Touchhole Liner

[White Oak]

Hope I got the term right here guys. Bare with me on these flintlocks. I would guess that the touchhole liner is designed to be removed at every cleaning. Mine is slotted. Should it be removed and coated with some anti-seize?
Thanks,
Ed

 

[ohio ramrod]

If the gun is new I would remove it and coat it with antisize for the time you will eventually want to replace it. But it doesn't need to be removed for cleaning the gun. If the gun is used I would just let it be as is. :idunno:

 

[galamb]

Not routinely removed.

As mentioned a bit of anti-seize on the threads will keep it from "freezing" in the threads.

I pull the liner once or twice a year when the rifle gets a "major cleaning" - not part of my "after shooting" routine.

The less you mess with it, the less chance you will cross thread it or wear out the threads in the barrel...

 

[Trench]

What the others have said. Many liners have no slot. You don't need to remove it for a proper cleaning.

 

[nchawkeye]

I started shooting flintlocks in 1977...The only time I remove is to replace...Just pull the toothpick after dumping your favorite cleaning suction, hold the flinter with the touch hole down...Then push the cleaning jag down and the touch hole gets flushed..

It's not slotted to remove!!

 

[White Oak]

Thanks guys. I would have pulled it every time. :idunno:

 

[Black Jack]

I have always removed the liner as a matter of routine while cleaning, just as I remove the nipple on my percussions. It's my feeling that some fouling may collect if there are any nooks and crannies inside the barrel where these are installed. Also, on my half stocks, the larger hole aids in the pumping of water thru the barrel; my full stocks use a tube with a fitting that screws in the vent hole to allow water to be pumped thru the bore. I've been doing this for over 30 years with muzzleloaders with no ill effects. Never thought of it as anything but the standard procedure until read of some folks leaving it in on this forum.

 

[ghostdncr]

Same here, but I've only been shooting flint since back in the 90's. While there are all manner of good arguments for leaving the touch hole liner in place, I've always felt a more thorough job of cleaning could be done by removing it. I always pull the lock and barrel and after going that far, removing the liner with a properly fitted turnscrew isn't much of a stretch.

 

[TJK]

White Lighting touch holes by Chambers are not made to be removed. I'll typically run a pipe cleaner through when cleaning.

Rio