New touch hole liner.....

[Macon Due]

good evening
My Thompson Center new style touch hole liners finally arrived.They are quite a bit longer than what is in the barrel now. I have a round barrel fowling piece. As some of you know the T/C liners use an Allen wrench to install.With the liner screwed in as far as it goes part of the smaller diameter 'shank' of the liner and the over size flange is sticking out beyond the surface of the barrel,enough to prevent the lock being installed. My question is......should I remove part of the 'shank' and all the flange? If I remove material from the other end I would be removing part of the inner cone and of the threaded part [which is already shorter than the original set screw with a hole in it liner].
Thanks for any help.........Macon

 

[Black Hand]

Picture?
Are the threads "bottomed-out" on the outside of the barrel or is part of the threaded portion still showing?

 

[Macon Due]

Black Hand
The threaded part is bottomed out,no threaded part sticks out of the barrel.Only the smaller diameter smooth shank part part sticks out.Along with the larger diameter flange. If I shorten the liner from the outside I will lose the flange part and of course some of the smooth shank which will shorten the Allen screw part.

Macon

 

[roundball]

Macon, can you see in the vent hole if its simply a matter of the threaded seat not having been tapped all the way in?

It may be that you can just simply turn a 1/4 x 28 tap from Ace Hardware or something, in a little further to cut a couple more threads and have it.

 

[Black Hand]

I think Roundball is on the right track. That liner looks as if it is made to be fully screwed into the barrel. That said, I've never installed this type of line...

 

[Macon Due]

Roundball & Black Hand
It looks like the threads are cut full depth in the hole in the barrel but I can buy a tap and check it out. If I could screw it all the way in, it would protrude into the barrel as it is longer than the barrel is thick. Will this hurt anything? I really do not see what it would as the powder will just pour around it and when I clean it I plan to remove the vent liner each time to screw a hose adapter into the hole and that way I could use a breech face scraper too.
Macon

 

[roundball]

Will this hurt anything? I really do not see what it would as the powder will just pour around it and when I clean it I plan to remove the vent liner each time to screw a hose adapter into the hole and that way I could use a breech face scraper too.
Macon

Shouldn't hurt a thing based on what you just described.

Also, you're probably already aware of this...be careful starting the tap into the existing threads...use some oil and gently/lightly "feel it" into the same thread pattern that's already cut there.

You don't want to 'start' a whole new thread pattern as it will cross cut through the existing threads...start your tap as if you were simply using it as a 'thread chaser' to clean debris out of existing threads.

(And if you don't already have one, you'll need a little hand held torque amplifier made to be used with taps)

 

[Macon Due]

Roundball
It turns out I have a 1/4x28 tap so I used it just like you said.Very gently and slowly with oil and removed it several times and backed it out then back in untill I had it where I was was able to screw the new vent liner all the way in.It seems fine, about half way in there is a bit of a tight place but before and past that it screws in fine and at that point it is just a bit tighter to turn. So hopefully as soon as I get the barrel bent a touch I'll be ready to try it. Thank you Roundball & Black Hand.
Macon

 

[bioprof]

You don't want the liner to protrude into the barrel, because your patches will catch on it when you try to clean the barrel. You're also not supposed to remove those touch hole liners when you clean it either. They're only supposed to be removed when you need to replace it with a new one.

You should probably file off the bottom of the threads until the liner is flush with the inside of the barrel. I usually use White Lightening liners and have to file them off on both the bottom of the touch hole so it doesn't stick out into the barrel and on the face so it is flush with the outside flat.

 

[roundball]

You're also not supposed to remove those touch hole liners when you clean it either. They're only supposed to be removed when you need to replace it with a new one.

I think you may have a misunderstanding to make such a claim.
That may be your OPINION and you're welcome to it.
And it may be what YOU choose to do and that's your choice.
But I'm afraid making the claim that a liner is not supposed to be removed for cleaning has no basis in fact.

A stainless steel nipple is routinely removed as part of a caplock cleaning regimen...a dab of lube applied to the threads then reinstalled finger tight snug.
A vent liner is no different...same piece of stainless steel...screwed into the same block of breechplug steel.

I've removed every one of mine as part of my normal cleaning regimen for over a dozen years now, just as I did with my caplocks all the years prior. After everything is clean and dry, I paint the vent seat threads with NL1000 on a q-tip, and the liner threads as well, reinstall them finger tight snug.

:v

 

[Macon Due]

I am satisfied so far by the installation of the new style T/C liner. I wanted to drill it to 5/64" flash hole which i did in about a tenth of a second! I noticed the flash hole [as it comes] already looks pretty good sized and as soon as i touched a 5/64 bit to the hole it was through. I then checked to see how much the new liner protrudes into the barrel,I put a full sized .54 cal. jag on my rod and marked the rod fully seated in the barrel without the liner in place and then with it in place. No difference, mark was same place. I then did the same with a Tow worm with a flannel patch, again there was no difference [I was also able to spin the rod and wipe the breech face just fine with the liner in place. I then tried a breech face scraper and although it drops clear to the breech face it catches and prevents me turning it unless I unscrew the liner slightly. So I reckon it protrudes into the bore just a smidgen? I cannot really see a problem with the installation after this checking I have done. Again thanks for your help.
Macon

 

[bioprof]

You're also not supposed to remove those touch hole liners when you clean it either. They're only supposed to be removed when you need to replace it with a new one.

I think you may have a misunderstanding to make such a claim.
That may be your OPINION and you're welcome to it.
And it may be what YOU choose to do and that's your choice.
But I'm afraid making the claim that a liner is not supposed to be removed for cleaning has no basis in fact.

A stainless steel nipple is routinely removed as part of a caplock cleaning regimen...a dab of lube applied to the threads then reinstalled finger tight snug.
A vent liner is no different...same piece of stainless steel...screwed into the same block of breechplug steel.

I've removed every one of mine as part of my normal cleaning regimen for over a dozen years now, just as I did with my caplocks all the years prior. After everything is clean and dry, I paint the vent seat threads with NL1000 on a q-tip, and the liner threads as well, reinstall them finger tight snug.

:v

You may do as you see fit, but there are many members here that feel that a touch hole liner should never be removed for cleaning:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...8/post/1076755/hl/removing+liner/fromsearch/1/

 

[Dave K]

I agree with not removing the vent liner. I don't remove the breech plug either to clean the barrel and I feel the same about vents and nipples. It dawned on me a long time ago, that all the old original guns I have or have owned, didn't have nipples,vents or breech plugs removed to clean. Either they were terrible custodians of these old guns or the need was not there to do so. All the old guns that I acquired were in good shape, not counting broken stocks, missing parts or broken springs on some.So I agree with their logic.If the old vents were to be removed, they would have provided a slot or something to remove them. When I see an old gun and the witness mark between the barrel and breech plug don't line up. I have a concern. Maybe it is a needless concern, but someone had this gun apart and maybe too often as not the threads are telling me so. My opinion may very well be very different then yours though. But, this is mine and I am sticking to it. Another thing I learned a long time ago, if it isn't broke, don't fix it. :thumbsup:

 

[roundball]

Words are important...a search of all my threads will show a constant theme of mine...that anybody can and should do whatever they please...not my place to tell someone else they should do this or never do that, etc.

Conversely, I take note when I see a sweeping absolute across the board statement that "this should always be done", or "that should never be done", etc, etc....and that's what I called attention to here.

I personally don't care if anyone else decides not to ever remove / clean / lube a vent liner or a nipple...I only care that telling someone it should never be done is not some fact based absolute.

I for one have been routinely cleaning / lubing nipples & seats, liners & seats over the past 20 years and none ever were the worse for wear...indeed, they were always like new/showroom ready.

 

[Dave K]

Roundball, you are right, you are careful and rightly so, not to make a sweeping statement about what to do or not do. Just to be clear though on the cleaning. I have the same thing about gun parts that look as new, by doing the cleaning as I do. All the parts just get cleaned together with the barrel. Kind of like the same way that I clean the lock, when cleaning a gun. I don't disassemble it, but clean it all under the faucet with a tooth brush and hot water. Blot dry and spray it with Ballistol (or any rust preventative you like), it hang over the waste paper basket until I know all is moisture free, then reassemble the gun. I am only saying that make yourself happy about cleaning your gun, but DO IT. Which is what you are saying, but you just do it in a different way then I do it, because it makes you happy and that is what it is all about.