vent liner?

[chuck-ia]

I finished this rifle in February this year, pretty much shot it allmost every weekend, (30 shots), figure I burned up close to 8 lbs. of powder, probably 700 rounds through it, barrel is a rice 7/8" straight oct. 50 cal. radius cut rifling, 42" barrel, white lightning 1/4" vent liner, using goex 3f, 65 gr. powder. The liner started out as 1/16" hole in it, it is now a very jagged hole, I can put a 1/16" punch in the hole and move the punch back and forth quite a bit and a little up and down. From day one, this gun has been the best shooting gun I own, ignition is very fast, lock is a chambers large siler, I can't say accuracy has fallen off due to the large hole in the vent, but it bugs the heck out of me, and am going to replace it. Any idea of what caused this? I can't remember how deep I set the liner in, maybe I filed too much of the liner, and  left too little hole thickness? chuck

[roundball]

My guess would be that "gas cutting" is what's probably causing that but I wonder if the metal may have been softer than normal to begin with...reason I say that is I have a couple rifles that each have about 3000 rounds through them and the stainless vent liners are still like new condition

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Just install a new liner and be happy again.  If your pan isn't filling with 3Fg with the frizzen closed while loading, leave it as it is.  Liners wear out and require replacing, particularly ones that have a huge cavity on the inside and a thin wall, which is why they work so well.

[Daryl]

I would add to Taylor's post, that if the outside of the barrel doesn't have much of a chamfer or radius at the edge of the threaded hole, the metal around the vent hole will be thinner than need be and wear out by gas cutting sooner than normal.  This was the casue of premature vent hole enlargement in my .45 barrel but was rectified when replacing the liner.
: I pre-drill my liners to .070" as I appreciate the almost instantanious ignition they give me with my lock.  The lock is fast with a .062" hoke, but I feel it's faster yet with the .070".

 As Taylor suggested Chuck, close the frizzen and load the rifle with 3F.  After loading the rifle, open the frizzen and see if the pan is filled. If there is only a smidgen of powder in the pan, I'd shoot it a while more.  If the pan's 1/2 full to full, I'd replace the vent and look for a descent radius (hmmmm) at the hole.  With a 1/2 full to full pan, a lot of powder is squirting out the vent when you push the ball home and the vent needs replacing.

[chuck-ia]

Thanks for the replys, I will check to see if powder is filling the pan. I think when I replace the liner, I will countersink the hole a bit more, which will set the liner a little deeper and make the hole a bit wider. thanks, chuck

[Roger Fisher]

Thanks for the replys, I will check to see if powder is filling the pan. I think when I replace the liner, I will countersink the hole a bit more, which will set the liner a little deeper and make the hole a bit wider. thanks, chuck

I do believe ol Daryl meant repl the ventliner (not the frizzen... Anyhoo beware of getting the liner in to the bore to catch fouling and your jag!!   Suggest also try the new liner as is first and if misfires occur too often 'then' open the torchhole a tad more.

I lose 2 f out of my smoothy vent liner (2nd one) and won't touch the ol gal til I notice her shootin low... or simply go 5 or some such more grains of black stuff!

btw have you been using a 'pick' too much? That helps open her up for sure in particular if the pick is a bit rough!!

[Jeff Peters]

Not that I need to, but I always wondered what is the best way to replace a White Lightning Vent Liner with out doing Damage to the barrel ... use an easy out?


Jeff

[Daryl]

Thaks for pointingout my mixed up wording, Roger. I repaired the damage- at least some of it.

 Chuck - spot-on.  Run the liner into the barrel - best to have the plug out when you do this to see how far it protrudes into the bore.  That material should be removed before seatting it in there for good.  The same can be done with measuring, but looking's easier . Too, with the plug out, the excess can be ground out perfectly in radius to the bore with a diamond stone in a dremel tool - easy as sin.

 To remove the liner, a small easy-out will work perfectly.

[chuck-ia]

I hate removing breech plugs, will attempt to replace the liner with the plug in, if I have trouble I will take it out. When I put this one (and others) in I push a tight patch down the bore, and can feel if the liner is sticking in the barrel, it is harder to clean the inside of the hole with the plug in though. Roger, the only time I pick the vent is if I have a missfire, so I am sure that is not what caused this wear. I'm sure it would continue to shoot good the way it is, sometimes I am just too picky. I spose I could just leave it and use the wore out liner as an excuse when I miss, (a lot)  @!*%, I gotta replace that liner one of these days. thanks, chuck

[Roger Fisher]

I hate removing breech plugs, will attempt to replace the liner with the plug in, if I have trouble I will take it out. When I put this one (and others) in I push a tight patch down the bore, and can feel if the liner is sticking in the barrel, it is harder to clean the inside of the hole with the plug in though. Roger, the only time I pick the vent is if I have a missfire, so I am sure that is not what caused this wear. I'm sure it would continue to shoot good the way it is, sometimes I am just too picky. I spose I could just leave it and use the wore out liner as an excuse when I miss, (a lot)  @!*%, I gotta replace that liner one of these days. thanks, chuck

This is only my own idea and thoughts on the matter of pulling that breech plug to do the trimming back of the inner end of that vent liner!  Your testing with a patch on the jag for clearance is to be done regardless.   Pulling that barrel out of the stock and pulling the plug is no biggee and since there will be a witness mark to guide your re installing said plug it is easy to do and in my mind the best way to cleanly dress back that vent liner.  You know the drill (barrel in good padded vise with good padded wrench and snap her loose the rest is simple.  A dremel is ok; but can and is done with a rat tail ground safe on the end.  Check frequently by eyeballing the job towards a light and you can tell when it's done then check with your patch tight on a jag!!  Doing this job w/o pulling the plug can end up with your liner end ending up short and you might not know it for certain and then you have a nice trap for crud and fowling to build!!  Anyway take my thoughts for whatever (if anything) they are worth....I'm rambling and worried about our election

[keweenaw]

An easy out will take out the old liner quite nicely, but as our northern cousins point out,  you probably put it in a bit shallow and ended up with a knife edge at the hole. If you have it at the proper depth, the vent hole will be parallel sided for .015 - .020" and will take a very long time to burn out.  But don't bother to replace it until it's leaking powder into the pan.

Tom

[chuck-ia]

Well, I performed the surgery after work tonight. No problem getting the old liner out, (used an extracter set from snap on tools). Counter sunk the hole a little, filed a bit off the new liner till I could not feel it on a tight fitting patch, (didn't remove the plug) put some anti sieze on the liner and in it went, sawed off the lug and filed it, have some touch up browning to do, but all in all it went well, (for a change). Now, swabbing the barrel I can hear that familiar air hissing out of the vent as I swab the barrel, something I haven't heard in a while. I allso drilled the vent to 1/16". Hopefully test it this weekend. chuck

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Well done Chuck.