What do you use for a pick?

[hanshi]

I rarely pick the vent because there's no need to. At the range I have a couple bits of wire just in case. Other than that, only two of my rifles have vent pick inlays; both SMRs. I always open the vents to 1/16" which is all that's needed. Since I rarely swab the bore I don't normally get a clogged vent. Two of my shooting bags contain a piece of stiff wire stuck in a cork if ever needed.

 

[19 16 6]

I use a length of 3/16 brazing rod that is hammered to a tapered square point on one end. The other end is a round eye, formed by bending the rod around a mandrill a few times then snipped off.
O.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I use a piece of #12 copper wire cold forged.

 

[Stumpkiller]

First I will define a pick vs. a plug. I use porcupine quills and feathers (last ditch toothpick) as plugs. For picks I use soft iron; usually from clothes hanger wire.

I do not pick frequently. As an experiment I shot 30 times with just loading and priming my flintlock and had no misfires.

I only pick if the vent appears cruddy.

 

[Nativearizonan]

Paper clip seems to be the right balance between stiffness and flexibility. It can be bent to shape, but still has strength to push through some crud.

 

[Walks with fire]

I am in the process of setting up another one and I am not done testing the current one I am shooting. I certainly don't need another one so it's a want not a need. Life is short so live it is my opinion. At nearly 62 and working 60 hours a week and a renter I need something to do on the weekends. I am glad to have some fun when I can.

The day will probably come when I don't hunt anymore but I still like to shoot. I can also see the day where some of the rifles get sold off. It will be hard to decide which goes and which will stay.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

If I pick the touch hole it is only to make a chimney or flash channel in the main powder charge. I personally think the OP may be pushing the powder away from the touch hole.

With a patent breech, after loading the powdah, slapmthe action on the side away from the TH to force powdah up against the inside of it.

Try that and report back! As what you're describing is very commin w/ patent breech arms, from my experience.

 

[rdstrain49]

When loading I leave a bamboo toothpick in the flash hole, charge then hit the stock across from the lock three times with the heel of my hand.

Since using the 1/16 drill/pick I have had no slow ignitions. I also apparently have the lock geometry figured out since the flint is now self knapping.

Not liking the drill material for a pick, last night I made a few picks from No. 5 City Head horse shoe nails. These will bend long before they break. Now to step out the back door for 5 or 10 shots and see what happens.

 

[M. De Land]

I have come to believe a flash hole cleaner should not be a sharp and hard steel pick but rather a soft wire "poker" with a hemisphere end to push the fouling out full flash hole diameter.
You may well find over time that if a hard pick is used long enough that the barrel wall opposite the flash hole will be pecked up from the hard point of a pick which tends to make it hold fouling and is hard to clean out.

 

[rdstrain49]

MD, interesting. I may have unintentionally solved that issue. The horse shoe nail picks I made are rounded to fit the flash hole, more importantly there is a shoulder which prevents the pick from going much past the vent liner. Like I said, more luck than design. Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn now and then.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I found the remains of a CW cartridge box while relic hunting just outside the battlefield park at Murfresboro Tennessee years ago . It had been loaded with Buck an Ball cartridges and also contained 2 of the CS Gardner Minnies . One end of the leather was wedged between two rocks and had been somewhat protected . In that end piece was a vent pick that was just a thin wire with a loop bent on the end . That is what I have used every since I found it . It ain't fancy but it is authentic and it works.

Eddie

 

[azmntman]

CW? Vent pick? I know there were a few flintlocks used but thinking maybe that could be a "nipple" pick? Regardless an awesome find! :thumbsup:

 

[Eddie Southgate]

CW? Vent pick? I know there were a few flintlocks used but thinking maybe that could be a "nipple" pick? Regardless an awesome find! :thumbsup:

Actually the South had quite a few flint guns in service and I have read that even in the north they had to use some early on in the conflict . You may be right about it being a nipple pick but it is a vent pick now . :grin:

Eddie

 

[StewartLeach]

I made three picks out of brass rod, with the outer inch hammered to a tapered triangle shape. Gave two away. Pick seldom leaves the bottom of the bag.

I tie my patch strip to the bag strap, then work from the free end in. The end is used to wipe pan and bottom of the frizzen.

With my Lyman flinter I have found ignition is more consistrent if I slap the side opposite the lock a couple of times, and nearly fill the pan. With a patent breech the heat has to travel a good bit farther to reach main charge unless you encourage it to migrate into the channel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have come to believe a flash hole cleaner should not be a sharp and hard steel pick but rather a soft wire "poker" with a hemisphere end to push the fouling out full flash hole diameter.
You may well find over time that if a hard pick is used long enough that the barrel wall opposite the flash hole will be pecked up from the hard point of a pick which tends to make it hold fouling and is hard to clean out.

Methinks if that much and type of damage is happening to a rifle from vent pick use something is wrong with technique. Time to re-review all loading habits and have the rifle, especially the vent, checked. Personally, I cannot conceive barrel or vent damage from pick use.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I have come to believe a flash hole cleaner should not be a sharp and hard steel pick but rather a soft wire "poker" with a hemisphere end to push the fouling out full flash hole diameter.
You may well find over time that if a hard pick is used long enough that the barrel wall opposite the flash hole will be pecked up from the hard point of a pick which tends to make it hold fouling and is hard to clean out.

Personally, I cannot conceive barrel or vent damage from pick use.

You are a most fortunate man to have not been in the company of any of the many ham handed individuals that frequent the community.





As far as the original question, I use a piece of #12 copper house wiring cold forged into a pick, any steel or hard material used as a pick will affect the softer material that it comes into contact with, that's a given.

 

[Black Hand]

Personally, I cannot conceive barrel or vent damage from pick use.

There are people that believe their pick should be a 4-sided, tapered, hardened steel affair - such a pick works just like a reamer and could/would cause damage to the soft steel of a barrel or a liner...

 

[Cruzatte]

Finally after over 50 years of muzzleloaders I saw the light and got my first flintlock. The learning process is going reasonably well but I do have one question for you flint veterans. What precisely do you use for a flash hole pick? I've tried many different things but none seem to work really well. First shot or two are fast ignition then things begin to slow down leading me to believe I'm getting progressively more fouling in the flash hole even though I'm picking between each shot.

So, what do you use?

I've used everything from broken guitar strings, to thin brazing rod, paper clips, safety pins, commercially available vent picks of all sorts, and wood tooth picks. Vent picks seem to be one piece of truck and plunder I regularly lose. :shake:

 

[Rifleman1776]

You are a most fortunate man to have not been in the company of any of the many ham handed individuals that frequent the community.

I guess you are right. I have picks but it is rare when it is needed. Usually on humid days it will come into play more often. On dry days never a problem where it is required.