I got a rifle from a guy I know and it had a problem. It is a kit Hawken .50 cal that was built back in the 1980's. He did a sloppy job on it and didn't relly like it ,but I was happy to take it for free. He was in the habit of removing the breech plug to clean the rifle. Well as expected the threads wore some and to get the breech plug tight it was almost one flat off.Since it is a percussion rifle I took some brass shim stock and made some "washers" of different thicknesses and put them in and I was able to get the plug lined up on the right flats again. I put that breech plug in really tight, I could not turn anymore. I have shot this rifle probably 50 times since with up to 80 gr. Goex ffg and patched round ball with know problems. My question is this "Would this rifle be considered safe to shoot on a regular bases with maybe up to 100 gr. and a Patched round ball?"I feel it it ok with the lighter loads but unsure about any heavy loads. Sould I proof test it with 130 gr or something like that?
Breech Plug Shimming
- Thread starter tx50cal
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IMO, the rifle as it is now assembled is a superior design to the original rifles.
Assuming the face of the breech plug is square (or running true) with the threads, and that the face of the bottom of the cavity which the shim is resting against is square with the barrel threads, you have effectivly created a metallic gasket at the joint.
Typically a gasket is made of softer material (in this case brass) than the maiting surfaces (steel). That is exactly what you have.
It should not leak any fluids or gasses so what more could you ask for?
It is as safe, or safer than it ever was. :imo:
Have fun!!
Assuming the face of the breech plug is square (or running true) with the threads, and that the face of the bottom of the cavity which the shim is resting against is square with the barrel threads, you have effectivly created a metallic gasket at the joint.
Typically a gasket is made of softer material (in this case brass) than the maiting surfaces (steel). That is exactly what you have.
It should not leak any fluids or gasses so what more could you ask for?
It is as safe, or safer than it ever was. :imo:
Have fun!!
I'm not sure from your original message as to whether you placed the shim outside between the breech plug and the end of the barrel, or inside between the end of the plug and the bottom of the threads in the barrel.
If you did the latter wouldn't you have a gap outside between the plug and the barrel?
If you put a shim outside between the end of the barrel and the plug, wouldn't you have a gap inside the barrel?
Maybe I'm just reading it incorrectly. ::
If you did the latter wouldn't you have a gap outside between the plug and the barrel?
If you put a shim outside between the end of the barrel and the plug, wouldn't you have a gap inside the barrel?
Maybe I'm just reading it incorrectly. ::
I put the shim stock on the outside between the barrel end and the breech plug. From what I can remember it was .017 "total. Its probably a space for gunk to accumulate :imo:,but so far so good . I don't get any tight spots or rust in this area.
With the TC Hawken design, the breech plug contacts the barrel all of the way around the joint with the barrel, so when you put the shim between the breech plug and the barrel you did basically added a gasket to the system so I'll stick to my earlier post which said it was OK.
If you had the kind of barrel and breech plug where the plug is supposed to fit tight against the internal shoulder at the rear of the bore, and the plugs tang only contacts the barrel at the top, then placing a shim between the tang and the barrel would NOT be OK.
People having this kind of breech plug (most flinters and precussion rifles which use a drum out the side of the barrel) you must put the shim on the face of the plug where it contacts the bore of the barrel.
Even though this will leave a small gap between the plugs tang and the rear of the barrel, at least the barrel is sealed to prevent powder gasses from exiting at the rear. :shocking:
If you had the kind of barrel and breech plug where the plug is supposed to fit tight against the internal shoulder at the rear of the bore, and the plugs tang only contacts the barrel at the top, then placing a shim between the tang and the barrel would NOT be OK.
People having this kind of breech plug (most flinters and precussion rifles which use a drum out the side of the barrel) you must put the shim on the face of the plug where it contacts the bore of the barrel.
Even though this will leave a small gap between the plugs tang and the rear of the barrel, at least the barrel is sealed to prevent powder gasses from exiting at the rear. :shocking:
