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waarp8nt

Smidgin Injun
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Gentlemen, I've heard a picture is worth 1000 words. So, I give you a few pictures and a few words. I've been wanting a larger lathe for quite some time, my previous lathe was a South Bend 9". I have recently purchased a Honden lathe (aka Lantaine, aka Grizzly G9249). About the only issue with the lathe is some rust on the 4 Jaw chuck, the lathe and other accessories are clean with little use.

I picked up a good single trigger T/C .56 caliber Renegade from a local gun shop for a reasonable price with the intent to do some tinkering. Decided to do a flintlock swap on the Renegade. I'm using a .54 caliber barrel, a previously ordered a replacement flintlock breech plug in the factory 11/16x20 thread configuration from Track of the Wolf and I found a Lyman Flintlock online for a cheap BIN price. Done a couple of Lyman lock swaps in the T/C's with little to no trouble. I want have some fun building it and create a nice little target / deer rifle. Considering swapping the .56 to flintlock, it may be nice to have a rifle / smooth bore combo. If not, I will sell the .56 barrel.

The breech plug is oversize and will need to be draw filed to match the 1" barrel profile on the T/C. With that in mind I installed the breech plug using the Rice Barrels breech plug wrench and octagon barrel vice jaws.

Question for those who install breech plugs and/or do some lathe work; all that was required was to cut the breech plug thread depth to match the thread depth in the barrel. I was planning on the fitting to be a little more difficult, but it wasn't bad. I cut the threads to length, slightly tapered the opening of the anti-chamber and touched up the threads on the breech plug with a snap-on thread file (20 TPI). To my amazement, the breech plug timed out correctly with the sights / top of the barrel to the tang while being tight and not over tight. I planned on a little back and forth with lathe to get it to time out. Nope, cut to length...the breech plug fit the 1st time. I then removed it and put on some anti-seize grease and reinstalled the plug. I assume the 1st time fit / timing was beginners luck? I would imagine on a bad day the fitting could be more difficult....your thoughts please?




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I've been doing this stuff over forty years now and prayer has saved me more than once in the occasional absence of skill from a brain toot!
Make sure the internal shoulder is a crush fit with the plug by spotting it in. If it isn't the threads will eventually get some fouling and then corrosion. Do not substitute anti- seize paste for good fitting. If fit correctly all you need on the threads is some RIG grease.
 

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