Position of flash hole

[ebiggs1]

I think we may be narrowing down the problem if the position of the flash hole is critical.
Here they are!

This is a brand new gun .50 cal.

This is a TC with a L&R replacement lock on it. It is a used gun .50 cal.

This is a used TC .45 cal I just got.

If you think these need to be repaired, please suggest how I might do that. Obiviously the new TC can go back to the factory.

 

[Zonie]

IMO, the touch hole on the first pictures gun is grossly out of position.

I'm surprised that TC would let this gun get out the door.

The other two pictures touch holes, although not in the best position are fine as they are.

The lack of a need for the touch hole to be exactly in one position is the main reason I suggest to people who are planning on building one of the "kits" from TOTW, Pecatonica River or MBS that they start with a flintlock.

If the touch hole is slightly out of position when they are finished, like the bottom two pictures guns, it isn't a major problem.

A Percussion gun on the other hand is very fussy about where the drum and nipple are located.

 

[fyrfyter43]

I would try one of the TC locks on the gun with the L&R. There might be enough of a difference in the 2 locks to improve that one somewhat. The third one doesn't look bad at all...maybe the L&R would work better on that gun.

 

[ebiggs1]

Can the breech plug be drilled differently to position the flash hole better? Can you buy undrilled breech plugs?

 

[Stumpkiller]

The vent on Cherry Girl is in the "sunrise" position. Centered and even with the lip of the pan when viewed edge on. A muzzleloader savvy gunsmith like CoyoteJoe or Mike Brooks may be able to plug your vent with a solid slug and drill an offset vent in the proper place.

 

[B.Habermehl]

I suggest you shoot it first. The tolerence for position of the touch hole foreward and aft is a bit broader than up and down for good preformance. My bet is that if the lock is working OK then It will fire fine. BJH

 

[roundball]

Of the many, many T/C Hawkens I've bought and sold over the years I've never seen the gross misalignment shown in the .50cal situation leave the factory like that.

I have seen that mis-alignment problem several times however...and its always been when a caplock stock was used to create a Flintlock.

The .45cal is fine.

 

[paulab]

hi guys.... here's an idea. you could take a dremel tool with a grinder bit and CAREFULLY grind the rear edge of the pan back so the pan is a little more centered under the touch hole. make sure that the frizzen will still cover the newly enlarged and polished pan. this would be a lot easier than plugging the hole and drilling a new one in the correct position. it's just a thought. cheers paul

 

[DrLaw]

I'd send the photo that you have of where the vent it presently on it, misaligned, to TC, via e-mail, with a request of where to send the barrel or gun. Who knows, they may replace the whole thing.

That as opposed to trying to grind the pan, since the frizzen my not cover the pan if you start grinding.

The Doc is out now. :v

 

[ebiggs1]

I have gotten it to fire pretty well.
I shot it 10 times yesterday and it fired all ten times. But with all the frustration I have had statring out, I am looking for failure as hard as I can.

 

[ebiggs1]

I agree with that because the gun is brand new and has a life time warranty!? Whatever that means!

 

[nchawkeye]

Send it back to T/C, no excuse in that...

They need to know, it's not the only gun that left the fsctory that way...

 

[ronrryan]

Two points:1) That gun should be sent back to the builder ASAP, it should never have left the factory that way. (2) The position of touchholes is desirable in the sunset position, but I was told by a respected builder, one whose rifles had won state championships, that the perfect sunset position was not as critical as some people seem to feel nowadays. He had seen perfectly igniting flinters whose toucholes varied considerably. Good smoke, Ron

 

[tg]

I think the position of the hole is kind of over emphasised nowdays, I have had several flinters some were kits done by others with quite a bit of difference in the position of the hole, but have found that if a suitable sized hole is used a well tuned lock will give pretty good results, even a low hole will work if you don't bury it in powder. Position is just one of several factors in making a flinter go boom,each having a bit of wiggle room depending on type/stye of lock and gun.

 

[Stumpkiller]

True enough.

But, as my father used to say:

"The race does not aways go to the swift nor the fight to the strong . . . but that's the way you bet."

:wink:

 

[Walks with fire]

Ebiggs;

Like I said in an earlier post; I have one TC that has almost that same position and it fires everytime so I don't worry about it.

However, if you send it to TC they will probably fix it for you free of charge and no questions asked. Send it directly to the Service Manager and state your concerns in a letter.

Option 2 if TC declines to service it (highly unlikely) it can be fixed quite easily with a little work by yourself or a quality gunsmith at little expense. Take the tang screw and bolt out; take the wedge key and ramrod out; now slide the barrel forward to the position you want it in. Now; try to put your wedge key back in with the touch hole where you want it; it should still fit (mine does). If it doesn't the keyway can be filed (TC might frown on that) a little to make it fit or slide the barrel back a little until it does.

The tang can be straighted out a little to help fill the 1/8" gap that was created because the barrel was slid forward a little bit. The tang gap could be filled with Accuglass and some stain or a sliver of wood glued in there or the tang could be welded a bit on the end and reshaped/blued. You will also need to fill and re-drill the bolt hole thru the tang to the trigger gaurd and glass bed the back of the tang and stock area for a good recoil proof stock/tang. The bolt hole could also just be made a little larger and a sleeve that the bolt will run thru could be glued in there but I think I would just fill it with Accuglass and re-drill if it were me.

This how I would fix mine if I did it myself but I don't see the need as of yet. The more I got to thinking about it tonight I may just ship mine off to TC to see if they will handle it. It's just a cosmetic thing with mine but I am pretty sure they would fix it because that's just the way TC has been in the past.

I have been considering setting this stock up for a Green Mountain 15/16" .54 caliber barrel anyway but never seem to get around to getting all the parts I need to do it.

 

[ebiggs1]

As you may know I have already complained, in a firendly way, to TC's customer service. Do you think that will hurt my chances of them repairing this gun? They told me to call Monday and I am supposed to talk with a gunsmith, that didn't work on Fridays.

 

[roundball]

I absolutely would NOT call...if you get one of the old curmudgeons in the repair department that should have retired 10 years ago, you'll get the run around and be put off and you'll be posting about that...just pack it up and ship it to the Service Manager.

Then he'll be standing there with the rifle in his hands, and at a minimum will already be faced with having to send SOMETHING back to you. And I cannot believe T/C's Service Manager would condone returning THAT rifle to any customer when the customer is already dissatisfied with its reliability.
(PS: Be very clear...you need to tell so there's no question that you're dissatisfied)

Based upon converting several caplock stocks to Flintlock in past years, I've had a couple I could not convert because the pan and vent were out of alignment like yours...so my guess is somebody got their hands crossed at the factory and used a caplock stock for a Flintlock.
I'll bet they'll simply transfer your barrel & lock to a new Flint stock, everything will line up fine, and they'll ship it right back out.

 

[ebiggs1]

Is yours a NEW, new? I got mine about six months ago.

 

[ebiggs1]

It is going back today. I am constructing a box to ship it in with a letter asking, politely, for a repair. I still had hopes of deer hunting with it but I suppose that is not to be. I got to take the cap lock out in the first season and it is still ready to go.