zimmerstutzen
70 Cal.
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2009
- Messages
- 5,848
- Reaction score
- 1,216
A touch hole should be large enough to permit the grains of powder to hang just at the surface of the barrel flat, but not permit the charge to come out. So the size should depend more on the powder used than anything else. A large bore musket using 1fg should have a larger hole than a gun using 2fg. In my 24 ga trade gun, I used 2fg and so had the touch hole drilled for that. My rifle and pistol burned 3fg and had slightly smaller holes. The idea is to have some of the main charge powder visible just inside the touch hole. Closer to the flame and spark of the prime powder. that speeds ignition.
Over the years I had two guns with just plain holes drilled for touch holes. But were slow and burned more like a fuse ignition. When the holes were opened up for fast ignition, I had two problems, the charge powder would trickle out of the barrel into the pan, and the shooter to my right got the back of his head splattered with burning powder. Put in a touch hole liner and problems solved.
Over the years I had two guns with just plain holes drilled for touch holes. But were slow and burned more like a fuse ignition. When the holes were opened up for fast ignition, I had two problems, the charge powder would trickle out of the barrel into the pan, and the shooter to my right got the back of his head splattered with burning powder. Put in a touch hole liner and problems solved.
