Priming From The Barrel

[nkbj]

A question for the military historians:
Were any military flintlocks set up to receive priming from the barrel charge?

 

[Larry Akers]

If I understand what you mean by "barrel charge" then I can only think of one-- the Kalthoff repeating flintlock rifle. Used by the Danes in the seige of Copenhagen and the Scanian war.

 

[Eric Krewson]

If the touch hole is large enough and the powder is a small granulation 3F instead of my usual 1F my fowler will self prime if I don't have a toothpick in the touchhole when I load it.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Yes, some touch holes were enlarged for self priming. I believe this was more common in the Prussian Army of Frederick the Great. They prized volume of fire over all else.

 

[hanshi]

I've had them self prime but had to tap on the off-side of the breech to get much powder out. And this is with 3F not 2F.

 

[nkbj]

That's what I was wondering about fellas. I'd read about it being done for increased rate of fire in a novel and didn't recall ever reading about it in non-fictional works.

The novel is by David Weber, a fun romp through the history of a human colony placed on another planet. Their military flintlocks are fifty caliber and shooting paper cartridges with hollow base bullets, a combination that rather appeals to me.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Well, for "independent fire" I could see 'priming from the powder charge' My Bess will sometimes do that with 3f if I have the frizzen shut. However I can safely guess that most military methods utilized a well-practiced loading drill, part of which was the command to Prime, followed by charging and ramming the ball home.

 

[Livbucks]

When using 3f mine will leak a little. I dont load with a closed frizzen, I consider it fraught with risk.

 

[Ontario47]

Turn on CC and advance to 9 minutes

 

[tenngun]

Most of us today use 2 or 3 f in our guns. Three can go through most touch holes and if your frizzen is closed you can self prime.
Back in the day 1 or 2 was used. You would need a big hole for 1.
You get a fuse effect. I recall trying it with3f in a .54. This was back it late 70s.
Pull the trigger, have a smoke, shoot some bs with the other guys on line, pick up the gun aim and after a bit it fires.
Well not that bad but definitely slower then priming after the load.

 

[toot]

I have an original BROWN BESS MUSKET that self primes every time it is loaded. the hole is aprox. 1/8 in DIA. I though that that was the norm back in the day?

 

[toot]

it is odd that he loads the charge with the bottom threaded end of the ramrod and not the top end. also he does not give the ball DIA. it Shure goes down rely easy? even after 18 shots?

 

[Eric Krewson]

I have a Bill Large barreled rifle that has a well worn touch hole liner in it, The gun is a 1 ragged hole shooter at 50 yards, it was gift from a great friend. I tried to screw out the liner once but was afraid I would damage it, it is stuck tight. When I got a bore scope I could see it is threaded into the breechplug. After being beat on by a succession of cleaning jags for 40 or 50 years I suspect it isn't concentric anymore.

The gun will self prime with 3F, it goes off so fast (Roller lock) I didn't have time to flinch when I started my flintlock journey.

I know about soaking the liner with this and that to get it out but in this case it is one of those "if it ain't broke done fix it" situations. I will just keep a toothpick in the touchhole when I load the rifle.

Bore scope picture;

 

[flintsteel]

For decades I have used larger toucholes and have to put a feather in while loading. If I’m using 3f I can close the frizzen and it always self primes. I think this was not an uncommon practice in the early years. I have seen many early guns with very large touch olds that have not been shot so much to burn them out.

 

[Ontario47]

it is odd that he loads the charge with the bottom threaded end of the ramrod and not the top end. also he does not give the ball DIA. it Shure goes down rely easy? even after 18 shots?

Watch from the beginning , the ram rod is double headed. Ball fit is "loose"

 

[Smokey Plainsman]

Some original woodsman would open their horn, pour powder down the barrel (experience told them how much), spit a bare ball down the barrel that was being held in there mouth, and thump the butt hard on the ground to seat the ball on the powder and to self prime the pan. **** and fire.

Accuracy was nill and fouling very bad, not to mention this method is NOT SAFE AT ALL and should not be attempted. But that was the fastest way to get another shot off during combat.

 

[tenngun]

I have an original BROWN BESS MUSKET that self primes every time it is loaded. the hole is aprox. 1/8 in DIA. I though that that was the norm back in the day?

It’s probably burned out

 

[hanshi]

I always drill out touch holes to 1/16". Reliability is great and it still self primes on occasion.

 

[Rudyard]

Ezekial Baker reckoned on 1/16'' for a rifle & I/16'.and on 32nd part as he puts it . I E 3/32d" for the musket .Toot yours is likely burnt out .As Tenn Gun says .
Rudyard

 

[jimhallam]

If the touch hole is large enough and the powder is a small granulation 3F instead of my usual 1F my fowler will self prime if I don't have a toothpick in the touchhole when I load it.

Very sensible !!!