Breech Plug Removal

[Scota4570]

"But TOW does indeed have available the actual 11/16x20 thread for T/C barrels,, Flint only but in 15/16 and 1".
These are new items not listed in the current catalog. https://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/667/1"


Very good news. When I checked recently they told me they had none and could not give me an ETA. So I made one from scratch.

"Any feedback?"

Yes, generally speakign you need to relieve a TC plug to put it back. Get a black marker and coat the surfaces of the plug and barrel that touch when you tighten it. Try the plug. Remove it. Carefully work the bright areas with a file. Clean the filings. Re-coat with marker, repeat the fitting process. Do this until the plug indexes propelry with reasonable torque. Without specialized equipment you are unlikley to be able to make it index with out removing a little metal.

Your's may be close enough already to seat with a wrench and vice. I can not say any more with out seeing it first hand. Good luck.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Apparently early rifles did not have their breech plugs super-torqued into the barrels.

:shocked2: Not necessarily. :shake:
According to internal work instructions from the TC factory, the plug was to be turned (torqued) until the flats lined up. This put incredible stresses on the threads and did other ugly things only machinists understand. Revealing that info is a large part of what put a magazine publisher out of business. I recently gave away all my old issues or would otherwise have a copy of those orders.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Just to be cantankerous let's do a mental experiment. Let's assume the average mature shooter weighs around 200 pounds. (More if the guy is a re-enactor.) He has a vise or press strong enough to properly secure a barrel. He uses a large crescent wrench to turn the breech plug. To me a large crescent is 18-inches or more, we had bigger in the oilfields. To put more umpff into things a three-foot cheater pipe is slipped over the handle of the wrench making for an effective handle length of 4 feet. Time to start turning. Our guy takes hold of the cheater at the end and pushing down on it manages to left his own feet off the floor, putting pretty darned near 800 foot pounds of torque into the project. (More if he's a re-enactor.) Is that enough force? Not enough? Enough to remove a plug but too much for installation?

If 80 foot pounds makes for a tight fit, would it not be easiest just let the 40-pound grandchild jerk in the crescent wrench unassisted a couple of times and be done with it?

May the force be with you.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Is that enough force?

Can't answer the question about removal. But what you describe is enough to twist distort the barrel. :shocked2: Methinks if it is that difficult, it is hacksaw time and shorten the barrel a couple inches then install the, or another, breech plug.

 

[breachloader]

I bought the barrel with it removed

 

[bubba.50]

if you're simply re-installing a plug & if you have the plug with the proper threads then yer crescent wrench & padded bench vise should do the job. BUT, there may be a bit of trial & error fittin' involved to get the flats to line up correctly.