Also known as: vent, vent piece, touchhole.
| Vent | The channel from the exterior to the powder chamber |
|---|---|
| Firing | The primer's flame passes through it to the charge |
| Vent piece | A replaceable copper insert to renew a worn vent |
Firing the charge
The vent, or touchhole, was the narrow channel bored from the outside of the breech into the powder chamber. Through it the flame of a primer, quill, or portfire passed to fire the charge, and it was the point at which the gun was primed and fired.
Repeated firing eroded the vent, and to avoid condemning a whole gun for a worn vent, many were fitted with a vent piece, a replaceable insert of copper or a copper alloy, that could be renewed when it wore.
On this site
Sources & further reading
- United States Army, Ordnance Department. The Ordnance Manual for the Use of the Officers of the United States Army. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1862.
- CivilWarArtillery.com research archive: equipment references and manuals.