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Rusty Breech Plug
- Thread starter tranders
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Outside or inside? are you talking serious rust pitting or just surface rust? Outside is easy, just clean it off with fine steel wool and oil or Emory cloth if you need something more aggressive. Inside will be more difficult. Keep in mind, any chemical rust remover will also remove bluing.
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Explain "rusty"....
It's a plug....The rust should only be surface rust.. Clean it and oil it.
It's a plug....The rust should only be surface rust.. Clean it and oil it.
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tranders said:
That's got alarm bells hanging off every angle. Threads shouldn't be exposed! Any chance a prior ham-handed owner pulled the plug and didn't get it screwed all the way back in?
I'd sure do a bunch more investigating before going a step further. Investigating, as in most likely pulling the breech plug and checking for other problems as you suspect. That doesn't sound good at all when you're laying your face up next to a breech plug that might leak gases.
The threads that you are saying "that are exposed" are they the nipple threads that you see when you remove the nipple??? Maybe there is NO nipple installed??? Need more of a detailed explanation of your issue :v .tranders said:
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Shouldn't ever have reached your hands in that condition. I'd be inclined to pull the plug for an inspection, recognizing that in order to seat it correctly the barrel will have to be rotated back a full turn in order to keep the sights on top and the rib on bottom where they belong. That could well mean hand fitting the breech to barrel if it won't rotate back that far when the breech is seated fully against the plug. If that's beyond your ambitions, I'd look for a good muzzleloader smith in your area and get both an evaluation and a labor quote.
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Sounds fine!....those threads are external. there are many more on the inside....if the rest of the gun is in ok condition just clean, protect and put the barrel back...also clean the breech hook socket.tranders said:
No not under any circumstance attempt to remove the plug.....you will ruin the gun.
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I'm with Clyde on this one. I've had several guns develop minor rusting around the breech when they were store for a long time (years) when I was not actively shooting. I simply forgot about looking at them. A tooth brush and some oil cleaned up the surface rust, bores were fine and all is now good.
After cleaning, keep the threads well oiled or some grease for protection. Any chance of posting a picture?
I wouldn't pull the plug at all! I don't see a good reason to do so. Pulling the plug isn't a simple matter for a do-it-yourselfer.
Brown Bear is right, the rifle should have never gone to market with an improperly installed breach plug.tranders said:
Was your rifle purchased from Cabelas or Gander Mountain? During the '80s and '90s these firms were in the habit of purchasing "seconds" and "warrenty returns" from the major manufacturers to market in their stores and mail order outlets.
In any event IMHO a breach plug should never be removed as there is no good reason to do so, certainly not a CVA or Traditions unless done by a knowledgeable gunsmith due to the method they are factory installed.
I think he's talking about the drum.
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It is normal for cva's to have one or two threads sticking out the back on their hooked breeches...
That's just the way they were made....They also have one of the strongest breech plugs in the industry...
That's just the way they were made....They also have one of the strongest breech plugs in the industry...
Here is a photo showing what's inside the breech of a CVA sidelock muzzleloader.
It shows the reason you don't want to frinkle with the breech.
The drum is threaded into the side of the breech plug, pinning the breech in place.
It was machined that way after the breech was installed in the barrel and getting it back into perfect alignment when reassembling the gun, so that the drum screws into place exactly right isn't easy.
You can also see that even if the threads of either the drum or the breech plug were damaged because of rust, it won't really weaken the area.
My advice is for you to put some good penetrating oil on the threads, clean up the exposed rust and forget it.
The penetrating oil will soak into any rust that remains and protect the threads from any further rusting.
It shows the reason you don't want to frinkle with the breech.
The drum is threaded into the side of the breech plug, pinning the breech in place.
It was machined that way after the breech was installed in the barrel and getting it back into perfect alignment when reassembling the gun, so that the drum screws into place exactly right isn't easy.
You can also see that even if the threads of either the drum or the breech plug were damaged because of rust, it won't really weaken the area.
My advice is for you to put some good penetrating oil on the threads, clean up the exposed rust and forget it.
The penetrating oil will soak into any rust that remains and protect the threads from any further rusting.
colorado clyde said:
All of my "off the shelf" muzzleloaders have been either CVA or Traditions since '73, plus any that I have seen come through the shop from '85, and I cannot recall any such exposed threads on the breech plug on any (unless they have been tampered with).
Billnpatti
Cannon
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Something just doesn't sound right to me. A CVA breach plug should be screwed tightly into the breach of the barrel and have no threads showing. The bolster should also be screwed tightly into the breach plug and it, too, should have no threads showing. The nipple, however, often will have a partial or full thread showing. If breach plug or bolster threads are showing and it were my rifle, I'd take it to a knowledgeable black powder gunsmith to be examined because, as I said, something just doesn't sound right to me.
In any event, absolutely do not try to remove the breach plug. You can get it out but you can't get it back in due to the interlocking of the breach plug with the bolster. You will never get the holes lined up properly so that the bolster will screw back in....can't do it. :shake: That is absolutely a factory job. I doubt that even a gunsmith would have the proper equipment to replace the breach plug and bolster. If you truly do have either breach plug or bolster threads showing, I would send it back to the factory and let them work on it. They are the only ones who will have the equipment and knowledge to do the job.
In any event, absolutely do not try to remove the breach plug. You can get it out but you can't get it back in due to the interlocking of the breach plug with the bolster. You will never get the holes lined up properly so that the bolster will screw back in....can't do it. :shake: That is absolutely a factory job. I doubt that even a gunsmith would have the proper equipment to replace the breach plug and bolster. If you truly do have either breach plug or bolster threads showing, I would send it back to the factory and let them work on it. They are the only ones who will have the equipment and knowledge to do the job.
