Bending a breech plug tang

[wolfers]

anyone know an easy way to bend the tang on a breech plug?

 

[jamesthomas]

I believe some folks will make an cut under the tang (Hacksaw?) a 1/4 inch long from around a 1/4 inch from the base then heat the tang and bend it till the top closes up the cut. Another way is to thin the tang a bit then bend it, most folks find them to thick to begin with. :2

 

[Col. Batguano]

You only need about 1/8" total finished thickness. Tangs should be cold bent. Just stick it in your vice and have at it. Yes you could make a hack saw cut to thin it where the bend is going to occur as there's more metal in the back of the plug than you need.

Just be sure after you get the tang fitted to get your double cut file out and get rid of that darn flat spot that causes the infamous and unsightly barrel hump.

Do NOT drill for your tang bolt until you have your tang profiled. You want the tang bolt to be tangent to the radius of the tang where it heads south to the trigger plate. The location in the tang for the bolt isn't all that critical for strength anyway. If you drill it before the tang is profiled you will likely wind up with a bolt in the wrong place, which means you will have a "proud" edge on the bolt. You want solid contact of both the fore and aft edges of the bolt head.

 

[andy49]

What Col. Batguano said plus you need to leave your tang thick enough to counter sink your tang to trigger bolt for a flush tang fit.
Andy

 

[Vaino]

First off, make a cardboard template of approx. 1" of bbl and then the wrist profile. Mark the end of the bbl for orientation.

The large radius underneath at the junction of the tang and bolster should be reduced to 1/32". I also file some off the back of the bolster. Put the tang in the vise horizontally and pull on the bbl and bend...this might take a few tries. Use the template for the correct profile.

The bending is done w/o heat.....tang metal is soft and will easily bend. All that is needed for a tang thickness is 1/8" or even slightly less....mine always increase in thickness towards the end of the tang.......Fred

 

[matt denison]

Curly Gostomski was known to hold the barrel like a baseball bat and give the tang a good whack on the concrete floor once or twice.

 

[kaintuck]

Curly Gostomski was known to hold the barrel like a baseball bat and give the tang a good whack on the concrete floor once or twice.

:shocked2:

 

[stuartg]

I'm with you Marc... :shocked2:

 

[matt denison]

Curly Gostomski was known to hold the barrel like a baseball bat and give the tang a good whack on the concrete floor once or twice.

:shocked2:

Yeah, me too. Curly approached these things in a working man way, no fooling around. Just get 'er bent.

 

[Vaino]

All kidding aside....bending a tang isn't "rocket science" or even close to it. Bend one and the next one is easier yet. Of all the "tasks" in building a LR, bending the tang is a minor item. Why? Because it only has to be close and filing it to the wrist contour makes it a perfect match....of course, after inletting....Fred

 

[kaintuck]

well....as side note...yesterday, that LONG tang on my southern mtn kentucky got bent~ i had the barrel in the vises, and was doing the dove tails for tha barrel loops...tomtom walked on the long tang and bent it down....when i tried to bring it back up to shape...it broke completely off............ :idunno:

now off to weld it back on.......dang FAT kat.....

marc n tomtom

 

[MSW]

naughty kitty!!

(I can see how your cat simply wallows in guilt - mine does the same thing)

:wink:

 

[MSW]

You only need about 1/8" total finished thickness. Tangs should be cold bent. Just stick it in your vice and have at it. Yes you could make a hack saw cut to thin it where the bend is going to occur as there's more metal in the back of the plug than you need.

Just be sure after you get the tang fitted to get your double cut file out and get rid of that darn flat spot that causes the infamous and unsightly barrel hump.

Do NOT drill for your tang bolt until you have your tang profiled. You want the tang bolt to be tangent to the radius of the tang where it heads south to the trigger plate. The location in the tang for the bolt isn't all that critical for strength anyway. If you drill it before the tang is profiled you will likely wind up with a bolt in the wrong place, which means you will have a "proud" edge on the bolt. You want solid contact of both the fore and aft edges of the bolt head.

emphasis added

that's for true!!
(Don't ask me how I know) :redface:

 

[Billnpatti]

Don't be too hard on Tom-Tom, he was only trying to help. :grin:

 

[kaintuck]

Oh he helps alright......most of the time it's, " hi, let's play NOW"....... Which follows the routine of just jumping into my lap no matter what tool I'm using.....then, some time sitting a inch from my face, stealing a chisel.......there's never a dull moment..... :youcrazy:

But I like the ol coot......

Marc n tomtom