jamming flintlock priming spout.

[Waksupi]

Anyone got a fix for this? I've never had problems clearing the problem before, but this one doesn't want to go together and work properly. I cleaned it with denatured alcohol. I know this has to be something simple. Thanks for solutions!

[Hungry Horse]

 If it’s the little brass spout that you push into the bottom of the pan to facilitate opening the valve to release the powder, my suggestion would throw it away. I’ve seen those valves accumulate powder dust and enough moisture from the air to create a small hard ball of powder that eventually hardens and drys out. Now you’ve added a fuse to your little bomb. All you have to do is lay it on the shooting bench where a spark from cap, or priming powder can reach it. Or, as a bunch of us witnessed at one rendezvous a gentleman with a fancy priming flask made of silver, and silver soldered together, of course the trick brass valve with the gob of unburned priming around the mouth of the valve. A buckskin war shirt was all that saved this guy from a catastrophic injury. If you have to have a valve priming flask I would suggest a small pocket pistol flask that isn’t activated by pushing it into the pan.

Hungry Horse

[Waksupi]

I found the problem. The spring somehow managed to screw itself down below the stop. I unscrewed it, freed the spring, re-assembled, and it works fine. I knew something didn't look right when I took it apart, it just took some time for the light to come on.
Thanks for the answers!

[Daryl]

Those things do that. Both of mine did as well. I now use a priming horn.

[Don Steele]

I use one of those spring loaded priming tools and haven’t had any issues. That said, I periodically disassemble it, clean and reassemble. Additionally, after loading my rifle I use a wiping patch to clean the frizzen, flint and pan, in that order. My spring loaded spout is never pushed into the “ black goop” residue that forms in the pan ( especially down here in Florida 🤪).

[MuskratMike]

Simple fix for that. Either prime from the horn (very traditional) of get a priming horn (not truly traditional). Like most everyone else when I was first starting out I used one of those spring loaded devises. Threw them away or gave them away.

[smylee grouch]

I have two of those brass primers where the tube depresses up into the powder supply and another device where the tube is fixed and another tube slides over the top on the outside and exposes a hole to let the prime fall out. The first one is ok when shooting bench style matches but I like the 2nd one better as it has never plugged up on me. These small priming devices are handy with some locks that the frizzen doesn't open s far on like the Davis late English and those with smaller sized pans.

[Dphariss]

Simple fix for that. Either prime from the horn (very traditional) of get a priming horn (not truly traditional). Like most everyone else when I was first starting out I used one of those spring loaded devises. Threw them away or gave them away.

I dunno about the “not truly traditional” thing. The priming horn/flask goes back a long time, to matchlocks. David Cooke (1761-1842) had a priming horn AND a bullet board. He was old enough to have fought in the Revolution. AND he was a hunter not some store clerk or farmer. Frankly priming from the powder horn is a PITA and actually wastes powder. The other thing that aggravates me is “moderns” thinking that we are a lot smarter than our predecessors.  When they, by the time of David Cooke’s death, had been using Flintlocks for HOW LONG? (about 300-350 years) And we think that with the increase in the use of ML arms in the last 100 years or so someone could invent something that had not been considered in the previous 400 years? Especially since the matchlock priming flask was known? We see a lot of powder horns from the Colonial era, some are actually from the period. But how many surviving hunting/shot pouches? With their contents?  Finally FFFF is far more useful for priming and related issues (like loading without powder),  than FF or even FFF. Plus I had a long time FL shooter tell me something I had discovered years ago, that he could tell the difference when priming with FF vs FFFF. FF is slower and it produces more fouling over a wider area.
I have one of the little spring loaded priming spouts on a piece of Pronghorn horn (first one I killed, .58 FL about 1978) that I have used for priming most of the time, over the last 46 years. I have priming horns with no such additions as well. But I really like this primer. Used right, tipping the pan and horn correctly  one long press will let the powder run across the pan to about 3/4 full. No excess where its not wanted. It needs minor cleaning every decade maybe.

[smylee grouch]

Spot on and informative post Dan.   

[Scota4570]

A lot of how I do things is because of how I shoot.  99% is club shoots.  We load at tables behind the line.  I arrange the things I use on the table in a logical way.  I load at the table. I keep a tiny Colt flask full of 4F in my back pocket.    Priming is only done  at the line with the muzzle pointed down range.  I carry the flask in my back pocket for convenience  and to prevent any possibility of it being ignited by sparks.   

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I experienced the same frustration with those spring loaded primers, and found a couple of work arounds that made them easier and safer to use.
first, I soft soldered a short length of brass plate onto the tip of the spout so it extends about 1/8".  So it's the plate that contacts the pan, not the tube, and it doesn't get clogged with pan fouling.  Second, I learned a technique from our late friend, Chris Buckley...he pressed the tube against the face of the open frizzen, and allowed the priming to drop straight down into the pan.
If your primer is one of the brass tube types, consider emptying it of powder, and drill a 1/2" hole through the side to act as a safety plug.  Cover the hole with a thin piece of leather.  Now you have turned into a safe primer instead of a grenade.
But I still prefer a horn with a soft wood peg to the mechanical devices.

[smylee grouch]

That soldering trick sounds like a good and simple fix. The only problem I have had with using a regular horn is as I stated in an earlier post. On some locks the frizzen doesn't flop forward as much as others and getting the spout into the pan can be harder and I always seem to get more prime than I want  .

[Marvin S]

The best for me is the Treso with free flow valve. Never touch the dirty pan. Somewhat lay across top of barrel angled to pan and push valve. One in a while you may have to lightly tap on barrel with primer but not much. I put a short lanyard on it a weather in pocket or bag the lanyard hangs out for easy retrieval. 4f for me I think null B sucks.

One other thing is the free flow cross valve never pukes in your pocket like the stupid plunger one does.