Drilling a Breechplug 2

[Knapper]

Here I go again, with pictures this time.

I bought a collection of parts to build a percussion Hawken. The breechplug and tang are two separate pieces, but the breechplug is not drilled or tapped - it is solid.

This leads to the following questions:

1. Can I drill it myself, or should I have it done? If it should be sent off, then where?
2. Would it be just as easy to buy a predrilled plug, and if so how do I determine what the plug thread size is. The barrel is from Dixie Gun Works and all it says is 50cal.
3. Will this plug work with a flintlock, or would I need a different style if I wanted to change the lock type?
4. Any suggestions of a flintlock and where to get it?

Thanks,

Knapper

 

[Bushwhacker]

After looking at your pic. It looks like it's a TC hawkin breech plug. You're going to have to drill and tap for the nipple and drill out the end of the breechplug to intersect the hole.If it were mine.......I'd throw the plug in the trash and make a REAl muzzleloader by going to a flintlock.
If it ain't a Flin'eerrrrrrrrrr It ain't a muzzleloader

 

[Zonie]

Your breechplug is made for a precussion ignition gun.
I really don't see how you could modify it for a flintlock without it having a real ugly area being left behind.
To get a feel for what I mean, you would have to file off all of the material which would stick out beyond the side face of the barrel.
Looking at the plug, the left side and the right side would be the same distance from the center of the barrel. That would still leave a big area with no material in it where the nipple should have been.

To find out what size the thread is, measure the outside diameter of it where the points of the thread meet.
Thread sizes are always determined by the outside diameter of the male thread. It looks like it is about 5/8 but that is just a guess. The sizes you should expect to see are 9/16, 5/8 or 3/4 inch. Don't worry about the pitch of the thread as these sizes are fairly standard in the muzzleloading industry.

The semi-standard thread sizes are based on the caliber of the barrel and the size of the outside of the barrel octagon measured across the flats (usually).

If you order another breech plug you will need to know both the thread diameter and the size of the octagon on the barrel (measured across the flats).

I can draw up the plans for the machining you would need to do to turn this breechplug into a useable precussion plug, but before I go to all the work envolved, you need to decide what you want to do with it. I would also need to know the thread size and the octagon size.

 

[Old40Rod]

Scrap it and get a patent breech from TOTW. For thirty bucks its not worth the hassle unless you are set up to do the metal work. I presume you aren't because you don't know how to figure out the thread size (Don't feel bad... my method is easier, I ask a machinist buddy of mine...).

 

[Zonie]

I agree with old40rod.
To give you an idea of what would be envolved to machine your existing plug into a caplock style you would have to crossdrill about a 1/8 inch diameter hole from the left side of the plug almost all the way thru the block towards where the nipple will be. (Read on about the location of this hole).
Then countersink the mouth of this hole with a #21 drill about 1/4 deep. Then tap this #21 hole with a #10-32 tap. This tapped hole should be bottom tapped to obtain at least 3/16 inch of full threads for the set screw that will be installed there. (Bottom tapping takes two taps, one tapered tap to start the threads, and a bottom tap to finish forming the threads down in the bottom of the hole.)
Then drill a 5/16 dia down the center of the threaded boss about 7/8 deep so it intersects the 1/8 inch cross drilled hole.
Then locate the proper position for the nipple and drill in perpendicular to the cast flat surface about 3/8 deep with a #3 drill. The 1/8 dia drill at the start needs to be located so it intersects this #3 drilled hole so, as you can see, planning is necessary.
Tap this #3 drilled hole with a 1/4-28 tap. Here again, you should bottom tap the hole so it has at least 1/4 inch of full threads.
To really finish this off, you should spot face the 1/4-28 nipple hole with a 5/16 flat faced counterbore about 1/32 deep.

Now, whether you followed all of this or not, you can see that there is quite a lot of work envolved.
If there is any doubts about doing this machining, give strong consideration to just buying a plug and tang set which is already machined. I think you will be glad you did.