.

 

[bob1961]

i use a pipe cleaner about 3" long to stick in the touch hole and close the frizzen....it holds it there and allows the air to git around it when loading.............bob

 

[aragorn]

I'm not sure I see the point. If you want a gap between prime and main charge, it's easier to do that by putting your primer on the pan away from the touchole, and not using much. This should put a flash rather than a wick into the main charge and give instantaneous ignition.

 

[Puffer]

I'm not sure I see the point. If you want a gap between prime and main charge, it's easier to do that by putting your primer on the pan away from the touchole, and not using much. This should put a flash rather than a wick into the main charge and give instantaneous ignition.

I agree. :thumbsup:NEVER had a prob. doing it this way.

Puffer

 

[riarcher]

Without the pick, the powder can fill the hole.
this burns something like a fuse effect.
I pick the hole to allow the flame to get directly to the charge without letting it burn through to ignite the main charge.
the effect is;
Click,,,, Fzzzzz,,,, BOOM,
As compared to Click,BOOM. Or sometimes just plain "BOOOOM!
This may not apply to all flinters,,,, but so far for me, it's been applicable to all in variouse degrees. (especially to my Bess! :shocked2: )

 

[TXCELLENT1]

Hank, That's funny cuz when my ball goes down the barrel, my frizzen is already open. I think you meant that you set the hammer at half cock and insert your pick. No?

 

[dlemaster]

Ok I'm not the brightest penny in the jar but I've seen several people advocate putting the prime to the outside of the pan to get the flash effect rather than a fuse effect. Maybe I'm thinking with the mind set of hunting but I wouldn't think that it would be practical to have to worry if your prime had shifted in the pan, and make sure you carried a rifle always tilted to prevent a shift in prime.
I would think with a properly placed touch hole of the right size that you wouldn't have to worry about whether or not the prime shifted.
I'm not asking to contentious or yank anybodys chain I would just like to know more about it.
Can someone enlighten me?

Regards, Dave

 

[doverdog]

In the initial post on this thread, it was stated the writer saw a shooter at a match load by plugging the touch hole, which gave good results. The gun went off with a "distinct klatch-boom". That doesn't sound like good results to me. It sounds like a hang-fire. If your flintlock has a sharp flint, a hard frizzen, and both have good geometry, the main charge should go off even before the cock stops its downward travel. The very first sparks from the flint striking the frizzen will have ignited the pan charge, which will have ignited the main charge. This should happen so quickly as to make the sound of the flint striking the frizzen unnoticable. If you are hearing two distinct noises, you have some work to do. My routine consists of wiping the flint, frizzen, and pan, with a strip of cloth that hangs from my shooting bag, then poking a pick into the touchhole to clear it. I do this for each and every shot and have probably less than an average of one mis-fire for every 200 rounds. If the gun fails to go off, it is because the flint has dulled.

 

[hack]

I totally agree. I have never picked the touch hole before firing and I would put my rifle up against any other for speed. But if you think that it makes your gun faster, them by all means do it. shooting a flinter is a mind game to start with, so whatever makes you better, keep it up. but if someone smokes your tail in a match without all the cumbersome wives tales following him around you just might want to pay attention.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I have to concur with Hack. Ive never done this, and never had a problem.

 

[reddogge]

I just close the frizzen when I load, prime so the primer is settled in the bottom of the pan the entire length, hit the lock with my hand to level the priming charge, pick the touch hole to clear it, and fire. It's my routine and I've been at this for a long while.