Touch Hole Cleaning

[Dphar]

I made the rookie mistake of buying way too many extra touch hole liners. :shocked2: I have since found out they last a very long time. But with that surplus supply, I was able to try different drill size holes. :hmm: I have a chronograph and I know velocity suffers slightly as the hole gets larger but a few grains more, 5 or 6, evens that out. The larger size is as Roundball suggests in my experience. Besides, if the touch hole requires “cleaning”, it much easier to do. The larger size touch hole does not require cleaning, at least as often, as a very small hole.
I will restate, reliability is the key. :thumbsup: Clean as needed.

Does the standard deviation go up as the vent size is increased?
All comments to the contrary a properly designed and installed 1/16" vent is not any less reliable or slower than a .070 vent.
This is why. http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i199/DPhariss/Gunsmithing/IMGP0785.jpg

Many misfires are caused by insufficient priming. The fallacy that a light layer of priming is faster has fostered many problems with reliability.

The level of fouling or type produced by the powder or lower pressure loads will often cause problems with fouling blocking the vent.
Powder that produces flakes of fouling in the bore can result in a flake falling to the breech and blocking the vent.

Dan

 

[ebiggs1]

Does the standard deviation go up as the vent size is increased?

Answer is yes.

Many misfires are caused by insufficient priming. The fallacy that a light layer of priming is faster has fostered many problems with reliability.

I agree fully. :thumbsup:

... a properly designed and installed 1/16" vent is not any less reliable or slower than a .070 vent. ...

This one we can just remain “friends”. :wink:

 

[petew]

The best cleaner I have found is a tip cleaner for an Acetelene tourch cutting tip.Pick one just a size smaller than the hole size. It is actualy a tiny round file, the ridges in it will grab the crud in 1 pass and remove it. Any welder or metal trades person you know will have lots of these for free for you.
Pete

 

[roundball]

Acetelene tourch cutting tip.Pick one just a size smaller than the hole size. It is actualy a tiny round file, the ridges in it will grab the crud in 1 pass and remove it.

Interesting...it seems like even a size smaller than a vent hole would have to constantly be dragging on the edges of the hole and wear the hole larger in short order...same principle of a ramrod wearing the crown of a muzzle without a muzzle guide
:hmm:

 

[tg]

Craft stores sell sticks that look like pipe cleaners but have long fibers that can be cut down, I have found that a pipe cleaner works on my vent hole which is a #ed size under 5/64, you can make pipe cleaners smaller by twisting them a bit also, and a small feather cut to right size and inserted quill end out and twisted as pushed in and out will also work this can be custom made to any size, I would avoid the torch tip cleaners I have been told this for 40 years by lots of shooters, many feel they will enlarge the hole, there are other softer things as mentioned to use that will not.

 

[petew]

Well here is a cleaner from TC. Exactly the same as the Torch tip cleaners. I guess you could wear the hole,if you were determined to, and you could saw the Golden Gate Bridge in half with a hacksaw too. I find them to be a 1 pass cleaner that work excelent. http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000307113

 

[roundball]

I understand the T/C thing and I may be way over-cautious, but I threw mine away and only use pipe cleaners...others mileage may vary
:v

 

[tg]

TC also thougt that coil springs were needed as flat springs would not last anytime at all, not my personal favorite source of ML intell, but to each their own

 

[rancher]

I take it out of the gun every time I clean my rifle. If its fouled up pretty good, I put it in a dish of warm water before cleaning it. Then wipe it off, run a pipe cleaner through it some, make sure it's dry, and then put some lube on the threads before going back into the barrel.

 

[FPDoc]

If you want this style of pick (pros/cons etc) just go to your nearest welding supplier and buy a torch tip cleaning kit and take out the size you need for your TH. Pretty sure its cheaper than buying a single with shipping and you can pick the exact size you want. I make my TH picks from hammered copper wire .. mileage varies as we all know.

 

[petew]

My trade is a pipe fitter, I have lots of these sets. They are what I use, and find them great. a 1 swipe clean that actualy cleans.
Pete

 

[bioprof]

I've never had to use anything to clean out the touch hole. I just a flush kit to pump soapy water through the touch hole when cleaning the barrel.

 

[caddo]

I just use a paper clip :idunno:

 

[Nemo Vir]

Dental pick brush

 

[Grimord]

I use the small bottle type brushes for cleaning air gun sprayers to clean the touch holes on my flint locks.

 

[okawbow]

Tobacco stores sell a tapered pipe cleaner that works well in my rifles.