Traditional Muzzleloading Association

Traditional Firearms => Flintlock Long Guns => Topic started by: butterchurn on June 23, 2008, 12:25:16 AM

Title: Touch Hole Question
Post by: butterchurn on June 23, 2008, 12:25:16 AM: I'm working on a smoothie that I aquired that needed some minor repair. It has a stright 1/16th inch touch hole (no TH Liner) that is coned from the outside a la Danny Caywood. I have to test shoot it, but do you think it would be advisable for me to open the hole up to 5/64 or just go and install a TH Liner?
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Post by: Groundhog on June 23, 2008, 12:42:27 AM: Mr Caywood is a bit "touchy" about this subject. Why not jus' shoot it first n see how it does ... Danny does not believe you need a liner.
Bet yall find it do alright...
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Post by: Roaddog on June 23, 2008, 07:28:44 AM: Yep if it ain't broke don't fix it.
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Post by: Captchee on June 23, 2008, 10:03:46 AM: as said , caywood doesn’t believe in liners . don’t even get him started on the subject.
While your vent isn’t coned from the inside , it still will work fine .
When the touch hole does get to big then its time for a liner but right now 1/16 should be fine . If you notice the ignition is slow then you can drill her out
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Post by: Groundhog on June 23, 2008, 10:24:44 AM: 7f powder in the pan does wonders ... hard to find anymore.
Powder away from the touchole ... ya want the spark ta jump in Butterchurn...
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Post by: nessy357 on June 23, 2008, 12:55:05 PM: If you decide to drill it larger, and # drillbits are accessible to you, there are 3 # drillbits between 1/16" and 5/64". IIRC the middle size is .70"
Cheers Bob.
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Post by: Sir Michael on June 23, 2008, 03:19:49 PM: I agree with nessy. Try the next size up in the numbered bits if that doesn't do what you want then move up one form size. 5/64" is a large hole, big enough to make it self priming if you you use 3Fg.
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Post by: butterchurn on June 23, 2008, 04:55:45 PM: Thanks everyone! I'll shoot it first and ask questions later!!!!!
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Post by: Minnesota Mike on June 23, 2008, 05:00:05 PM: I just put in a 5/64 for my brand new trade gun. Worked fine on Sat and went off everytime.

r/
Mike
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Post by: ken on June 30, 2008, 09:41:26 PM: I happen to agree with Danny. I have done this for along time and one thing I have learned this sysyems works great! I absolutely dont have ignition problems. They are dependable and fast. I know that there sre more people that believe a liner is a must. And I wouldnt try to change there opinion for any reason. The point That I am trying to make is both systems work. I would keep an open mind on both and try what you have first. If not satisfied then try something else. What you have should work fine if installed correct and I am sure that it is. I certainly hope that I have not affended anyone I sure didntmean to.
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Post by: ken on June 30, 2008, 09:50:19 PM: Sorry I didnt realize I had already sudmitted it before I proof read it.
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Post by: Captchee on June 30, 2008, 10:23:13 PM: no problem ken , gotcha covered
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Post by: Sir Michael on June 30, 2008, 10:26:10 PM: Ken, I agree as well. Although most of my guns have liners, at least one that doesn't and I have no burning desire to bore it out and install one. :lol:
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Post by: butterchurn on July 01, 2008, 11:10:09 AM: I appreciate the info and discussion!
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Post by: oomcurt on July 01, 2008, 06:53:28 PM: I would say to try it out as is before making any changes. That said....my harpers ferry rifle had a 1/16 hole in the liner. I found that it "plugged" way to easy...drilled it out to 5/64 and that was the end of that problem. There is a lot of talk or concern about "pressure" being lost by doing that. Well...I don't buy into that. On one end of the barrel you have this teenie little 1/16 or 5/64 inch hole...on the other end you have one that is almost .6 of an inch, now...which end or hole offers the least resistence to all that pressure? Just my two cents....

Curt
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Post by: Captchee on July 01, 2008, 06:57:03 PM: oomcurt
is not that you lose allot of pressure
What it is , is basically the bigger the flash hole the more pressure that escapes out the flash hole before the ball leaves the bore
If you have a chronograph you will see it as a loss in velocity
It wont be much but it does amount to a couple hundred FPS
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Post by: Jesse Mains on July 02, 2008, 11:40:22 AM: Yup, drilled my .54's touchhole out and had it that way for a few years, but it seemed like I had lost velocity and my groups opened up a little. But could be operator error. 8)

YMHObriar,

Jesse
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Post by: Minnesota Mike on July 02, 2008, 02:22:26 PM: Funniest one I heard about too big of a touch hole was gent that had drilled it out to make sure he got spark thru.

Loaded up went to shoot - almost nuthin happened. Buddy teased him about trying to dryball or it or being mathmatically challenged and unable to operate a measurer.

Tried it again . . . same thing. Buddy is really laughing now.

Tried third time . . . same result. Buddy stops laughing. He's perplexed now as well.

Fourth try with buddy's help . . . once again 'poosh' is all he gets. This time however buddy notices all this black powder all over his moccasins.

Fifth time he watches the touch hole. As the shooter rams down the patched ball he sees a stream of powder being pushed out of the oversized touch hole by the air pressure of ramming down the patched ball.

Needless to say that liner was replaced and all drilling privileges were revoked for the shooter.

r/
MM
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Post by: Leatherbark on July 18, 2008, 05:33:08 AM: Try coning it on the outside with a large bit say 1/4 inch until you reach slightly under 5/64 inch. Then you would have an ideal hourglass shaped liner. When the time comes that you think you might want a liner then I'd pull the breechplug to make sure the liner does not protrude into the barrel and to make sure the breechplug is not too long for a liner.................................Bob
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Post by: butterchurn on July 18, 2008, 10:05:43 AM: thanks, again for the info