Breech plug install ??

[Crow#21957]

Do you guts use a file ? I'm sure everyone does not have a lathe.
And once the plug has bottomed fairly snug to the flat down in the barrel how far is safe to tighten the plug farther. I would tell how far I go but do not want to show my ignorance. Thanks

 

[Crow#21957]

Sorry ,,,GUYS NOT GUTS GEE WHIZ

 

[Bnewberry]

Sounds like you have the idea right. Once you get full contact on the breech tighten and loosen the plug a dozen times, a bit tighter each time. It seems l8ke they wear in a bit for a while.

After that, and based on how tight factory breeched barrels are you can use a cheater bar and all the torque an average adult gorilla can generate to get the breech plug to line up.

 

[chorizo]

After that, and based on how tight factory breeched barrels are you can use a cheater bar and all the torque an average adult gorilla can generate to get the breech plug to line up.

I wonder what the Ape/Chimp torque specs are? 2 gorillas and 3 chimps?

 

[Crow#21957]

Thanks looks like I've got about the right torque

 

[SDSmlf]

I wonder what the Ape/Chimp torque specs are? 2 gorillas and 3 chimps?

There are always the Neanderthal and Yeti/Bigfoot scales, but they require a conversion….

The big thing is to get everything as square as possible, with ‘full even’ contact on both surfaces. I use Prussian Blue to show contact or lack of.

As far as torque, I like to get it where it seems I could move the plug a degree or two more with an 18” wrench and call it good. Years ago I found out TC plugs were tight enough to withstand the old Samsonite gorilla test, and was then shocked with how easy a GM factory plug came out.

 

[Bnewberry]

Don’t forget to use amti-seize paste!

 

[Crow#21957]

I always do Bnewberry
My first time years ago while testing I didn't and screwed a breech plug in and almost didn't get it out. Wow

 

[chorizo]

Had an aviation tech rep tell one of my aviation maintenance Marines, "Don't worry, you can't break it" upon loaning us a tool....I warned him that that was not a reassuring thing to say to them as that was taken in the form of a challenge. Sure as feces, he was back picking up his broken tool two days later. Said he had never had a navy guy break one. We all just laughed at his naivete.

There is Gorilla tight, Neanderthal tight, Yeti/Sasquatch tight....then there is Marine tight.

 

[chorizo]

Don’t forget to use amti-seize paste!

Me using anti-seize paste

Just not in my skill set. Neither is caulking.

 

[2 shots]

dont do this with guns but when i used to be in auto. parts when people asked what to torque their head bolts to i used to tell them to tighten their head bolts till they snapped... then back off 10 pounds. then looked up the spec for them. always got some strange looks.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

Me using anti-seize paste

View attachment 201252

Just not in my skill set. Neither is caulking.

One dab of anti-seize will cover the earth, that's a fact.

 

[squirehawk1774]

The breech plug face need to bottom out on the shoulder in the bore at the same time the tang bottoms out on a barrel flat. If the tang bottoms out but not the plug face you will get crud built up in your threads and it will start rusting your barrel. This will cause many problems down the road.

 

[Red Owl]

It seems like a really difficult tash, the face has to bottom on the shoulder of the bore and no gap between flat and plug AND the flats on plug and barrel in line.

 

[smo]

If the barrel already has the sights mounted & under lugs installed… it’s a real PITA get the plug aligned with in the correct position…

 

[Red Owl]

Indeed, the only way I would do it is before the dovetails are cut for sights, etc.