Venting the percussion powder drum

[lanedh]

I have seen a printed reference to drilling a small vent hole in the percussion powder drum about 90 degrees forward of the nipple and angled away from the barrel. I have yet to see this in practice. Does anybody have experience with this?

Would you recommend it or not?

 

[rabbit03]

Lots of experience!

It all started back in the 80's for me when one of the guys I shoot with showed me about how to vent my patten breach.

It works very well and I have used it for about the last 20 years. You get a consistant preasure shot to shot (said consistant not exact)and it removes all but a small amount of fouling each time you shoot.

I once unbreeched the barrel thinking that by now I should have plenty of build up at the plug area. The area looked just like the day I got the new barrel, there was no fouling or build up at all.

The drawback will be obvious to you when, if you do it, you notice that your shots are not going where they should after a while. This will be because you have shot out the original size of the vent hole. This will take a long time though and unless your shooting lots and lots of rounds, you won't have to worry about it for a while. What do you do then? Well I have welded mine up so many times I can't remember and redrilled it.
But it works very well and don't forget to make sure the other shooter on that vent side is aware of the vent since it will pelt him almost as well as a flintlock.

Rabbit03

 

[lanedh]

Hi rabbit03:

I saw and replied to your PM before reading your post. You answered my questions, thanks a lot.

 

[rabbit03]

No problem at all. I will post a photo here for you, one that I was not going to post though. It is of my ol' 45 Hawken and it is full of crud, rust, powder residue and dirt from South Texas. This is the condition it will remain untill the (south freezes over) because it and I have had many discussions about life in general. In particular how it let me down on two occasions at the state shoot. The two occasions I mention are areas that I choose not to reflect on not enter into any conversations about since the subject is rather a sore spot still after 6 years or so.

So here is the photo for yall to mock and trivialize if you will or to bad mouth me if you like as to how this rifle ended up in the current condition. I can assure you though it will remain in this condition like I said untill H__l freezes over paying the ever high price of repentance for letting me down.

 

[quigleysharps]

Looks to be in better shape than my brother-in-law keeps his. ::

 

[rabbit03]

Thanks but I know your putting me on LOLOL. This gun actually was the one I won the traditional championship at the sillhouette shoot 6 years running. But when it let me down it really let me down so here it sits at home doing its time. Gonna hang it over the mantle one day.

rabbit03

 

[lanedh]

You're a hard man, Rabbit03....

Temper justice with mercy; send me the piece and I'll do some behavior modification. I'll do such a good job it won't ever want to return to ya. First a good ol' fashioned Saturday night bath in a washtub.

If this doesn't appeal to you, you can at least hang it by its neck and get it over with. Would YOU want to be strung up on a couple of hooks over a hot fire?

Joshing aside: what's the diameter of the vent hole?

 

[rabbit03]

Hi Bluejacket

I would start with a number 50 or (.070) size drill bit or there abouts. And that is if your going to drill a hole in the patten breech. If your going to use a drum set up then I would not do any drilling to the drum (although it is easier to replace one) but rather install a nipple in the end of the drum as I have on the Vincent. I talked to some of the guys at the range about wheather or not they thought that the old times back then may have done something similar to their percussion rifles. Some had the same opinion that the old timers may have since they had been use to having the flintlocks vented naturally and then all the sudden here comes this new fangled percussion system that is prone to fouling buildup in the breech area which eventually leads to missfires or hangfires and such. Remember thay flints pretty much clean themselves after each shot throught the touchhole. So perhaps they did perhaps they didn't who knows for sure but common sense would lead one to believe they did like us, whatever it took to make it just right.

I kind of believe that those folks were just like us when it came to muzzloading, and if we can think of doing it then they probably did too. I am not a big believer in that if it aint written down then it didn't happen. Like some of the period pieces we see in museums and peoples collections, the pieces of art really, rifles that had been taken the best care of all through the years. So just because it isn't on display or in a collection somewhere does that mean it never happend. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it did it make a noise? OF COURSE.

Ok if I send you this jewel it may never want to come back home then what? I wouldn't have a wall hanger then. But yor right I should either put it out of its misery or clean it up and make it look respectable after all, alot of time has passed and I should let it go,
rabbit03

 

[JOHN L. HINNANT]

Greeting Rabbitt03,

The more proper way to vent your patent breech is to drill a vent hole through the clean out screw in the patent breech.

With that method, when the vent hole starts to enlarge due to burnout, the clean out screw is replaced. That saves the patent breech and eliminates the need to replace the breech because of a burnt out vent hole drilled in the patent breech.

Best regards,

John L. Hinnant

 

[rabbit03]

Hello John and what are you doing up at this time of night?

I reckon your right and hope that it gets passed along too since that is most likely the best way. I however found at the shoot this year in Brady that the hole configuration in the nipple served me better than did the drilled out hole in the clean out plug. But your right he should probably start there as I did and then if that doesn't work he can try other ideas but thanks for bringing that up. I can always count on your wisdom which is far beyond your age!

I think perhaps the reason is the smoother transition in the nipple or the fact that it is coned sort of on the inside could be the reason it fouled less for me than the drilled out clean out plug.

My compliments ol' boy.

rabbit03

PS trying to find someone on here that knows about the MELUNGEON PEOPLE from the east (Tenn., VA., KY., etc) Maybe someone will know about them there folks cause I think I may be related to them.

 

[lanedh]

Rabbit03:

If I install a nipple in the end of the percussion drum, isn't that likely to fricasee the shooter on my right? I wasn't planning to put a conventional cleanout screw into the end of the drum, so thought that a vent hole pointing up and forward would be safer. I'm not a frequent shooter so the vent should last a long time before it gets too eroded.

 

[rabbit03]

Yep Bluejacket your absolutely right about the guy on the side of you and him being frica fraka, well he would be something when he got pelted that is for cerain. When he recovers he may be AFTER YOU! :curse:

I think then you would be a good candidate for the vent hole. I would drill the hole just to the right of the nipple and at a line just below it and like you said up and away from the gun. I will try and get a better photo of mine and send it to you but I think you have the idea. You will need to make sure you are far enough away from the threads of the nipple. There is no need at all to be that close to the nipple since your going to be dealing with quite a bit of presure build up and the hot gasses and crud will find ANY hole to escape through trust me.

The bennefits should be noticed right away. You won't get that (air hammer) with trapped air any more at the bottom of the chamber since now you will have a good escape route for the trapped air. I think the ignition is a more positive one if for no other reason than you won't be forcing the fire from the cap into a preasurized chamber any more. The shot to shot difference in the velocity should be alot closer also. The preasure is closer to the same with the vent also since you are kind of installing a regulator in the drum. The vent hole will allow only a predetermined amount of gas (presure) out at a constant rate. Another real bennefit is that all the crud in the bottom of the powder chamber will be pushed out of the vent hole each time you fire the rifle. I had unbreeched a rifle barrel once that I had been using a vented breech on and was amazed that there was NO build up at all in the chamber, it was clean as a whistle. I did this after years of shooting the rifle and just figured that I should get in there and check it out after so long. I wished afterward that I had not have wasted my time looking inside.

The only trouble I have ever ran into with a vented breech or drum is that on occasion in very humid or wet conditions I still might have some problem with ignition but I think it is more from the soup that builds up in the nipple more than anything having to do with the vent hole. One way to eleviate the problem of buildup in the nipple would be to use the vented nipples, the ones with the little hole drilled in the nipple near the top. This would allow some of the gas to escape through the nipple also thus clearing it out. Better yet if your in a competition simply exchange nipples or take it out and clean it after a few shots.

Remember try all this at your own risk and take what anyone says on this site not as gospel but rather with a grain or two of salt and rely on your own instincts when it comes to making it right and safe for you.

I can tell you that since the mid 80's I have used the vented breech or vented drum at competitions and have been very pleased with the results. I would like to thank all the folks that have made me the shooter I am today If it were not for people like Don Zirkle, Andy Larson, John L. Hinnant, and many many more over the years taking the time to show me the how to's of shooting black powder I would not be shooting all 10x's. The last sentence would be described by some as having a bit of pun imbedded within, I will leave it for those who know me to figure out just where within it does lie.

rabbit03

 

John's correct, drill out the vent screw, a 1/16" bit will do. Then fill it in with bee's wax or a thin plug of soft lead solder. The idea is to have a safety valve of sorts. Over pressure will blow the plug out releaving the overpressure. by plugging the hole , no one gets sprayed. Bill. I have never had to do this, and have confidence in my loads, and guns. :imo: Bill