HELP...HANG FIRES

[Standing Bear]

Sorry I didn’t explain further in my post above. Start w a clean barrel and flash channel then on succeeding shots when powder is poured in it goes into the ante chamber. Pushing the tight and wet patch/ball down wipes the barrel. Whatever fouling there from the previous shot is pushed on top of the powder or is on the patch and not pushed into the ante chamber.  The next loading is a barrel with fouling from one shot.

[bob in the woods]

The humid summer weather here turns the fouling left in the pan, and the small diameter breach chamber, to muck. If you're continuously shooting, it doesn't seem to be too much of a problem [ wipe the pan ] but with the delay between relays , the trouble becomes apparent. Some of the shooters bring smaller jags [ 30 caliber or so ] to clean the breech in between matches. Also, if you use a jag and patch, it should  be sized to go down the bore easily, but bunch up the patch on the way out so you're pulling the fouling out, rather than pushing it down. 

[L. Akers]

I do have one more question though, how is one to avoid pushing fouling into the Pre Chamber?  I mean, whether you patch the bore between shots or whether you just load the next round, you have to PUSH that crud down toward the chamber....before you can PULL it back up to the muzzle.  ??  Am I to do a full blown clean between every two shots?!  I dont think so.

Your jag/patch combo should be loose enough to slide down the bore without pushing crud ahead of it.  The patch will bunch up behind the jag when you start to withdraw it and PULL the crud out.  You will have to experiment with patch size to find what works.  You will lose some that are too small as you work up to a size that works.

[BigLead]

Been a few days, but now I'm back.  I checked for that 'pre-chamber' by inserting a 3/8 ramrod upside-down into the bore and 'feeling' for it.  Sure enough, there is a 'powder chamber' there about 1/2" or less deep.  I put a .38 pistol bore brush on the ramrod and proceeded to clean the powder chamber by spinning the ramrod always to the right, to keep the brush tight on the rod.  Followed up with a flannel patch.  Chamber is now clean.  Will report again when I have time to shoot and weather permits.

[Daryl]

BigLead - because many of us, some who have responded thus far to your query, use a snug ball and patch combination and NEVER have to wipe the bore while at the range shooting, or when

hunting. After a shot, the next powder charge is dumped into the bore. The patched ball is then shoved down on top of the powder.  The fouling from the previous shot is pushed down on top of

the fresh powder charge and is subsequently discharged out the muzzle with the ball.  The next powder charge is dumped into the bore, filling the powder chamber and rear of the bore, just above

the patent breech.  Then the next patched ball is shoved down onto that powder charge, wiping down with it, all the fouling from the previous shot. That fouling along with the patched ball are

discharged the bore.

Each time you load, you are cleaning the fouling from the last shot, as you load the rifle. If fouling is building up in your bore and loading becomes difficult, you patch is too thin, not enough lube, or

the ball is too small for that patch material.

I have found that a ball .005" smaller than the bore shoots well with .022" patch in literally ALL rifles I have tested, since 1972 - that is a LOT of different rifles, mine and other people's, along with

 dozens of the rifles that Taylor has built. They all respond to that combination forumula. 

These rifles include commercial and custom. I have also found, that those with shallow and/or button rifled barrels, like TC's and some others, shoot just about as well, with a ball a full .010"

smaller than the bore and the same .022" patch.  .022"denim is easily found as from yard-goods (sewing centres) like Joianne's Walmart or other places that stock denim by the weight - ie:

8, 10, 11, 12 & even 14 ounce.

I measure the 8 ounce as barely making .020", while the 10 ounce I get runs .0220 to .0225".  12 runs .029 with my new calipers, while 14 ounce is .034".

I am currently experimenting with a fairly tin canvas that is also .022".  It is very hard weave, but soft after washing. It is more difficult to compress in the bore than the 10 ounce denim

but shoots about identically.

[JCKelly]

Hang fires teach follow-through.

Really.

[Mauser06]

Had a similar issue. 


Found my.powder chamber..patent breech..was clogged with the same lube. Didn't know any better. I used it in the bore after cleaning too..must have got heavy handed once..That stuff turned to something nasty after a couple shots.

I DID have to use boiling water to get rid of it.  Basically had to melt it out..

I then installed a chambers white lightning liner and it fires like a champ now..

[varsity07840]

I have a .50 flint T/C.  The first few shots went off splendidly, very quick ignition.  Then it began to delay and finally turned into a hang fire.  I have cleaned the pan, I cleaned the flash hole, I used less powder in pan, more powder in the pan, I moved the pan powder closer to and further from the flash hole, I adjusted the distance from the flint to the frizzen (at half cock).  The flint has less than 25 strikes, it's not beat up by any means, just not as sharp as when new.  I've done all I know to do.  I can't get it back to where it was on day ONE.  I'd appreciate any help you can give.  I've shot percussion BP for 30 years, this is the first rock lock I've ever fooled with.  I like 'em, I just need to give over the learning curve.   

Sounds like powder bridging, the curse of the patent breech. Powder builds up around the face of the plug rather than going into the chamber. You can tell if that's happening by pushing a pick into the vent after you've loaded. If you don't feel resistance from the powder right up against the touch hole, that's your problem, especially with a flintlock. One cure is to pull the plug and put a profound chamfer
on the mouth of the chamber. Another is to modify a bore brush to have a diameter to fit the chamber with an upper portion to scrape the bore in front of it. Lastly,  if you still have a problem when you load, put your pick into the vent. If no resistance push some priming powder into the chamber when you prime the pan until it backs up against the pick.

[StevenV]

Flat faced cleaning jags clean the bore coned faced cleaning jags push the fouling down to the bottom of the barrel and do not remove it. We clean between shots with flat faced cleaning jags and never have fouling accumulating at the bottom of the barrel , no scrapers needed. Clean the barrel after shooting with water and bucket and yes hang fires are the best thing I know of to practice follow thru. Never go to the practice range with new flints.    Steve

[Pukka Bundook]

Devil's advocate and all that, But I don't think anyone ,mentioned the possibility of weak sparks?
Sometimes a good flint still produces weak sparks, and these can take longer to set powder off.
If we hear "clatch -poof"  before gun goes off, then something's slow somewhere.

I was always taught to use cod water to remove fouling, (doesn't turn greasy if cold is used,) and then boiling to dry the bore.   The blokes who I learned this from are long dead, but their guns are still here and not rusty.

[thecapgunkid]

well....there's no shortage of advice here.

I'd start simple and focus on one thing at a time. 

I had trouble with my trekking gun when it started an absurd hang after ten years of use.  Before I started getting crazy I was lucky enough to have a gunsmith tell me that the edge of the flint was not pointing to the touch hole when  uncocked.  I had forgotten,  then remembered, to adjust the angle of the flint  with a small leather wedge I always used  before I did anything else and bah-dah-bing....

Sure glad I didn't buy that breech plug wrench...

Don't shoot yore eye out, kid
The Capgun Kid

[Scota4570]

Hang fires teach follow-through.

Really.

Well it does.  Shooting my TC flintlock vastly improved my shooting.  I never shot high power as well as when I was shooting a compound bow every day.  That is even harder than a flintlock, same idea though.  IF you don't follow through like a machine rest it throws the shot off.  That year I was shooting 480s with a Garand.  IT works. 

[Gary W.E.]

I had a Green Mountain bore with the pre chamber and used a bronze brush to rod between shots. The bronze brissels formed to the chamber and cleaned enough to keep it shooting. I did notice you did not mention cleaning out the lube you used to protect your gun during storage. Try cleaning your gun before you shoot. Hope this helps!