POLISHING THE PRIMING PAN

[APG]

So this is the pan after I polished it up with the felt tip dremel tool. Don't have a before picture but the pan looked like the area behind the pan itself. I'm pleased with the outcome of polishing it and tomorrow I will take it to the range and see what difference it makes. Thank you all for your input and advice on this matter.

 

[TDM]

So this is the pan after I polished it up with the felt tip dremel tool. Don't have a before picture but the pan looked like the area behind the pan itself. I'm pleased with the outcome of polishing it and tomorrow I will take it to the range and see what difference it makes. Thank you all for your input and advice on this matter.

Looks Good !!

 

[M. De Land]

So I am quite new to the flintlock fad. And I now have finally got my flintlock rifle ( Traditions Kentucky flintlock rifle with a L&R replacement lock) to fire pretty much every time I pull the trigger. I'm now wanting to polish the priming pan as it is pretty ruff and seems to get "gunked up" I do have a Dremel type tool but not sure which tip would work the best. Would appreciate any help given. Thank you in advance.

Sounds like a pretty good idea to help prevent fouling build up but I have never bothered with it on my locks . I would caution to be careful to not open the seem between the pan edge and the barrel flat it sides.

 

[olskool]

no need to polish. i just spray the lock with Windex as i do the bore and the funk rolls off. i like things simple,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Fisherking]

I have considered polishing the pan on one of mine because the frizzen and the pan don’t mate up perfectly and I live in the Northwest, so rain is a certainty. I was considering using plumbers packing tape (the Teflon/tar type string) to outline the pan before you close the frizzen. Has anyone tried this? It is waterproof, not particularly flammable and it doesn’t really have an adhesive quality. I thought I’d try it.

 

[Brokennock]

no need to polish. i just spray the lock with Windex as i do the bore and the funk rolls off. i like things simple,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Every shot?
Every shot, you spray with windex, getting things wet, having to wipe it off, then proceed to load, prime, fire, and repeat?

Simple?

Polished pan = shoot, wipe pan with rag or part of hunting shirt or sash, load, prime, repeat.

 

[Brokennock]

I've also read that a highly polished pan reflects the heat of the priming powder flash better....
I'm not so sure on this and can't see a way to test it quantitatively.

 

[olskool]

Every shot?
Every shot, you spray with windex, getting things wet, having to wipe it off, then proceed to load, prime, fire, and repeat?

Simple?

Polished pan = shoot, wipe pan with rag or part of hunting shirt or sash, load, prime, repeat.

no, i just clean when through shooting with Windex. i have never had a problem between shots with a dirty pan. my range lube is about 80% water and dawn dish soap, sometimes i mix 50-50 i can shoot all day long from sunup till sundown and never swab. swabbing is for people who don't like to shoot! the last ball slides down better than the first. when i clean it takes 5-10min to get a white patch. when i hunt i lube with my beeswax and olive oil mix,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Pete G]

So this is the pan after I polished it up with the felt tip dremel tool. Don't have a before picture but the pan looked like the area behind the pan itself. I'm pleased with the outcome of polishing it and tomorrow I will take it to the range and see what difference it makes. Thank you all for your input and advice on this matter.

You probably won’t notice much difference but you will feel better about it.

 

[APG]

Went to the range today and I'm glad to announce that the polishing of the primer pan was worth the effort. Before polishing there was a gooey mess in the pan after a few shots and was hard to get out because the pan was "textured" for lack of a better word. But after I polished the pan it was very easy to just wipe out the mess. So I'm quite pleased how it turned out.

 

[HighUintas]

That's great news!

I'm surprised people have taken their pans up to 2000gr finish and then polishing compound. Basically mirror finish.

Us a mirror finish really necessary? I think I took mine to 800 or so, maybe 1200 and it seems very smooth. I can't imagine fouling sticking to it or being hard to wipe out of it. I haven't tried I yet though. Still building...

 

[Brokennock]

That's great news!

I'm surprised people have taken their pans up to 2000gr finish and then polishing compound. Basically mirror finish.

Us a mirror finish really necessary? I think I took mine to 800 or so, maybe 1200 and it seems very smooth. I can't imagine fouling sticking to it or being hard to wipe out of it. I haven't tried I yet though. Still building...

Higher polished metal also resists corrosion better than unpolished. Or so it is said.

Don't know that it is necessary to go all the way to a bright mirror polish, but, it certainly doesn't hurt either.
Nice thing is, you can try yours as it is and if you are satisfied, keep it as is. If you find a little crud sticking, clean it and polish it some more.

 

[TDM]

Higher polished metal also resists corrosion better than unpolished. Or so it is said.

I agree with Brokennock. If your going to polish it, polish it good. Rotary tools are cheap and always handy to have. Doesn’t take long to get it shinny.

 

[HighUintas]

Ahh that is true. I forgot about the high polish having better corrosion resistance. I will likely polish away.... But will try it as is first. I like the satin finish look.

 

[cal.43]

Every shot?
Every shot, you spray with windex, getting things wet, having to wipe it off, then proceed to load, prime, fire, and repeat?

Simple?

Polished pan = shoot, wipe pan with rag or part of hunting shirt or sash, load, prime, repeat.

not so polished pan = shoot->reload->prime->repeat, L&R replacement lock

 

[nhmoose]

Wow!! now we argue whether to polish the pans bottom?

Getting ANAL guys

 

[TDM]

Wow!! now we argue whether to polish the pans bottom?

Getting ANAL guys

Gotta have something to argue about.

 

[TC]

When i bought my flintlock rifle used it had a small pit or casting imperfection in the bottom of the pan. I didn’t like the powder and residue sitting in it so i ground it out then polished. I did notice an improvement in wiping it clean when needed between shots and at clean up at the end of the day. Now on my matchlock pan i left it rough so so the prime had a better chance of not getting blown out by the wind.

 

[FlinterNick]

I don’t polish mine. The pan builds up a patina from usage, and as long as you clean it, it will not rust out and pit.

 

[BillKilgore]

When I was a boy, they said polishing your pan would make you go blind.