Vent Liners

[northmn]

I have been shooting a smoothbore with no liner, just drilled out the old fashioned way.  The vent is close to the face of a recessed breech plug and worked very well until it got fouled after a few shots.  I would pick the vent before loading but still get a flash in the pan.  It worked very well the first few shots with no problem other than an occaisional pause.  Will be installing a vent liner even though for practical purposes I may not really need one as I am talking more about match shooting where a lot of shots are fired, than practical application.  Vent liners, like the White Lightening do seem to be quicker.  Wonder how grandad got along?

DP

[Bill of the 45th]

I would guess that Granddad either notched out the breech plug, or drilled the touchhole at an angle to keep it away from the breech.  I would drill it oversize, thread in a bolt, upset it, and then drill a new hole at an angle to get it away from the breech.

Bill

[Roger Fisher]

Are you shooting her dirty??  Or are you wiping with a seperate patch between shots and shoving the fouling down upon that breech face and causing the fouling cake to build up which gives you the near fits??

Think on it a bit then next time shoot her dirty and please let us know the results.

[northmn]

I was trying to keep the bore in near clean shape and know I was pushing crud into the breech.  As this is not a typical match smoothbore but has sights I consider it mostly for a deer/grouse/squirrel gun and as such for round ball want to see how it shoots clean.  I could shoot it dirtier but my patch/lube combo is also tight and starts to load a little harder when dirtier.  Were I to switch to a more liquid lube than Bore Butter or Crisco it probably would work dirtier.  It has been a pretty reliably functioning flinter so far except for after a few shots.  I am using an old Siler lock I picked up about 15-20 years ago and owe a few silent apologies to either the Chambers and their ancestory or Bud Siler as I was having tuning problems with the frizzen which a little gun oil cured.  Kind of feel a bit a bit of a duffus about that.  Really works well.

DP

[roundball]

I can't offer any direct advice because I've only ever used patent breeches and vent liners so I have no before and after to compare to.

But I can say I read enough posts over the years about the very problem you're discussing, that when coupled with 18 years of T/C patent breeches and liners, is why I had patent breeches custom made for every longrifle barrel I've bought recently...don't own a vent pick and they just shoot and shoot and shoot like the ever-ready bunny