How to remove breech plug?

[aragorn]

I've just received my Jim Chambers York kit - hurrah! - and am just about to begin inletting. I have a Rice swamped 50 cal barrel with the breech plug installed, but need to remove the plug in order the inlet the breech area properly (according the the video, anyway!). Trouble is, I can't budge it. I've tried securing the barrel in my bench vice and using all the obvious tools. Should I maybe WD-40 the breech area and let it penetrate? Or is it just that I need more brute force? I'm worried about damaging the breech if I do that. Or maybe I can get away with leaving it on and trying to inlet as it is? All advice much appreciated.

 

[rich pierce]

It can take some leverage and it's easy to mar the breechplug unless you have a special tool. The best tool is sort of hard to explain. It is 2 pieces of flat steel stock about 16" long, maybe half an inch thick, 3/4" wide, threaded for bolts a couple of inches apart at one end. The 2 pieces overlap at the breechplug and you cinch both sides down with the bolts and it fits the angle of the breechplug perfectly. Thus there is no marring which is guaranteed if you use an adjustable wrench, pipe wrench, etc. The other problem is holding the barrel w/o it spinning in the vise or gouging.

It's possible to inlet it w/o taking off the breechplug. But it takes some experience.

 

[mikee51848]

I had to take my barrel to Dixon's Muzzleloader Shop in order to get my breech plug out. I'm willing to bet that Chambers didn't use any lubricant on the plug, which was the case with mine (from another company). Unless you're set up for it, which I wasn't, you'll risk marring the barrel, which I did ::, which prompted my visit to Dixon's. Take it to a gunsmith is my advice and then get some good high temp lube (Chuck Dixon's advice). Once I had it off, I was able to put it back on, in the same position, with an adjustable wrench and a common vise. Also, you will need to remove the plug in order to install a touch hole liner.
:m2c:

 

[aragorn]

Thanks to both of you for this. I'm scared of marring the barrel too, so taking it to the gunsmith is a good idea.

What make of lube did you use?

 

[shmrck1]

strider,
My advise also is to seek out a competent
gunsmith and have them do the breech removal for
you. I had a problem with a GM barrel and needed the
breech removed thru no fault of GM and after fooling around with the breech
for a month or so i sent the barrel back to GM they
did the work that needed to be done plus took care of the scratched-up outer part of barrell(my fault).
My cost was the shipping the barrell to
them. Just a suggestion but you mite want to
contact your barrell maker.
snake-eyes :hmm: :results: :thumbsup: eace:

 

[Hoyt]

I inletted my barrel with the breech plug installed. The Art of Building the Pennsylvania Longrifle shows how to do it on page 41. Had to remove it for liner..heated it and used a pc. of 2x4 along with cresent wrench to break it loose.

 

[aragorn]

Thanks again. I'm going to call my local gunsmith tomorrow and see what he can do. I'll keep you posted!

 

[TANSTAAFL]

One way or another, I personally would remove the breech plug. Past experience had taught me never, under any circumstances to trust a barrel maker's breech job, on any barrel.

The following is the way I loosen tight breech plugs, it is offered only as that, nothing more.

I use aluminum jaw liners (made from angle) to protect the barrel in tightened vice, a thick jawed 14 inch Crescent wrench applied from the bottom of BP bolster with thick rawhide liner to prevent marring. (insuring the wrench jaws do not extend past top of tang) If a hard steady pull will not loosen, I take a #3 or #4 Garland hammer with rawhide insert, pull on wrench with firm steady pressure, then give the handle a slow, short smack with the hammer, letting the stored energy in dead weight of hammer do the work. I have yet to have a conventionally breeched plug not loosen.

I am given to understand Rice has made a deep commitment to insure correct breeching, I trust him, but will verify every time.

In the past I had used breeched barrels from another maker with plugs installed, until I found one done in an atrocious manner. Others have informed me this had been his modus of operandi for sometime. Being called on it, he changed, (so I am told) after my experience with him, I will never know if he has or not?

 

[aragorn]

I did it!

Taking the cue from rich pierce above, I thought I'd try replicating the design he describes using two pieces of hardwood rather than metal - I found an oak plank, 4 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, cut it into two 18 inch lengths, lay the breech plug between them close to one end and bolted the planks together on either side of the plug. I then wedged a small piece of wood in the gap at the other end of the two planks, so had a solid leverage handle with no risk of marring the tang. I then put two further lengths of the same oak plank in my bench vise and tightened the barrel between, thus getting a really solid hold also with no risk of barrel damage. It then took me about 5 seconds of pulling on my lever to loosen the plug. Brilliant!

There was a little bit of rust on the threads, quickly cleaned off, but it looked as if it had been perfectly installed so no complaints on that front. I'm now going to give it a really good clean then lube it before I reinstall it later on.

One small step for mankind, but a giant leap in my confidence that I can really do this project.

To complement the Chambers video I've just ordered the Dixon and Shumway books from Dixie, as a lot of people seem to recommend them. That should save me asking too many questions on the forum.

Thanks everyone again.

 

[aragorn]

I forgot to mention that I liberally doused the breech exterior with WD-40 and let it soak in while I made my tool. Might have helped.

 

[mikee51848]

Good for you. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Isn't that what we're here for? There are some really knowledgeable people who post here. BTW, Dixon's reccommended I use a high temp gear lube from an auto parts store as a plug lube.
eace:

 

[khwils]

You would have to remove the plug for the touchhole liner anyway. But you have an unbreeched end of the barrel you could use for inletting at the opposite end of that barrel :winking:

 

[rich pierce]

Pretty sure the YORK kit has a swamped barrel. Not symmetrical and would not inlet backwards.

 

[fatboy]

Has anyone tried Anti Seize ? I wouldnt think heat would be a issue with it, what do you all think ? I belive it has graphite in it.