vent liner

[mudd turtle]

I have a flint -45 barrel that has a small vent hole and I want to change it to make it where I can take it out if needed.looking at the barrel the vent is on the right side.It looks like the vent is made of brass or bronze. What is necessary to change the vent linner in my rifle.The caliber is 45. Can any of you help me with this. Mudd Turtle.

 

[J.D.]

That type of liner can only be changed by using an easy out. That will ruin the liner. IMHO, you will be MUCH better off leaving it alone until you NEED to remove it.

That said, you can drill the touch hole to a larger diameter.

I would suggest # 49 =.073 diameter drill bit for a .45.

 

[Zonie]

I'm just guessing but if your gun is not a really cheap one and the liner looks like a light colored brass it is probably "ampco".
Ampco is a company who specializes in making some alloys which are extremely tough and can withstand high amounts of heat such as is found in a Flintlocks vent.

Some of these high temperature alloys are Beryllium Copper alloys and although they are completely safe if you do any machining on them limit it to drilling operations.
If ground, Beryllium Copper can give off fine particles which are not good for people to breathe.
Drilling or milling where large chips are produced does not present any danger.

zonie

 

[mudd turtle]

I did not state why I want to remove the liner. The reason is I had dry balled the barrel and could not get enough powder behind the ball to get it out .I tried that trick several times with no luck. Tried to pull the ball and it would not come out.The last resort was to remove the breech plug and drive the ball out that way. When I got the ball out I found that the ball puller had drilled all the way through . I can get my vent pick in the touch hole. I think it would be better If I could drill the vent out and thread the barrel for a vent that if needed to be taken out all I would have to do is screw the whole thing out. I don't think the rifle was a cheap kit-.It wasn't built by a pro and it is my first flint gun. I paid $500.00 for the rifle probably paid too much but I like the gun so I bought it. I will have to look at the barrel to see who made it -I know the barrel is a early make. Mudd Turtle.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Rather than drilling the vent liner out, I think its time to remove the breechplug to get that PRB out. Did you think to pour some oil down the barrel or cleaning or lubing compound, like moose milk. to soak the patch and lube the barrel before running that ball puller down into the ball. I found that doing so always makes it much easier to pull a ball out than trying to pull a ball that is wedging a dry patch against the barrel.

At this point, that is crying over spilled milk, but something to remember the next time. I would pull the breechplug, or have a gunsmith do it for me, rather than mess with the liner.

 

[mudd turtle]

I have done just as you suggested. I want to be able to unscrew the vent liner if I have this problem again. Mudd Turtle.

 

[brubincam]

would it be possible to install a 32 cal ball lightly onto the ball puller jag,drop it down the barrel,the ball should be centered with the hole drilled into the ball,give the ramrod a light tap to get 32 cal ball to get a grip in hole on stuck ball,try to unscrew puller from small ball,take ramrod with out puller and drop in barrel,bang onto small ball several times to make it fill the hole drilled in other ball,try pulling in normal fashion,the two balls should form fit together tight enough to pull out,,, :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[brubincam]

or use this idea to plug the hole in ball and blow it out with air or small powder charge funneled into flash hole,,,,CAN'T HURT TRYING,,, :hmm: :hmm: :hmm:

 

[Mike Brooks]

I don't think a removable vent liner would have helped in this case.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I think just enlarging the flash hole to 5/64" will do. I've dry balled my flinters a time or two and have always been able to work enough 4f in through the vent. Turn the rifle lock side topmost, heap the powder over the vent and tap the barrel with your ball starter and watch the pile of powder sink into the bore. Now if you prime with 2f or even 3f that likely won't work. As others have said, if you must remove the vent liner you'll need to drill and "easy out" the thing.

 

[Birddog6]

OK.. So drill it out a lil, take a small easyout to it & remove it, install a Ampco slotted vent liner.

 

[mudd turtle]

Guys-Thanks for the responces. If you will go back and reread my post you will see that I have already have the ball out because I removed the breech plug and drove it out with a wooden ram rod. The ball is out- What I was thinking about doing was to drill out the old vent and put a new vent liner in. Drill the old one out then tap the hole then screw in a new vent liner. Mudd Turtle.

 

[mudd turtle]

Mike_ Based on what I have discovered you are probably right. Mudd Turtle.

 

[Birddog6]

It looks like the vent is made of brass or bronze. What is necessary to change the vent liner in my rifle.The caliber is 45. Can any of you help me with this. Mudd Turtle.

If it is brass or bronze, it is a vent liner & it is already threaded in. Drill it out for the smallest Easyout you have. (This will keep you from damaging the existing threads) Tap the easyout in the vent hole ya drilled & take a wrench & back the liner out. (Lefty Loosey)
Most likely it is a std. 1/4" vent liner if it is a American made barrel. Call just about any ML vender & order a 1/4" Ampco slotted vent liner, measure the depth so you know it is not protruding into the barrel, install it with just a tad of Never-seize on the threads just snug it in , Do Not overtighten it or you will tear the screwdriver slot out..

I always cone these vent liners slightly on the Inside & Outside to funnel the flash in. Drill the vent hole for a .45cal to 1/16". (.0625)

:thumbsup:

Not being there, I cannot say if the removable vent liner would have helped or not. However I do know of an instance where a feller dryballed his Jaeger, removed the vent liner, took a small screwdriver & worked the ball Forward of the vent liner, put in about 10 grains of 3F, put the vent liner back in & shot the ball out. (I am not telling who that absentminded person was tho.......
:redface: