Vent Questions

[redwing]

TG, many have grown up with information put out by companies who convert cap locks to flinters. It seems the lack of knowledge about vents is limited to those who grew up on this advertising. As stated by Rich, rifle builders avoid the screw in vents when building fine rifles. I have never see any seriouse shooters with these band aid vents. How would you clean a rifle in a rain storm by removing a vent? A bigger hole collects less water to make mud. Good grief. :haha:

 

[tg]

For most of us our knowledeg about these guns and those who used them is but a grain of sand on the vast expanse of the Sahara, the important thing is to seriously, honestly try, and to grasp and set firmly as a fundation that little which we do know on which to build a greater sandcastle of information....If one is truely interested in the historical aspect of the hobby, if not the facts matter not and our responses should reflect as much.

 

[bob4st]

...shhhhhh, don't mention those nasty almost-a-cartridge-guns around here...... by the way, my three favorite mz products are never seize, true oil and ice cream... :thumbsup:

 

[rich pierce]

Show of hands of who has a ball-puller tip and tow worm in their patchbox and a cow's knee in their haversack. :v

:thumbsup:

 

[Semisane]

I have never see any serious shooters with these band aid vents.

:shocked2: Dang redwing. Up until now I thought I was a serious shooter. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to live with being a comic shooter. (From the reaction of my shooting buddies when they see my targets that won't be a big step.) :grin: :wink:

NOTICE: All forum members with vent liners are invited to the first annual meeting of the Comic Shooters Association at my house next weekend.

Surely, you can't be serious!

 

[paulvallandigham]

I assure you that we tried to pull the ball before going to all the trouble of removing the TH liner. We would not have done so if the ball could be moved. In fact, Don actually pulled his ball pulling jag right out of that large lead ball! No one expected that this was even possible. :shocked2: :idunno: :surrender:

Part of the problem was that there was a sharp edge on the threads in the barrel for the TH liner, and the patch, and part of the ball caught on that edge. It would not budge. I even had trouble levering it enough to get a bit of powder behind the PRB!

This was a custom made gun for another man, who didn't like the recoil. So, he made Don a good deal on buying the gun. Until we removed that Liner, we had no idea that the problem existed, nor could we have known. With powder in the barrel, the ball would never have gotten back far enough in the barrel to catch on that sharp edge.

Don later killed his first Wild Boar with that gun, with one shot to the chest at about 20 yards. The flattened ball was found under the skin on the off-hind leg, after penetrating the "ham". :thumbsup:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Part of the problem was that there was a sharp edge on the threads in the barrel for the TH liner, and the patch, and part of the ball caught on that edge.

So, the liner caused the problem it later helped solve. :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[BEP]

When I put the vent in my barrel I coated the threads with Bore Butter. I like to coat just about every part of a muzzleloader than I can with Bore Butter. Then I got to wondering:

1) Do you remove the vent during cleaning like one would remove the nipple while cleaning a percussion gun?

2) Should I take the vent out and put anti-seize on the threads like one would do on a breech plug, or will the Bore Butter be fine to keep it from seizing up?

All opinions are welcomed on both questions.

Just a reminder - this is how the thread started; with a question that has long since fallen to the wayside.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Thanks, ma.

So, were you expecting a bunch of one word answers from this crowd? :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Part of the problem is the original post asked "are you still beating your wife" type questions. If your liner doesn't come out or your vent isn't a vent liner it requires expounding. :wink: Revel in the rich wash of additional experience and knowledge freely related that add color to the conversation.
:hatsoff:

 

[fahopity]

If your liner doesn't come out or your vent isn't a vent liner it requires expounding.

No, I don't think it does. If the above is true then maybe silence on the question is best. I believe the original questions were directed to those of us that have REMOVABLE VENT LINERS and what we do. So having said that, I do remove mine when I clean my gun and I do use antisieze. I fail to see a downside to this practice. Maybe someone has an example of why doing so is a bad idea.

 

[Stumpkiller]

The word "removable" does not appear in the title or initial post. He also welcomed "all opinions". All vent liners are removable; it's just a question of reuse.

And . . . "pfffffft". :blah:


I have known people unqualified to operate machinery such as hammers and screwdrivers, and a cross-threaded or overtightened vent liner (stripping the barrel threads) is a potential safety hazard should it become a projectile. If the need is not there to remove it the acepted principle of Occam's Razor applies: the simplest solution is the best.

 

[Mickc01]

When I put the vent in my barrel I coated the threads with Bore Butter. I like to coat just about every part of a muzzleloader than I can with Bore Butter. Then I got to wondering:

1) Do you remove the vent during cleaning like one would remove the nipple while cleaning a percussion gun?

2) Should I take the vent out and put anti-seize on the threads like one would do on a breech plug, or will the Bore Butter be fine to keep it from seizing up?

All opinions are welcomed on both questions.

Just a reminder - this is how the thread started; with a question that has long since fallen to the wayside.

Great Point, Sneezy.

And in all the back-and-forth (interesting though sometimes a little harsh back-and-forth I might add) my question early on got glossed over too. I'd still really appreciate the experts thoughts on using a removeable liner to have a gun that is convertable between flint and percussion. Thanks guys!

 

[roundball]

"...my question early on got glossed over. I'd still really appreciate the experts thoughts on using a removeable liner to have a gun that is convertable between flint and percussion.

Might not be a bad idea to start separate thread on that in the General Muzzleloading section as it relates to both Flint and Percussion.

And personal food for thought only, I wouldn't assume / expect there are actually "experts" on this forum.
There are those with some theories;
There are those with some experiences;
There are those with some opinions;
There are those who think they're experts;


But real certified "experts" may be a stretch...
:grin:

 

[BrownBear]

There are those with some theories;
There are those with some experiences;
There are those with some opinions;
There are those who think they're experts;


But real certified "experts" may be a stretch...
:grin:

You're a natural born heartbreaker, aren't you! :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'd still really appreciate the experts thoughts on using a removeable liner to have a gun that is convertable between flint and percussion. Thanks guys!

You might want to try asking that one down in the Gun Builder's Bench forum. I know Dixie does offer a conversion "kit" for their Cub and Pennsylvanian rifles (and at one time the Mt. Rifle) but I get the impression it's not a "what do I want to shoot today?" kind of job as they recommend going from percussion to flint. I assume this is because getting the nipple pointing at the hammer nose takes some careful metalwork with the drum threads.

 

[Semisane]

I have a .32 Pedersoli Frontier that was a caplock when I bought it used. I bought a vent liner and L&R flint lock from Track of The Wolf that was basically a drop in fit except for having to remove a little wood under the lock to clear a few screw heads. Switching back and forth from flint to cap is a simple matter of changing locks and swapping the vent liner and the drum and nipple. Everything lines up fine in both configurations.

 

[StewartLeach]

I have flinters with and without removable vent liners. The fixed liner rifles all have flat faced breech plugs, and go shot after shot after shot with no problems.

On the other hand, those with removable liners- from the two most prominent manufacturers- have the reduced diameter powder chamber type breeching system. With these I find I have to take extra steps in loading, such as lifting the charged rifle and slapping it upside the offside lock panel to be sure the 3Fg gets down the smaller hole and around the corner and down the longer run to the vent. I have to keep my vent pick handy for this pair- they sometimes need a good goosing and another slap in order to go off.

In my seldom humble opinion, the removable vent is the best choice for rifles with the reduced diameter breeching system. Taking the vent out when cleaning allows more thorough cleaning. I let the breech end soak in the bucket of hot from the tap water for as long as it takes me to clean, dry and oil the lock mechanism. Then the hole is reamed out with a bore brush to get out the crud that builds up in the passage. It's my belief that that longer passage makes it harder to get powder up against the inside of the vent liner, and the longer travel distance to the main charge gathers more fouling. A bit of auto store ant-sieze goes on the threads for reassembly.

When I had trouble getting a new Lyman rifle to go off reliably, I took the advice of the Forum and opened up the vent liner in stages. Also slightly enlarged the inside bore, and used a counter sink inside and out. Wound up enlarging the vent opening from approximately .055 inches to .070 inches, a number 50 bit. For the first few shots that slap on the lock panel results in a few kernels of powder shaking out into the pan.

White Fox