Vent pick in the touch hole while loading

[rafterob]

That’s the way I do it. Just need to be careful your pick doesn’t go sailing when you push the ball down.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Fire the rifle, wipe the pan and frizzen and edge of flint, pick the vent, remove the pick, load the rifle pick the vent into the charge, prime and boom. Repeat.

 

[BoomStick]

Leaving a wire was recommended to me for a gun that has a touch hole very close to the breech face. After a couple shots I was having trouble with fouling blocking the vent. Placing a wire while loading fixed troublesome ignition. I also found being a bit more aggressive with a pick after loading and a tip and tap to put frizzen powder up against the vent solved the issue, but placing a wire while loading is fewer steps.

 

[Rudyard]

A vent pick placed before loading does at least stop powder being blown out if much depends on the hole size .

 

[Packrat]

I suppose all this is good and well at the range or when you have time while hunting. Did the Old Timers when up against a mess of enemies take the time to pick the vent?

 

[steam1993]

I suppose all this is good and well at the range or when you have time while hunting. Did the Old Timers when up against a mess of enemies take the time to pick the vent?

I was thinking the same think, in battle would you have the time to spare.

 

[cositrike]

I suppose all this is good and well at the range or when you have time while hunting. Did the Old Timers when up against a mess of enemies take the time to pick the vent?

But, did they alway go off?

 

[Flintandsteel]

Well, with personal flinters, all with flat breech plugs, and white lightning liners, I just don’t understand all the gyrations everyone is going through.
i have vent picks, but just can’t remember the last time I’ve used one. Maybe a half dozen times in the last 20 years.
In the extreme case, that I have a misfire, I spend 10 minutes looking for a pick, then business as usual.
if I had to go through all these steps to shoot these things, I’d probably start building cap guns.

 

[sturmkatze]

I say do what works for you. There are many ways. Many are right. Find the one that works for you. I pick the vent after loading.

 

[tenngun]

I suppose all this is good and well at the range or when you have time while hunting. Did the Old Timers when up against a mess of enemies take the time to pick the vent?

I doubt it, it wasn’t a step in army loading manuals
We know it was done. Some guns had prick holders built into the gun.
I tried it and never saw it help and quit
I swab between shots, not needed but I do. Like chicken soup it can’t hurt. Or three vents in a pie crust. Just something some do and swear by the results
Powder, ball all the way down, clear touch hole . Every thing else we do, all our secret tips, are all the best way…. For us the doer

 

[Joemolf]

After shooting I always clean the hole with a little pipe cleaner.

Curious what is the diameter of your touch hole on this rifle. I like the idea of a pipe cleaner but I don’t think it would fit my touch hole which I opened up to 1/16. I’ve seen significantly larger touch holes specifically in through the barrel touch holes no liner like some Brown Bess smooth bores

 

[R Ellis]

Last time I shot My DGW 50 cal Poor Boy a man at my gun club was watching and noticed I was not putting pick in touch hole and suggested I try it so I did Had 3 pan flashes and no go so I worked some 4f into touch hole and rifle went Boom so I don't know if I did something wrong or My gun has a small hole But it did not work so I went back to no pick in hole and she fired

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Hmmm don’t know. But a pipe cleaner fits nice and picks up any fouling. After cleaning and lubing the barrel I spray a little Ballistol on the pipe cleaner and run it through the hole. That’s the last step before wiping down the whole rifle and putting it away.

 

[Erwan]

So last night I'm watching one of The Woodland Escape's videos and at the end the three guys are going to shoot and all three put their vent picks in the touch hole before loading. Theory being that a channel is left in the compressed powder in the barrel that aids in the flame from the pan igniting the charge. I'd never seen that before, perhaps because I shoot on my own property instead of a range, or perhaps because it really isn't a thing. What say you folks.

You do like it works the best for you or as you like...
Personally with all my rifles with chambers it's better if I put the pin in the vent before loading and putting the primer in the pan : the last thing I do is taking off the pin after priming. Best for me way is event free of powder...

 

[James Dietz]

I vent pick after loading. Seems to clear a nice channel and confirms my powder is well seated. But thats me.

 

[okawbow]

Just finished a couple woods walk and offhand paper shoots with my .54 flintlock rifle. Custom deep groove 48” barrel. Davis Colonial lock. Vent liner with .062 hole. Over 40 shots, NO vent pick, no cleaning between shots, NO slow fires or failures to fire. I use 70 grains 2f and 4f in the pan. Same flint for all shots, still sparks good. I do blow down the barrel after each shot to be sure the vent is clear Won the woods walk, placed in the money in the offhand.
If you have to pick each time to get your gun to fire, you have a problem with the gun or your loading procedure. I own 4 flintlocks and don’t pick any of them. If I had a gun that needed to be picked each time, I would fix it or get rid of it!

 

[Rudyard]

But, did they alway go off?

On the range I found corns of powder to be pushed out by the air as the ball is loaded . So I have a thin pick attached to my small horn primeing flask it dangles & holds the pick in place thusly handy by the lock for you to prime. The loss though small is a variable & particularly pertainant to small calibers like the 290 cal Baltic' Bird rifle' I got up .
So one less to think about . In the Field with larger bores I don't take that care but generally pick to ensure Ime into powder. Cap locks don't need it, & by the time your into military rifles I go with Bakers advice of for rifles "one 16" part ' .& for muskets ' One 16th & 1 /32 nd part' as he puts it but the grain size would be on the bigger size though it was a mix generally & they primed first . frowned on today but people back then didn't want to live forever .
Regards Rudyard

 

[flntlokr]

So last night I'm watching one of The Woodland Escape's videos and at the end the three guys are going to shoot and all three put their vent picks in the touch hole before loading. Theory being that a channel is left in the compressed powder in the barrel that aids in the flame from the pan igniting the charge. I'd never seen that before, perhaps because I shoot on my own property instead of a range, or perhaps because it really isn't a thing. What say you folks.

I have never bothered with that except to indicate the gun is charged if I have to put it aside for some reason. Seldom have ignition problems. The choice is yours, as in many things in life.

 

[BP Addict]

Have shot 50 + years w/ different flint guns. All I do as part of the priming sequence , is ,before priming ,insert a soft wire touch hole pick , 1/16 " . If a crunching is felt while picking , that's the indication of powder at the inside of the touch hole liner. Next , Have always used FFFFG in the pan , so if right handed , tilt the gun to the left side , and bump the stock to seat some FFFFG inside the touch hole liner. Goes off well.

The first Flintlock I owned blew burning powder across my forehead every time I fired it. After about the fifth shot I took it home, cleaned it, and delivered it to the gun store on consignment. A few years ago I read a book that said don't overfill the pan and keep priming powder out of the touchhole. I'm fairly sure I had done both so I keep mine banked to the outside edge.

Walt

 

[BP Addict]

I use one for a couple of reasons. My gun club requires an Empty Chamber Indicator on any gun not being used. So, mine doubles as a vent pick to keep it clear. Also, my touch hole liner needs replacing. If I don’t put something in there, it self-primes which is not allowed on the range.

Thanks!

Walt