Maynard touch hole need help.

[jswift]

I recently acquired a Maynard carbine and the nipple and the touch hole were rusted had a devil of a time getting the nipple out however, the touch hole is blocked with rust/dirt tried liquid wrench with no result. Is it possible to drill out the rust and crud? unsure of how the original touch was drilled? any angles or straight through to the nipple hole? Any help or suggestions from the Board would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance for any replies. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. Jim

[John Bly]

The flash hole in the breech face is quite small, approx .035" unless it is burned out larger. This hole extends straight back about 1/16" to 3/32" and intersects with the hole from the nipple. Finding drills this small is a problem unless you know any machinists. The hole from the nipple to intersect with the tiny flash hole is at an angle and it starts near the inside edge of the nipple hole. A 1/16" drill should open this hole. The frame is casehardened and a high speed drill generally won't remove metal from it, only the rust & crud. Turn the drill by hand in a small chuck and work slowly to check progress. I have a good selection of dental probes that are good for for this task also. A good penetrant like Blaster or Kroil is essential to loosen the rust. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

[mwmoore10261]

John is quite correct that you won't find drill bits at Lowes or Home Depot. However, many hobby shops sell the miniature hand chucks with fine drill bits included. I think my set was about $12. They are excellant for cleaning out the ignition channel. I use Ballistol but have also used Hoppes Elite solvent to break up the crud. After breaking up the crud, thoroughly flush the channel with solvent. If you had a hard time removing the nipple, buy a new one and chase the threads in the reciever. Mr Bly can tell you the correct size and pitch for the nipple threads. Been wondering myself, since chasing the threads on my Maynards is a pet project I've put off for a while. Good luck with your project.
Michael Moore, 10261, St Mary's Light Infantry

[jswift]

Thank you Mr. Bly & Moore, for your helpful replies to my post. Although, as yet, I have not been able to locate the flash channel leading from the bottom of the nipple hole to the intersecting hole in the breech face, looking into the nipple hole from stock end of the receiver where or at position might I find the entrance to the flash channel, (dead center? upper left?). Lastly, what is the size and thread of the nipple hole, I need to know so that I can chase the threads with a tap? Thank you for replies and advice. Jim

[John Holland]

Looking straight down into the nipple cavity, the flash channel is at about 10:00 at the bottom edge of the threads.

JDH