Touch hole placement "updated question"

[mupperm]

where should the touch hole be drilled in the barrel.  I have  a reference video and he is drilling the side of the barrel into the breech plug then removing the plug and drilling the face of the plug into the side hole.  I was wondering if that is correct so i can get my lock inlet so the lock screw will miss the ram rod.

[Rich]

I wouldn't do it that way. I locate the front of the breech plug, and put the entire vent liner in front of it. A 1/4 inch liner will have the hole 1/8 inch in front of the face of the plug. If a liner is not used, I would put the hole just in front of the face of the plug. If the plug is too long, it can be shortened and refit before drilling the hole.

[RAT]

I'm guessing your video is on building a Chambers kit with Ron Ehlert. In this case the touch hole location was more or less pre-determined because of the barrel and lock inletting done on the pre-carved stock of the kit. He was describing a way to work around the problem if this causes you to drill through part of the breech plug. Another way around this would have been to not use a touch hole liner. A simple touch hole wouldn't have interfered with the plug.

[PPatch]

If it is a Chambers kit and you decide to not drill the plug you will likely have to move the barrel back approximately 1/8 to 3/16ths so that the breech plug face is far enough back to allow a touch hole that will clear the plug. Measure everything to find out where that plug face is before cutting anything (it is 1/2 inch in from the rear face of the barrel usually). Once you determine that you do need to move the barrel go slow and make sure you keep the new wood square to the bottom and rear of the barrel. Also, there is nothing wrong or slow with a 1/4" White Lighting over any other size so don't hesitate to switch if you feel you have to. Be sure to measure twice before drilling for the liner, any misalignment will show.

dp

[Acer Saccharum]

[mupperm]

thank you for the picture Acer, however i am new to this game.  so here is my problem as i see it.....
I am using a small Siler lock in which i need to inlet the lock into the stock.  if i put my touch hole in front of the breech plug as suggested, this does not let me use the bolster for the lock screw.  as i will be drilling through the breech lug to install the screw... 
"sorry if my terminology is not correct this is my first build".    or do I need to use two lock screws in different places on the lock plate???

[Nordnecker]

OK, I'm going to go out on a limb here. I'm new to this, too, but I think you are where I was a month or so ago. I was told to mark the location of the touchhole/vent liner, but DON'T drill it untill the lock is morticed in. The rear lock bolt is supposed to go through the breech plug tang. I was told to line the rear of the lock up with the center of the wrist of the stock, taking into consideration the relationship of the pan and the touch hole. What I didn't know was the lock panel itself should be parallel with the bottom of the stock.
I practiced inletting the lock on a scrap. Actually I made a scrap stock to practice everything on. Be careful about locating your front lock bolt- especially if you have removed your mainspring.

[mupperm]

i am building a .40 cal Tenn  rifle with a small siler lock.  do I need two lock bolt's?

[Acer Saccharum]

It's perfectly normal for the rear lock bolt to go thru the breech lug. Often the lug is notched out on antique rifles.  For the front lock bolt, it's not uncommon for a notch to be filed across the bottom of the barrel.

The position of your lock dictates where the lock bolts can go. Make sure of your locations before you inlet the lock plate.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

i am building a .40 cal Tenn  rifle with a small siler lock.  do I need two lock bolt's?

One lock bolt will hold the lock on. Why would you only want to use one??

I prefer to use two. The front bolt add a little strength tying things together a little more and helping to keep contact between the barrel and the lock bolster. The way I lock at it 3 lugs will hold the wheels on your car, but five is better. LOL

[bob in the woods]

I prefer to use 2 lock bolts, but some of the later styles of rifles only used one.  I built a .36 cal flintlock rifle 20 years ago which has only one lock bolt/screw and it still works fine despite heavy use.  It all depends on what you are building.

[Bill of the 45th]

Muppern, you've gotten good advice so far, but if you are attempting a Southern mountain rifle, a small, or large Siler, is the worst choice if you want it to look like a Southern rifle.

Bill

[Karl Kunkel]

Flinters usually have two lock bolts.  Percussion often only have one.

Someone correct me if I say this wrong.  Flintlocks use two bolts because of the momentum of the cock striking the frizzen and lock bolster.  Two bolts keep the lock plate firmly in the mortise after repeated impacts.  Percussion hammers stop on the nipple which is attached to the barrel, so no as much force is transfered to the lock plate.

[Dphariss]

Many British flintlocks use a hook on the front of the lockplate that goes under a woodscrew head.  They only have one lock bolt and this to secure the front of the lock.  Keeping the lock pulled in at the front prevents the lock moving and spilling priming into the lock mortise.


http://www.ctmuzzleloaders.com/ctml_experiments/mantonlock/mantonlock.html


The lump on the front of the lockplate is the "filled" hook that can be filed to fit a flat screwhead.
This works perfectly.

Dan

Screwed up posting the link.
Another run by posting....

[Acer Saccharum]

I agree that a Siler would not be appropriate on a Southern Mountain rifle. If you just want a shooter, it will work very well. If you want an historically accurate gun, choose a late English lock.