Flintlock Locating Touch Hole

WHERE SHOULD THE TOUCH HOLE ON A FLINTLOCK BE LOCATED RELATIVE TO THE PAN?
 

The touch hole which leads from the lock to the bore, should be located slightly above the bottom of the pan. If it is located at the bottom of the pan, the priming powder must burn down until it reaches the opening of the touch hole before you will have ignition. This leads to slow ignition, which can make shooting a flintlock even more of a challenge. A properly located touch hole can make ignition much faster.

NOTE: The following content first appeared in Shotgun News in 2010. It is from a featured section titled Ask the Gunsmith, where readers were able to submit their questions to master gunsmith Reid Coffield.