Vent Hole Liner

[burlesontom]

I bought a Pedersoli Kentucky rifle and was doing a cleaning on it. The barrel is in perfect shape as far as the bore goes but I cannot remove the vent hole liner. Any tips on removing these? I had it soaking all night with WD-40 hoping that would loosen it but it didn't work. Also I had read that there was a best size for the hole diameter. Can anyone recommend what size is best?

I tried doing a search here but can't find the answers I was wanting. This is my first Flintlock so I am learning. I have been shooting BP for 30 years or so and thought I would give rock locks a try.

I measured the hole in the vent hole liner and it will admit a .076 drill but not a .078 drill bit

 

[EC121]

That is plenty big for a touch hole. You should be able to see the powder in the hole. I usually start with a .063" numbered drill( a touch over 1/16"). If I don't like that, I go to the next number which is about .067". Harbor Freight sells cheap set of numbered drills. There are 5 numbered drill sizes between 1/16" and 3/32".
If you can't see powder in the hole, check the length of the flash channel.

 

[ChinaLakePW]

The bad news is that the liner might be seized beyond the point of easy removal (likely).

The good news is that it the rifle will probably work just fine the way it is.

Do you have any reason to believe the touch hole is not clear all the way through? If not, we can move on to other options.

 

[TDM]

I bought a Pedersoli Kentucky rifle and was doing a cleaning on it. The barrel is in perfect shape as far as the bore goes but I cannot remove the vent hole liner. Any tips on removing these? I had it soaking all night with WD-40 hoping that would loosen it but it didn't work. Also I had read that there was a best size for the hole diameter. Can anyone recommend what size is best?

I tried doing a search here but can't find the answers I was wanting. This is my first Flintlock so I am learning. I have been shooting BP for 30 years or so and thought I would give rock locks a try.

I measured the hole in the vent hole liner and it will admit a .076 drill but not a .078 drill bit

Try using Kroil, liquid wrench, or another dedicated penetrate oil. Let it sit a day or so. And make sure you have a good screw driver that fits the liner. With your barrel secured in a vise, give the top of the screw driver a few firm taps, nothing crazy, just tap. It should start to move, if not, let it sit another day or so with more penetrate. Like EC121 said, a 1/16" vent hole is what you want. The standard Pedersoli vent hole is slightly smaller. I do have one flint that has a 3/32" hole, but some guns may want more. You can always replace the vent if you mess up. Oh, and put some grease, anti seize, or choke lube on the vent when you replace it.

 

[burlesontom]

Thanks. I just got this gun and haven't fired it yet. I am beginning to think I bought a pig in a poke with this deal. I am pretty sure this was a kit gun someone took out of the box and stained the wood and assembled the gun. The ramrod pipes still have the casting flashing on them and don't look filed or buffed. The wood stock has rough areas around the lock plates and where the ramrod entry thimble is. Plus a few other areas like that.

So I am thinking I am going to take the gun apart and strip the stock and sand to the proper diminsions then strip and brown the barrel and finish the brass castings. Strangely enough the trigger guard is polished like done at the factory.

The rear sight was nearly falling out of the dovetail and the front sight was filed almost to a nub. I had a German Silver front sight from TOW I have installed. So I'm not really sure what I have here except a project gun I thought was a completed rifle ready to go.

And I am already planning the Kroil trick. I don't have any on hand and will have to go buy some. I always use grease or anti seize on choke tubes and percussion nipples when I am through cleaning.

 

[TDM]

Sounds like a good project! I enjoy doing stuff like that. Have fun with it!

 

[sheriff john]

Kroil's the best loosener I've ever found, Be aware the basic Kroil is, however, not a lubricant , per se. "Kroil" about anything, let it soak. When the bolt/screw starts to budge even a wee bit, put on a little more Kroil and let that soak - even overnight.

Bought a can of their new stuff - "Silikroil", only used it on a few things so far. Their spray-on graphite is good stuff, too.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Why do you want to remove the touch hole liner? They are best left in place unless the touch hole erodes and is too large(not likely to happen).

 

[burlesontom]

Why do you want to remove the touch hole liner? They are best left in place unless the touch hole erodes and is too large(not likely to happen).

I posted the size of the touch hole and from what I found in my search its on the upper end of whats allowed. I thought I would buy a new liner with a smaller hole and see how it shoots.

I just took the gun apart, looked at it and put it back together. I am thinking I'm just going to sell it and see what else might turn up. Maybe find a T/C Hawken or Lyman Trade Rifle in flint instead. I'm not a reenactor and am not locked in to a period correct gun. Sorta close is good enough for me.

 

[BigAl52]

Took my vent hole liner out of my GPR and replaced it with one of the RMC vent hole liners. Works great

 

[SDSmlf]

I posted the size of the touch hole and from what I found in my search its on the upper end of whats allowed. I thought I would buy a new liner with a smaller hole and see how it shoots.

Before removing the current liner why not see how it shoots first? You will get a very fast ignition with the .076” - .078” diameter hole and may be pleased with the way it is. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have removed the WD40 and/or Kroil oil from the breech and bore before loading and shooting the gun.

 

[bothenook]

Had a similar problem with a Pedersoli Frontier. After a week of soaking in kroil, I mean literally soaking in a coffee cup filled with kroil, I still couldn't get that bugger to move. Finally I tried a hail Mary pass by placing the barrel in the drill press, blocked it so it wouldn't move, then chucked up an adapter with the closest fitting screwdriver bit. Crank the bit down into the slot with a good amount of downward force. Next, grab the chuck and rotate, maintaining the downward pressure. Worked like a charm. Adjust the downward pressure as the liner backs out. This method helps keep you from chingering up the screw slot. I second on the lube during assembly. Birchwood Casey choke tube lube or nickle anti-sieze have both worked for me

 

[waksupi]

You shouldn't be removing a vent liner unless replacing the vent from enlargement. Standard method is to drill, and use an easy out to remove the old one.

 

[burlesontom]

You shouldn't be removing a vent liner unless replacing the vent from enlargement. Standard method is to drill, and use an easy out to remove the old one.

I figured it may come down to that. I am sure there is still some hard tool steel at my dads house. Its a square piece of steel used to make cutting bits for a lathe. It makes the best easy outs in the world. Just grind to a taper and drive in the hole. The hard steel cuts its own corners and then just twist out the screw with a tap wrench.

 

[ord sgt]

If you do remove the old liner, check the threads before ordering a new liner. The threads could be metric or standard. And be sure to add anti seize compound to the new liner threads before replacing.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I too am of the opinion that the vent liner should not be removed unless the hole is way too large. Even with the hole in your vent liner being 0.076" (5/64") in diameter, that may be acceptable for quite some time before accuracy on target suffers. The large touch hole will greatly improve ignition speed.

@burlesontom, when I encounter threaded objects that are tightly locked in place, especially small objects such as percussion nipples or threaded vent liners with a screwdriver slot or hex opening, I use a small impact tool. You don't want one much larger than the 1/4" hex drive. You will need to grind an impact quality screw driver head to fit the slot in the vent liner. That shouldn't be a problem if you have been grinding tool steel lathe bits. Now that you have soaked the breech end in Kroil you should have some oil getting down into the threads. Get a small ball pein hammer to tap the impact tool. Make one tap to tighten then tap to loosen. It seems to work better than to just use the tool to loosen. You don't want to use too large a hammer as that will destroy the vent liner and the next recourse is the easy out. The small impact tools are hard to find. I have seen some on Amazon or Ebay. They are no longer at Harbor Freight.

You can see a nut driver that I modified as a nipple wrench. Easily removed those impossible to remove nipples in those Italian percussion revolvers. I have also made slotted tips to remove stuck screws.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/stupid-question-lefty-loosey.149201/#post-2103444

 

[DuncNZ]

I have replaced all the flash hole liners on my flintlocks with White Lightening liners and the holes are 3/64" with a very slight chamfer on the out side . The Flash hole on my Pedersoli Mortimer wore out in a few shots and the flame was hot enough to melt the flint edge , once replaced it was just fine

 

[M. De Land]

I bought a Pedersoli Kentucky rifle and was doing a cleaning on it. The barrel is in perfect shape as far as the bore goes but I cannot remove the vent hole liner. Any tips on removing these? I had it soaking all night with WD-40 hoping that would loosen it but it didn't work. Also I had read that there was a best size for the hole diameter. Can anyone recommend what size is best?

I tried doing a search here but can't find the answers I was wanting. This is my first Flintlock so I am learning. I have been shooting BP for 30 years or so and thought I would give rock locks a try.

I measured the hole in the vent hole liner and it will admit a .076 drill but not a .078 drill bit

I'd remove the barrel from the stock, plug the vent hole with a tooth pick, poor a bit of rust dissolving fluid down bore and let set over night. If this does not free it then some heat from a propane torch should break it loose. Some of these liners do not have a means of purchase so in this instance an easy out is used and if all else fails then it must be drilled out.
Don't worry about heat from a hand held propane torch harming the blue/brown or temper of the barrel steel, it can't get the steel physically hot enough to change any of those.
If the lock is tuned up right and the pan is in the correct position to the vent a 1/16 hole diameter should work very well.

 

[Trapper Scott]

Thanks. I just got this gun and haven't fired it yet. I am beginning to think I bought a pig in a poke with this deal. I am pretty sure this was a kit gun someone took out of the box and stained the wood and assembled the gun. The ramrod pipes still have the casting flashing on them and don't look filed or buffed. The wood stock has rough areas around the lock plates and where the ramrod entry thimble is. Plus a few other areas like that.

So I am thinking I am going to take the gun apart and strip the stock and sand to the proper diminsions then strip and brown the barrel and finish the brass castings. Strangely enough the trigger guard is polished like done at the factory.

The rear sight was nearly falling out of the dovetail and the front sight was filed almost to a nub. I had a German Silver front sight from TOW I have installed. So I'm not really sure what I have here except a project gun I thought was a completed rifle ready to go.

And I am already planning the Kroil trick. I don't have any on hand and will have to go buy some. I always use grease or anti seize on choke tubes and percussion nipples when I am through cleaning.

A little trick I learned some years ago that works better than Kroil oil is a homemade mix of automatic transmission fluid and acetone (50/50). The acetone thins the tranny fluid and allows it to seep into threads. Let soak for a few days and life is good. I've never had the mixture hurt a barrel finish, but your mileage may vary.

 

[Sidney Smith]

I posted the size of the touch hole and from what I found in my search its on the upper end of whats allowed. I thought I would buy a new liner with a smaller hole and see how it shoots.

I just took the gun apart, looked at it and put it back together. I am thinking I'm just going to sell it and see what else might turn up. Maybe find a T/C Hawken or Lyman Trade Rifle in flint instead. I'm not a reenactor and am not locked in to a period correct gun. Sorta close is good enough for me.

Just remember, new liners come with a hole that is normally a bit too small. Most shooters, myself included, will automatically drill them out to around 1/16th. You may change out liners and find the old one not that much larger to have made the process worth it.