GPR Lock Improvement

[RobD]

the powder in the pan takes care of itself when hunting, this is range shakedown work yer doing to both get familiar with the gun, make it go off each and every time, work on consistent accuracy,

take a pic of the touch hole and pan - want to see it's location.

[Muley]

Well, I did try the powder in all positions. However, if it's fussy about being in one position than how do I hunt? Having a the gun go off when an elk is in my sights is much more important than anything on the range.

Trying the powder in the pan away from the vent liner didn't work as good as having the whole bottom of the pan covered in powder.



I'll have to D/L a manual for the camera to figure it out. Not just taking the picture, but getting the picture on my computer.

I'll tell you though. The vent liner is in the perfect sunset position in the middle of the pan. I don't think it's the problem. Sometimes the load shoots perfect. Other times just a FIP. I'm trying to repeat the process exactly the same everytime. What does that tell us?

Should I just go buy an 1/8" drill and see if the hole is that big, and drill it if it isn't. I have no way to measure it right now. I should also go shoot again to see if the flushing I did last night did some good.

[RobD]

1/8" is too big, 1/16" max hole size.

are you cleaning out all of the barrel between shots - barrel, ante-chamber and touch hole/flue?

[Muley]

I'm sorry. Brain fade. 1/16

I would have figured it out when I saw the drill.  

[Muley]

I'm running a spit patch and two dry patches in the bore between shots. I've done that for decades with caplocks. I also pick the vent liner with a torchtip cleaner before and after loading. I even bounce the ramrod on the load like you do. Something I never did before.

I haven't been using the breech brush though. I didn't think it would build up that fast. I've taken 50 shots with a caplock without cleaning it until I was home.

I use this brush.

MSM Breech Brush - October Country

[rollingb]

THIS is why i like the ability to take off a breech plug and find out exactly what's going on inside.  this is particularly true with patent breech plugs that have both an ante-chamber and flue.  at this point, i'd clean the barrel real good as best you can, use a .22 brush with a patch to get into the ante-chamber, too. scrub away!  any roughness or pitting or residue will impede ignition. all metal surfaces smooth and clean. experiment with different locations of the priming powder in the pan.

Rob,....when I lived in Alaska, I had a fella bring me his Lyman GPR because he could only get it to fire after snapping 3 to 6 percussion caps.  :rt th

Muley,... if you have no way of pulling your breech-plug,....you might try removing the touch-hole liner, and looking through the touch-hole while shining a light down the rifle's bore,... just to see if you're able to see a goodly amount of light that way.  

[RobD]

every rifle is unique.  that bears repeating.  when i get a new or used rifle i clean it out GOOD and take my time with loading and cleaning, to see if it has any quirks.  i would make sure the cleaning patch was just short of dripping wet, and get into the ante-chamber - lotta residue builds up in there, and if there was junk in there from the start yer likely to always have issues.  

so, clean everything out to shiny metal so you can discount that as an ignition issue.  clean well between shots, and that includes the ante-chamber.  for the pan, frizzen and flint, i'd use a cloth and really rub 'em all good - i found that brushes don't do as good a job for me as a piece of cotton flannel cloth.   pour in the powder charge, thump the barrel to make sure it's settling into the ante-chamber, seat the patched ball good so it'll compress the powder under it AND in the ante-chamber.  pick the touch hole good 'n' deep - you want a big channel for the heat of the pan flash to ignite the main charge.  start with 2/3rds of the pan full of powder, and leave a little space between the powder and the touch hole.

take a pic.  use the cord that came with it to plug it into a computer.  turn on the camera and it'll connect to the computer and show you a folder where the image(s) are kept.  use this forum's attachment feature to put pics in yer post.  that's about it.

[rollingb]

I'm running a spit patch and two dry patches in the bore between shots. I've done that for decades with caplocks. I also pick the vent liner with a torchtip cleaner before and after loading. I even bounce the ramrod on the load like you do. Something I never did before.

I haven't been using the breech brush though. I didn't think it would build up that fast. I've taken 50 shots with a caplock without cleaning it until I was home.

I use this brush.

MSM Breech Brush - October Country

Are you using 3F or 2F powder?

[RobD]

good point that rollingb has made - pull that vent liner, see what it looks like in the flue and ante-chamber, put the vent liner back with anti-seize lube.

[Muley]

I'm using Goex 3f for load and pan. Everything else mentioned i've done short of removing the breech plug.

Can I pay someone to do that for me. I used to have a nice workshop, but that went with the house. I can't do a thing in my apartment.

I've owned guns for 65 years and muzzleloaders since the late 70's. I was an auto mechanic for 30 years. So I have a bit of mechanical ability.

I appreciate the help. I'll figure it out.

I can always convert it to caplock.  

[RobD]

i don't think you'll need to pull the plug.

but do pull the vent liner and do as rondo sez, check out that it's clear and open to the flue.

[amm1851]

I would also consider drilling out the touch hole to 1/16. I had lots of flashes in the pan with my rifle until I did that. Also, consider getting some 4f to prime with. If there are other flint shooters in your area, or perhaps a club, I am sure somebody could give you enough 4f to try it out short of buying a whole pound.

[rollingb]

i don't think you'll need to pull the plug.

but do pull the vent liner and do as rondo sez, check out that it's clear and open to the flue.

....... and if you're not sure of the amount of light visible, try running the cleaning rod with a .22 caliber brush on it into the ante-chamber (as Rob first suggested) and see if you can see the brush.  

[rollingb]

I would also consider drilling out the touch hole to 1/16. I had lots of flashes in the pan with my rifle until I did that. Also, consider getting some 4f to prime with. If there are other flint shooters in your area, or perhaps a club, I am sure somebody could give you enough 4f to try it out short of buying a whole pound.

That,..... or even as big as 5/64" (that's what I have all my flinters drilled out to).  

[Muley]

Well nuts! I just went out and bought a 1/16" drill. It goes in the hole easily and could be a bit small. So, the hole in the vent liner is at least 1/16".

On to plan B.