Removing Tang

[walter lynn]

Just began working on a TOW Kentucky pistol kit. Want to remove tang prior to inletting barrel and drilling flash hole. Having difficult time. Any tricks on how to secure it in the vise? Attempted using two peices of wood and an adjustable wrench on the under side of the tang. Thanks.

 

[Nightwind]

Hey Wally, assumimg it's a straight octagon barrel, I just turn the barrel around and use the muzzle end when inletting the breech area of the channel. Also, don't drill the vent hole till after you're almost done building it. You'll want to make sure you put that hole in the "perfect alignment" spot. For example; sometimes you have to set the barrel back a tad more to get the vent hole to not end up somewhere in the breech plug. I almost always have to set the barrel back another 1/4" or so.

 

[walter lynn]

You are exactly correct! Thank you. I knew there was something obvious is was missing. Have to take a couple of asprins now after slapping my forehead asking myself 'why didn't I think of that'!!!! Thanks again.

 

[madstone]

Almost all of the ML bbls I've worked on, over decades, have been marred at the breechplug by attempting, usually failing, to remove it. I applaud your good sense to stop before you "beat it up" :hatsoff:
You might try a really solid bench, big vise w brass vise jaw pads and brass shims between a BIG cresent wrench? Usually they are quite stubborn and only marred if either the vise pads or wrench slip (rosin) or become misaligned because one has to exert too much exertion on the wrench? (I use a big "cheater " pipe! )
The previous fellow, who replied, has the right idea, leave the breechplug in and use the muzzle end if needed. :thumbsup:

 

For a straight barrel, you can just turn it around... however, when you start inletting swamped barrels, this doesn't work as the swamp in the barrel is not uniform down the length of the barrel.

In that instance, you must remove the breechplug to inlet the rear of the barrel. I don't have a big vise, just a little one, but I was able to mount the rear of the barrel in the vise padded with leather, apply a large crescent wrench to the bottom of the breechplug, and give the end of the wrench a couple of smart whacks with a rubber mallet to break the plug loose. As long as you keep the tips of the wrench below the very top of the tang, you'll only slightly booger up the bottom part of the plug that sits down inside the stock and won't be seen anyway.

 

[Voyageur]

I've never built from a kit and I'm wondering... do you drawfile the barrel before inletting?

One of the first things I did some 40 years ago was make some brass jaws for my vise. Two pieces of brass bent 90 degrees with a couple of holes on the top ends. Heavy steel wire that act as 'clips' to hold them in place.

In addition (and I don't know if it is still made) but I have an aluminum set of octagon jaws that slip into the standard bench vise. They grab about as good as one could want.

The 'wrench' I use is the old style (I think) with two flat jaws on one side and, flipped over, cutouts that fit various bolt action firearms. As I recall, I got them from Brownells, Inc. who supply gunsmithing tools.

Somewhere along the way you just might have to pull that breechplug (maybe on another firearm or to clear that one) and you just might want to learn how to do it without marring the shape or finish.

 

[George F.]

I lock the barrel breech end up vertically in a large strong vise tight very tight with aluminium pads( I think the aluminium is softer than brass ) And put a medium size pipe wrench on the bottom surface of the breech plug, that's the plug and NOT the tang. And I go to it. Re-installing the plug I use Anti-sieze on the threads......George F.

 

[IronCrickett]

Another little hint that could help...I took an old 12" adjustable ( not metric :rotf: ) wrench and ground the jaws down to the approximate angle of the breech plug tang. Won't marr the tang, and minimizes any marks on the plug...
Later
I.C.