To remove that QLA...

[nkbj]

The rifling at the bottom of the QLA is square like a you counterbored a hole in a board with a blade bit. Does anyone have suggestions on how to taper grind the entrance into the rifling down inside the QLA without cutting the barrel back?

This QLA (it's a 54 NE) might work really well if Thompson Center's execution of the concept hadn't been so...bad.

 

[nkbj]

Maybe cast a bunch of 54 minies from wheel weights, glue emory paper to the ogives and use them for the head on a hand drill powered grinding rig. Could use masking tape on the outside of the minies to get alignment in the bore of the QLA. Would make for slow going (the best way to go sometimes).

 

[sbhg]

Have a machine shop put it in a lathe and cut the crown to whatever angle you want.

 

[lefty41]

Read a thread about a tool that would taper the bottom of the QLA to remove the sharp crown. Can not remember where the thread was (here or on another board). Hopefully somehere can post info about it. I want to do that to my NE and Renegade.

 

[nkbj]

This might work. The wood screw is there to expand the split sawn end of the dowel rod to 54. Might have to glue the first pass of emory paper to the tapered end of the dowel. Could build up the masking tape to a snug fit and then lube it. Maybe use a nail or 3/16 bolt epoxied in place instead of all thread to chuck up in the drill. Guess this will be my first try prototype design. http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/REMOVETHEQLA.jpg

 

[misher]

Wasn't sure what a QLA was. I went to the T/C website to see. Don't want any part of that. It says all T/C muzzleloaders come that way. Ruin the Hawkens.

 

[D Sanders]

Have a machine shop put it in a lathe and cut the crown to whatever angle you want.

I agree, have someone with machine shop experience machine it out. You don't want to mess it up and you will be much happier with the results. Maybe a gunsmith could do it for you. :hmm:

HH60

 

[roundball]

QLA (it's a 54 NE)

From my own experience with some GM drop-in smoothbore barrels in T/C stocks, they are fantastic and open up an entire new world of muzzleloading...so just as a completely different alternative, you might consider sending the barrel to Ed Rayl in Gassaway, West VA...have him full length bore the barrel out to a .62cal(.20ga) smoothbore...doesn't cost very much and they provide a lot of versatility to the muzzleloading hobby...small game, turkey, crows, trap or skeet targets, etc...and of course deer as well.

Then if you wanted to you could separately have T/C's Fox Ridge shop make a new rifled barrel without the QLA...or buy one off an auction, etc

 

[nkbj]

We're thinking the same....I'd looked at the possibility of reboring the 54 NE to 58. That round barrel doesn't have enough extra meat in the front sight area to take the bore out any further. I really like the NE as a plain Jane basic kinda rifle. And, this one is southpaw, a luxury here on Planet Wronghand. It's so very tempting just to get Ed to hang about another half a foot of barrel on it. Oh my gosh, does L&R make a lefty flinter that would fit? I feel another project coming on.

 

[roundball]

Forgot about the step-down bore size on the NE... you already know the .58 smoothbore would be a .24ga and that's a pretty decent size smoothbore for most things...in fact, if I was also going to use PRBs out of it I'd rather have a .58 smoothie than a .62 for a faster flatter trajectory...and Hornady & Speer make swaged balls for the .58 but not the .62.

I have GM .28 and .20ga barrels and the .28 is a real versatile performer even in spite of being smaller than a .24ga so it should be a real good performer...plus, Circle Fly is a good source for any .24ga cards & wads you'd need...

 

[nkbj]

Last night I was being quiet after bringing home my better 2/3rds from being abused on an upper GI examination. So, I made up that slit dowel rod device. Tried it out this morning. It works fine but all I have is emory paper instead of emory cloth. The paper keeps tearing. And then you get to figure out how to fish the chunks out of the bore. Three table spoons of cornmeal over FFFg all poured past the paper scraps worked quite well.
The problem with the QLA is the square cut bottom on the counterbore. The entrance into the rifling is the ultimate patch destroyer. And, it makes you pack around your genuine colonial rubber hammer to load a conical. But then...
I remembered that old Lyman design thick skirted minie mold. This morning went out to the lead zepplin (quonset where the melting pot is) and made up a few. Haven't bench tested any yet 'cause the sufferin' spouse is in yonder sleeping off the effects of the various noxious compounds the heath care professionals injected her with. But, tried loading one and it went in with only minor palm abuse from the short starter (no rubber hammer required). Perhaps an accurate and fairly powerful minie ball load may be possible with the thick skirt. Now that could be a very welcome development indeed.

 

[tv_racin_fan]

How about one of these sir??
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=519840

I tried to find something for a drill or mill or lathe I know it is there but couldn't find what I wanted.

 

[CoyoteJoe]

That 1/2" tool isn't going to do anything for a .54, 17/32" is .531", 35/64 is about right at .547" but good luck finding a tapered reamer of countersink in that size. I had one .50 T/C with the QLA and just never had any complaint with it but I use thicker patches than most folks shoot.

 

[daperdon69]

Goodcheer:

I was QLA'ing my barrel's and freinds before TC was doing it. How I do it is to aquire a reamer that is the same size as the depth of your rifeling, or .001 /.002 bigger. I then spin grind the end about 3/8 back to .375 dia. Regrind the starter chamfer to 45 deg. Hand hone the .001/.002 off for correct dia.of the rifeing. Then I make a guide bushing out of brass about 1 inch to 1.5 inch long to fit the bore dia. with about .001/.002 clearance. Then fit the bushing to the reamer(.375 dia.). You can remove the material in the barrel by turnning the reamer by hand. Go slow and be carefull not to go to deep. You can rig up a stop on the shank of the reamer. Put some lube in the bore. By using the guide bushing it makes sure that you are square to the bore. You do need to use some machine tools and a micrometer to do this right. But that's how I do it.


good luck

tradegunner

 

[nkbj]

How about one of these sir??
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=519840

I tried to find something for a drill or mill or lathe I know it is there but couldn't find what I wanted.

Drats! It's a half inch diameter. Would fall in the 54. But, you're right, that's just the sort of tool that would do the job.

 

[nkbj]

GunTrader, those folks at TC oughta give you a consulting contract! :wink: