Touch Hole Vent

[DCP]

This is my 1st post. I am new to Muzzle Loading; I have a 36 Pedersoli flintlock
I have learned how to take the lock off and the barrel off for cleaning.
I tried to unscrew the touch hole vent (I hope that’s the correct name) It’s tight and won’t unscrew. :surrender:

It looks to be in good shape. So I just wanted to take it out.

So I could put Kroil oil on and try again, but decide to ask the ? 1st. :bow:

Should I just leave it alone?

 

[Dane]

Why do you want to remove it??? Each time you screw that in our out, you wear and loosen the threads, causing a potential of it blowing out. No one wants to be there when that happens. There's absolutely no reason to remove it unless it's damaged, or WAY over sized.

 

[Dave K]

What Dane says. :thumbsup:

 

[Stubert]

What model do you have? You might not want to take the barrel off unless it uses wedges.

 

[DCP]

Dane

I tried to take it out so I could lube the threads.


Are Pedersoli flintlock made of that poor of steel that I could wear out the threads.

Should I not take it apart to clean it.

I have to remove 5 screws to take it apart.
2 under the barrel
1 on the tang and
2 on the lock one of which that goes into the wood.


Thanks

Why do you want to remove it??? Each time you screw that in our out, you wear and loosen the threads, causing a potential of it blowing out. No one wants to be there when that happens. There's absolutely no reason to remove it unless it's damaged, or WAY over sized.

 

[Bob E]

DCP, I dont know if its necessary to remove the vent liner or not but I understand why you you might feel the need to. I also am cursed with a Bubba-esque curiosity that just has to fidget with things so I say slather on the Kroil and if you need to, get a bigger screwdriver! The only way you will damage the threads in the barrell is if you crossthread the liner and then insist on making it fit. Kroil should do the trick but if not heat the barrell with your choice of small torch and re-apply the Kroil. (make sure the barrell is not loaded) If I am still stuck after trying all of this then I suggest a trip to a gun smith and or a machinist. Try not to damage the screrwdriver slot in the liner. Good luck, Bob E

 

[Dave K]

No, Pedersoli uses good steel. Many tinkerers seem to have a way of breaking things that aren't broken. Not saying you will, by any means either. But, I have repaired or attended to many things that people just couldn't leave well enough alone and then they screwed it up. That is why the old saying came into being," if it isn't broke, don't fix it".

 

[ohio ramrod]

Welcome to the best spot for information about black powder guns on the web. Coating the threads with an oil or even better antisieze is a good idea. I always put antisieze on any fittings that Might have to be removed later on. It has been my experience that Pedroseli just tightens their vent liners extra tight.Many like to enlarge the flash hole to 1/16th or even out to 5/64th. I like to enlarge the powder chambers in my pedroseli's as well. But that is a job for a gunsmith. :idunno:

 

[ebiggs1]

Wearing the threads out in the touch hole liner is simply nonsense. You can damage them by cross threading or over tightening but not with proper use. :thumbsup:
I always remove it when I clean my flintlocks. I recommend removing it. :thumbsup:

You must, mandatory, have a screw driver blade that “fits” the touch hole liner's slot. :hmm:

 

[Semisane]

Wearing the threads out in the touch hole liner is simply nonsense. You can damage them by cross threading or over tightening but not with proper use. :thumbsup:
I always remove it when I clean my flintlocks. I recommend removing it. :thumbsup:

You must, mandatory, have a screw driver blade that “fits” the touch hole liner's slot. :hmm:

:thumbsup: I'm with ebiggs on this one. The liners on mine come out with every cleaning.

 

[Black Hand]

Leave the liner in...
Matter of fact, get one installed permanently so you won't be tempted to mess with it every time. It is unnecessary.

 

[Stony]

Welcome to the forum. There is a lot of information here BUT be warned! A question asked can get 10 answers and almost all will be right and each one as different as night is to day. Being different doesn't make the answer wrong or right. A couple of guys have advised against removing you TH liner while a couple have said they do it most of the time. If you think you could damage the threads, don't mess with it. If you think you can, you probably will. Another example would be ebiggs likes to put his pan powder right up against the TH, this works for him. I prefer to "bank" my prime on the far side of the pan, opposite the TH. This works best for me. I don't remove my TH liner in my rifle because I have yet to find/see a reason to do it. My fowler doesn't have a liner so.... Most of the time your gun will tell you what it likes. Try something one way, then try it a different way. Listen to the gun, it will tell you which way it prefers. Good luck!

 

[Black Hand]

Should I not take it apart to clean it.

I have to remove 5 screws to take it apart.
2 under the barrel
1 on the tang and
2 on the lock one of which that goes into the wood.

No.
Plug the touch hole with a toothpick, add water (with or without a touch of soap), allow to sit for a few minutes and dump the water out. Fill the barrel with water, allow to sit then dump out. Swab the barrel with wet patches until clean, then dry patches and finally a greased patch. There is NO need to disassemble the rifle to clean it and you take the chance of screwing something up.

I will remove the lock to clean and lube whenever the gun has gotten wet or every few cleanings. The barrel stays in the stock. I would suggest filling the gap between the barrel and stock with wax (I use toilet bowl gasket wax) to keep water out of the wood. Then there will be NO reason to remove the barrel at all.

 

[stormcrow]

I have two flinters neither of which even have a slot in the liner for it to be removed. Even if they did, making adjustments so that they can more easily become unscrewed seems counterintuitive to me.

 

[jdkerstetter]

Another vote for NOT removing the liner. :shake:

As has been pointed out original American guns didn't have liners and cleaned just fine. The best liner on the market I.M.H.O. is the White Lightning and it is a permanent install.

What if's: You damage the screw slot attempting to take it out. You cross thread or strip it. You overtighten to the point that there is thread galling and you weaken it....lost integrity results in blown vents and locks....I don't want to be sanding to your right when this happens.

A properly flushed barrel doesn't need to have the liner removed to clean it no matter if it is coned on the inside or not.

The only reason to remove the liner is if it shot out to the point of being oversized.

J.M.2.C. It is your gun. Digest the provided information and do as you will.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[Stumpkiller]

None of my liners have threads or a socket for removal. They stay put.

Just as well, as I'm no gunsmith and it's not a necessary part of gun maintenance to remove them for cleaning.

 

[DCP]

Well guys it’s in there tight.

I had a properly fitting screw driver a little 4” crescent wrench. She just won’t budge.

So she is staying in tell she goes bad. Hopefully after I am dead.

Why won’t the site send email alerts to my email address? I have it check I think.

Thanks to all

 

[Zoar]

Yea, I leave mine in.

All of them work fine.

 

[Ken Rummer]

I bought a Pedersoli Blue Ridge, and I am of the "take it apart" school.

My liner had a screwdriver slot all the way across the face of the vent liner. I had to get a screwdriver bit that fit snug in the slot so I could get enough leverage to get it to move without stripping the slot. I came out hard all the way.

The vent liner thread is M 8x 1.25. The OD of the liner thread was 7.98mm and a 8mm bolt from the hardware store measured 7.80mm OD. This looked to me like Pedersoli made the threads very tight on purpose. I filed the liner thread OD down until it went in with only minor resistance.

For my rifle I felt it was necessary that the vent liner be removable. The screwdriver slotted face of the vent liner would make it difficult to get an O-ring seal over it to allow flushing through it during cleaning with the barrel in the stock. Track sells nipples with M8x1.25 that screw into the hole and lets you pump water but it requires the liner to come out anyway.

I bought a vent liner from rmcsports.com with a Hex recess and it solved all my problems. Clean and lube the threads in barrel and on vent liner each time and they will never wear out.

 

[Leatherbark]

DCP

You will want to take the liner out that gun because it has what we call a "chambered breech" or "patent breech". It is notorious on that rifle (and I have had a few Pedersolis) for clogging or bridging the powder in the small communication hole before it reaches the touch hole liner causing misfires. Using 3f and keeping this chamber free of crud will go a long way in preventing misfires. When you take out the liner you can use pipe cleaners and such to make sure that chamber is clean.
The guys that say dont take it out probably all have american guns that dont use a chambered breech and they are correct that it doesnt need taken out in an american gun.

You might put a soldering iron on the touchhole liner,(MAKE SURE ITS NOT LOADED) and heat it up and use the Kroil and cool it down to maybe shrink that stainless liner away from the carbon steel threads. Set your screwdriver down in that slot and rap it with a hammer to "JAR" the threads and then maybe it will break loose. Put Kroil down the barrel and let is soak also.

Good Luck

Bob