Where to drill the vent?

[Snooterpup]

Hello Everyone! My kind-hearted brother gave me a William Kennedy flintlock pistol kit he bought more than 25 years ago and never got around to building. Please have a look at the photos. I've fitted the barrel and tang into the pre-inlet stock. Took about four hours to get that done. Next I had to deepen and inlet the pre-inlet lock area. After getting the lock plate to fit, I installed the pan to the lock plate. Mr. Kennedy's barrel has a patent breech as shown in the photos. I carefully marked the vent location on the barrel beyond where the patent breech terminates. This will place the vent off centered in the pan. My question is. Can I drill the vent properly centered at the sunset position of the pan even thought it will mean drilling into the patent breech? Moving the barrel back will complicate things as the angles of the tang

are already defined. The barrel and lock inlets were already defined. The only other thing I might be able to do is to angle the drill so that the vent is positioned correctly and angled so that it missed the leading edge of the patent breech. I am open to all suggestions and appreciated all thoughts and comments. Many thanks!

 

[user 34300]

I would not drill through the threads. Some do it. It invites fouling in to the threads. You are close. I would consider running the plug in one more turn. The plug and breech end would be shortened That would gain the room you want.

You could move the barrel back a bit, reshape the tang a bit, as well. That might give room or a liner.

IF you are going to use a regular non lined touch ole you could angle the hole to miss the plug face.

 

[M. De Land]

That is not a patent breech but rather a hollowed out breech plug. Is the interior barrel shoulder that the plug end contacts, that far forward as well? If the flash hole is ahead of the shoulder than your good to go straight in . If not it can be angled forward as I have a production flint pistol with an angled forward flash hole and it works very well.

 

[old ugly]

or move the barrel back a wee bit, the tang will bend
ou

 

[Loyalist Dave]

LD

 

[BJHabermehl]

Hello Everyone! My kind-hearted brother gave me a William Kennedy flintlock pistol kit he bought more than 25 years ago and never got around to building. Please have a look at the photos. I've fitted the barrel and tang into the pre-inlet stock. Took about four hours to get that done. Next I had to deepen and inlet the pre-inlet lock area. After getting the lock plate to fit, I installed the pan to the lock plate. Mr. Kennedy's barrel has a patent breech as shown in the photos. I carefully marked the vent location on the barrel beyond where the patent breech terminates. This will place the vent off centered in the pan. My question is. Can I drill the vent properly centered at the sunset position of the pan even thought it will mean drilling into the patent breech? Moving the barrel back will complicate things as the angles of the tangView attachment 62092View attachment 62093View attachment 62095View attachment 62096View attachment 62097 are already defined. The barrel and lock inlets were already defined. The only other thing I might be able to do is to angle the drill so that the vent is positioned correctly and angled so that it missed the leading edge of the patent breech. I am open to all suggestions and appreciated all thoughts and comments. Many thanks!

I had the privilege of working with Bill Kennedy. That being said he would have drilled the hole where the pan relationship dictated. As long as it did not fall to the rear of the radiused breech face. I believe that was the purpose of the cupped face to simplify construction of the kit. When I built my pistol I simply drilled my touch hole that way. I used a number sized drill .070 dia. And had good ignition with it when finished. BJH
PS the whole don’t drill into the threads thing is over blown especially in this instance. I’d not drill and tap a touch hole liner through the breech threads but a .070 touch hole, no problem.

 

[Col. Batguano]

Make sure you dismount the plug after you drill it and clean up the burr from the bit breaking through on the inside.