Recommended Tap and Die set?

[Artificer]

Putting a few of the comments together, A round die. Taps and dies for whatever I really expect to use;

The breech plug is 5/8-18. Both it and the barrel are already threaded but being able to chase the threads might help.

You probably won't need it, but you would use a bottoming tap there in the barrel. Honestly, don't buy it unless you need it as the tap and especially the handle is not cheap.

The L&R lock does not yet have screw holes to connect it to the side plate.

"The Gunsmith of Grenville County" suggest starting with 8-32, 6-32, and 4-40. Though he does say the 6-40 is stronger than the 6-32.

Technically that is correct, BUT you don't need the strength of the 6-40 and the 6-32 is closer to what they used in the period.

The Chambers "White Lightening" touch hole insert is supposed to be 5/16-18.

Contact them for the correct drill bit size and buy it from them, if they have it.

Brands to look for or avoid? Why are some listed as "left hand"?

For what you are doing, AVOID the left hand threads. That means they tighten by turning to the LEFT and loosening to the right, which is the opposite of how most gun screws are threaded.

Gus

 

[Eric Krewson]

Chambers White lightning liners all take a 32 thread if it is 1/4, 5/16 or 3/8th

 

[B.Habermehl]

Chambers white lightning liners require a special tap and drill. You get these directly from Jim Chambers, along with real white lightning liners. There are knock off liners out there that have more common thread sizes. Their liners use 32 threads per inch. It is a special tap, and a letter size drill. BJH

 

[Capt. Jas.]

Watch your dies. Most readily available are for cleaning up threads already formed.

 

[Scota4570]

I never understood why. A 1/4-28 tap is in my kit. I can not believe that it has any functional advantage over 1/4-32.

 

[Grenadier1758]

If you have a US percussion rifle, the threads for the nipple are likely to be 1/4-28.

 

[Eric Krewson]

The Chambers drill and tap set is fairly expensive, you can buy the same things on your own for about half as much.

 

[hawkeye2]

1/4-28 is the standard fine thread for automotive and general work and that's why it's in your kit. 1/4-20 is the standard coarse thread and 1/4-32 is a size that is rarely encountered so there's no need to put it in a set.

 

[hawkeye2]

In addition the standard for US military fiream nipples is 5/16-24.

 

[Zonie]

About your 5/8-18 barrel and breech plug threads: You do not need to buy the expensive die or tap to chase the threads.

As you may have noticed, the threads in the barrel do not run quite all the way down to the shoulder at the bottom of the hole.

Because the face of the breech plug should screw tightly against the shoulder at the bottom of the hole, the first thing most folks think is, "I need to chase those threads down to the shoulder with a bottom tap".

While this is one way to solve the problem a much less expensive method is to remove the threads that would interfere with the partial barrel threads from the breech plug.

You do this by carefully filing off the first thread at the face of the breech plug with a flat metal cutting file.

File it down so it leaves almost no trace of the former thread. Only a slight mark where the minor diameter of the thread was.

Removing 1 or 1 1/2 threads will usually allow the plug to seat out on the shoulder to seal it off.

Modern breech plugs have more thread engagement than is really needed so, filing off a thread or two will not significantly reduce the strength of the joint.

There! I just saved you about $50 you might have paid for a tap and die you would only use maybe a dozen times in your lifetime. :grin: