Touch hole liner size for Rice Dickert/Lancaster swamped barrel

[LuVerne Schumann]

Looking for the correct Chambers White Lightning touch hole liner to buy for my next build.

Going .54 cal with a "C" weight 44" Rice Dickert/Lancaster swamped barrel, with a breech diameter of 1.062.

Chambers' website calls for 3/8" x 32 for 1 1/16" or larger barrels and 5/16" x 32 for 7/8" & 1" barrels.

1.062 is close to 1 1/16" so I'm wondering if that is good enough to go with 3/8"x32. Any thoughts on this subject would be appreciated.

[rich pierce]

I’d go big unless you may position the touchhole below the center line of the barrel. Then I might go to the smaller size.

[Jim Chambers]

We now send 1/4" liners with our Dickert barrels.  The 5/16" works too, but we lean towards being prepared for mishaps these days.  By using a 1/4" liner, if the need ever arises to remove and replace it, and something goes wrong, there is still enough barrel left to install the bigger 5/16".   We do drill out the actual fire hole to a 1/16" once it is installed.

[flehto]

On all the LRs  I've  built w/ "B" weight bbls, the  1/4 dia WL yields fast ignition......after the TH is enlarged to .062. To build a very slim LR, the WL is located so the the dia nearly touches the upper corner  of the side flat...another reason to use the 1/4 dia  WL.  The LRs I've built using a "C" weight bbl also had the 1/4 dia WL and had fast ignition. Another valid reason in using the 1/4 dia WL is that if the installation of the 1/4 dia WL is "botched", a larger size can  can be installed. ....Fred

[Not English]

Luverne,

Measure the side flat and see what fits the flat. It's pretty simple and screw ups regarding redrilling the the touch hole liner are not likely. I am not a huge fan of stainless steel touch hole liners unless the barrel is white. Later English barrels sometimes had platinum touch hole liners where an SS liner would be very  appropriate. If you're doing a brown barrel an Ampco touch hole liner will brown up very  nicely. Most touch holes can stand drilling out to roughly 1/16" (0.0625") to improve ignition.

[J. Talbert]

For me the answer to, “what size liner” is always 1/4 inch.  It gets the job done as well as any I can tell, and as Jim just said above, it leaves room for revision down the road if it’s ever necessary.

Jeff

[LuVerne Schumann]

Thank you, gentlemen, question definitely answered!

[Mike Brooks]

I "usually" use the 5/16. I use the 1/4 on small barrels or Lehighs when you have to crowd the hole way high.  For big bored / large breeched shotguns I use 3/8.