breech plugs

[AgesofDays]

i asssume ....oh boy!!!!! that the breech plug on a flintlock screw in ...now what a minute I HEARD THAT...at least it does on my traditions flintlock. on these kits you buy they have a charge if you want them to do it what is so hard I must be missing something what is so hard about putting the breech in?

 

[TwoShadows]

Getting the breech plug to fit correctly does require a bit of work. Having the breechplug to fit up flush with the barrel INSIDE...where there must be no gap between threads and where the rifling starts is paramount. A gap there will catch patches when cleaning....will be a weak spot in the whole system..will be a perfect place to get a buildup of crud...will be a place where unburned power will cause all sorts of problems. The breechplug MUST fit flush inside, while at the same time be turned so that the tang matches up with a flat on the outside of the barrel too. It would look kinda funny to have it halfway between flats....make the lugs/tennons/sights sorta hard to install too. Removing the correct amount of shoulder off the tang to make it fit outside and still fit flush inside the bore is not rocket surgery, but does require a bit of forethought and planning. It will also be considered in having the inside smooth where the touch hole or drum/nipple arrangement is drilled. The placement of such things is critical if you want to have less trouble with firing consistantly also. Poorly breeched rifles (generally speaking) have ignition problems ranging from minor to almost impossible. If you are a tool and die person the mating of the breechplug and barrel is not difficult at all. If not, the price of having it done for you is trivial when compared to having to have it re-cut and rework the whole setup. Having to move tennons/sights etc after it is corrected will wreak havoc with the looks of your finished barrel. I say this, having been there...done that. My 40 year love affair with rag-nosed rifles has taught me that there are some things best left to those who have the talent and know-how to do. Proper breeching and location of touch hole mean the difference in having a shooter and a wall hanger. Poor ignition and continuous problems cleaning the weapon can do more to discourage your pleasure with Muzzleloaders than a few $$ up front to eliminate this..

 

[Darkhorse]

Well said TwoShadows.
I would rather drawfile a factory plugged Colrain anyday than fit a plug to a smooth GreenMountain.
And I AM an old Tool&Die man. After doing things like that for a living I don't much care to do them for fun. It reminds me too much of work.
Good advice also on the touchhole. A little preplanning can save a lot of anguish down the road.

 

[AgesofDays]

drawfile ok let me go to musketmans dictionary brb

 

[AgesofDays]

drawfile its not there what is it ?

 

[TwoShadows]

Thankee Kindly Darkhorse. I realize I am an old opinionated rascal,but I would hate to see a new shooter become discouraged due to something like that. My theories are to get the best possible setup in the first place...easier to recoup your investment if it doesn't pan out for ya. On toucholes...I am one of those who places it as high as possible on the flat where it goes....fire jumps through the hole much faster than having to burn its way through. My flinters seem to go as fast as most"claplocks", and I attribute a lot of it to that very fact.

 

I agree with Twoshadows too,,a good breeching job takes practice,and makes a world of differance down the road.

It's all about internal fit and barrel alignment.

Anyone that's handy can do it in about 20hrs with a hand file,vise and candle smoke,,, a smith with proper jigs and tools can cut .001 off the face of a breech in under 1 minute,,( if he's tooled up proper ),,then take .001 off again two minutes later if needed.

Fee for breeching around my parts is $25-30,,for my time,that's money well spent.

 

[Darkhorse]

Drawfile; Many barrels, not Green Mountain or Getz I've been told, come with tool marks on the flats. These are rough and need to come off. You get a large sharp ******* cut file and pull it too you across the length of the flat. Taking care to keep it flat. If you have much practice with files it can also be done pushing it away. The idea is to remove as much of the tooling marks as possible and still keep your flats flat and the edges sharp. The file must be cleaned with a file card often. This helps the file cut and reduces scratches in the barrel. I do all 8 sides. Then the flats are sanded with a block and sandpaper. Again you attemtpt to keep the flats flat and the corners sharp. You sand all or most of the file marks out then depending on how you want to finish it you will either stop with about 230 or go finer. 230 grit or rougher will brown better while a smoother finish will give better service if left in the white.
It is not difficult to do and hard to really mess up. But it begins to teach you about the process and skills involved.
About this time I also find and remove any burrs in the breechplug and in the dovetails. And while I'm at I go ahead and deburr the sights and barrel tennons.
When finished. You are ready to remove your plug and begin inletting the barrel in.

 

[Zonie]

Quoting TwoShadows "The breechplug MUST fit flush inside, while at the same time be turned so that the tang matches up with a flat on the outside of the barrel too."

I agree with TwoShadows and the others but actually there are three things which must happen at the same time.
First, as stated above the end of the plug must be tight against the shoulder where the bore stops and the rifleing starts.
Second, the flats on the barrel must be lined up with the top of the breech tang.
The third thing is the joint between the breech plug tang surface and the flat on the barrel where the two meet can't have a gap. If it does, it will look like the plug is not screwed in all of the way.

As I have said before, this job is a PITA. If you can pay a person a reasonable amount, AND he does a good job, it is worth the money. If he doesn't know what he is doing and just screws the breech in until the flats align and are tight without seating the breech on the rifleing shoulder then demand that he do it over.
As for price, Dick Greensides (Pecatonica River) charges $15. Money well spent!

As for drawfiling, if your pulling the file towards yourself, the file tang must be on the left side of the barrel. If your pushing it away from you, the file tang must be on the right side.

For a lot of information on files and filing, use the SEARCH button at the top of the screen and enter "Filing 101" for a write-up I did some months ago on the subject.

 

[C_Laubach]

Sumtacks,

I mean no disrespect but 20 hours to fit a breech plug!! Wow that

 

Nun tak-in C.J.,, It's just for me working minimum wage,,the $30 I gotta pay a feller is 20 hours after state and fed taxes,OASDI,Medicare,Dental/Medical prems and what change I have left from last Saturday's time and a half.
But, I was happy to pay that cause, I want the breech ta fit proper