Picking the vent

[Natureboy]

  You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but how deep do you pick your vent?  Is it enough to just push any errant grains of powder out of the way, or should you push the pick all the way to the far side of the breech?  Peter Alexander says to make sure your pick reaches all the way to the far side, so I assume that he's hinting that the latter is preferable, opening a channel all the way across the back of the powder charge.  I get the occasional FITP, and I'm experimenting with all the variables--how much priming powder to use, banking it away from or up near the vent, etc etc.  Also, the vent in my rifle is slightly back of center of the pan, and does that create mis-fires or help ignition?  In this day and age, there's so much to learn!

[Standing Bear]

I almost never pick the vent.  If hunting I usually will pick the fent when changing prime.  It is usually dry here so seldom even change prime.

That said, it does no harm to pick the vent but I would open a vent hole to 5/64 and shoot that a while to see if picking is needed.
TC

[Virginiarifleman]

I find that picking the vent gives a faster ignition.at least in my Flintlocks.helps channel the spark to the main charge.and yes I pick as far in as possible.

[George Sutton]

I pick the vent every shot. Do I have to? Probably not. When I pick the vent I never experience a flash in the pan or a fall of the hammer.

Centershot

[Curt Lyles]

  Natureboy   The purpose of a coned vent liner is to get the primin powder as close to  the main charge as possible .stickin the pick clear thru would create a tunnel effect or so it seams to me but try it both ways and decide for yourself. JMHO Curt

[ken]

I use a paper clip and will shoot for the other side if the gun is starting to give me trouble, other wise just about a 1/4 inch   ken

[Candle Snuffer]

I pick my vent every shot as well.  As far as prime? I fill my pan clear across about halfway up (sometimes a bit more) with 4f.  I can't remember the last time I had a failure to fire?  Figure out what works for you and stick with it would be my advise.

Oh, and I forgot to mention,,, like Ken I push my pick in about 1/4 inch.

[smylee grouch]

I like to prime with the pic in place, all the way in if posible. This seems to work good for me.

[EC121]

When I was shooting more regular, I used a piece of undersized music wire to pick all the way across then primed with 7f.  I would tilt the rifle and push the prime into the hole.  Can't say that it helped but I though it did.  I also put a interdental brush into the touch hole to filter the powder out of the expelled air.  That worked well and also removed the fouling around the hole.  Also left a small space in the charge to push the priming into with the pick.  I still have about a pound of 7f left.

[Kopfjaeger]

I pick the vent every time I prime the pan. In dryer weather I don't re-prime the pan to much, but in damp weather I re-prime ever couple hours. I properly don't have to but better safe than sorry. I also pick the whole way through the breech.

[WadePatton]

Pickin' and a grinnin'.

If i have a quill on hand i'll load with it in place, then pull it.  no pick

If i don't has the feather, i'll pick the vent, one time. powder deep.

[Natureboy]

  Thanks for all the reassurances, friends.  My vent is drilled at 3/32, and I was lucky to find 3 feet of 1/16 brass wire at the local hobby shop.  A lifetime supply for $1.50. It's stiff enough to do the job, and no worries about sparks.  What I've found that also helps is to scrub the vent with a stiff pipe cleaner, the kind that has the little bristles.  They bend after
a few shots, but for $2, and cut into halves or thirds, that 2 bucks should last me a few years of fun.

[hanshi]

I will pick anytime there's a FITP but that's about it.

[Daryl]

I will pick anytime there's a FITP but that's about it.

same here

[Steve-In]

Only as needed.  When hunting when I prime/reprime.  I found that my hunting rifle likes a full pan of prime too.  I tried to wean it back but I just had more fails to fire and slower ignition.  I also found it don't matter whether you pick or not if your prime does not go off.

[Daryl]

Only as needed.  When hunting when I prime/reprime.  I found that my hunting rifle likes a full pan of prime too.  I tried to wean it back but I just had more fails to fire and slower ignition.  I also found it don't matter whether you pick or not if your prime does not go off.

I think the amount of prime, depends on the gun, it's pan shape, depth and relationship to and size of the vent hole. That's 4 determining factors concerning priming.

My guns also seem to like a full pan - I do this and well, hang the cost  - it works.

[Dphariss]

I virtually never pick a vent. However, if powder is not visible in an internally coned vent liner its a good idea. But since I never carry a vent pick I have to use a grass stem or such in the very rare instances I need one. Never happens except at matches.


Dan

[Natureboy]

  I've read a lot of comments that some shooters use quills in their vents.  If you don't carry a vent pick, here's what my grandfather told me about obtaining quills in the field:  sprinkle salt on a bird's tail and you can catch it.

[t.caster]

Well if you can get close enough to a bird to sprinkle salt on it....it must be dead. In which case.....you don't need to carry the salt around all day! Eh?

I am another one who uses an inside coned vent liner, and dang near never use a pick.

[Kopfjaeger]

  I've read a lot of comments that some shooters use quills in their vents.  If you don't carry a vent pick, here's what my grandfather told me about obtaining quills in the field:  sprinkle salt on a bird's tail and you can catch it.

"LOL"

[WadePatton]

Bobcats, coyotes, hawks, etc. tend to leave little piles of feathers out where i can find them... Put that salt on the rim of my glass.

[dagner]

 my flinter liked the bareel wiped then the vent picked .just to clean the hole .then load  my guns did not like being picked after loaded. watched quite a few guys had to pick their guns after loaded at the off hand matches.most had ignition problems from it.
 dag

[Don Getz]

Something I don't understand.   I never pick the vent hole.   Jim Chambers went to
great lengths to produce his White Lightning touch hole liners.   These liners were designed to get more powder close to the pan powder.  You get a lot of powder to within a 1/16" or less to the pan powder.   Now, I see that many of you guys want to
push that powder away.....why?..........Don

[iloco]

Something I don't understand.   I never pick the vent hole.   Jim Chambers went to
great lengths to produce his White Lightning touch hole liners.   These liners were designed to get more powder close to the pan powder.  You get a lot of powder to within a 1/16" or less to the pan powder.   Now, I see that many of you guys want to
push that powder away.....why?..........Don

I agree with you.
I always thought the vent pick was to clean a vent if it got clogged from build up over a period of time.

[Dphariss]

  You can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but how deep do you pick your vent?  Is it enough to just push any errant grains of powder out of the way, or should you push the pick all the way to the far side of the breech?  Peter Alexander says to make sure your pick reaches all the way to the far side, so I assume that he's hinting that the latter is preferable, opening a channel all the way across the back of the powder charge.  I get the occasional FITP, and I'm experimenting with all the variables--how much priming powder to use, banking it away from or up near the vent, etc etc.  Also, the vent in my rifle is slightly back of center of the pan, and does that create mis-fires or help ignition?  In this day and age, there's so much to learn!

I don't even have a vent pick in my pouch. Unless its plugged there is no reason to pick the vent.
The priming powder experimentation has already been done.
This is one of many experiments done on Flintlocks and how fast they are, what is fastest ect etc.
http://www.blackpowdermag.com/part-5-timing-powder-locations-in-pan/
Go through the site and there are answers to many questions.

Dan