Rifle Shoppe Brown Bess Breechplug question.

[lexington1]

I bought a 2nd Model Brown Bess that someone had built from a TRS kit. It had a huge touchhole, so I decided to put a vent liner in it. When I removed the breechplug I discovered that the touchhole didn't really line up well and ran into the front of the breechplug. Someone had resolved the issue by putting a groove from the vent angling up a little bit towards the center of the plug face. The groove cuts across about a complete thread. and is very shallow. If the groove wasn't present the final thread would be in front of the hole. I hope I explained this right. Have any of you seen this before? I think it would be safe, but wanted to seek advice.

 

[wiscoaster]

I remember watching a YouTube video from a guy who'd done this, and it was fine - that was his solution for the same problem you have - but I did a couple quick cursory searches and couldn't find the video. Hard to find without knowing the right key words. You might have to work a little harder than I did to find it.

 

[lexington1]

I remember watching a YouTube video from a guy who'd done this, and it was fine - that was his solution for the same problem you have - but I did a couple quick cursory searches and couldn't find the video. Hard to find without knowing the right key words. You might have to work a little harder than I did to find it.

Thanks. I looked on YouTube, but I will search harder!

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
This is because the breech plugs used on TRS barrels are deeper than the originals. The lock parts are cast from originals and also suffer some shrinkage during the process. As a result, if the lock is positioned such that the back of the pan fence lines up with the end of the barrel, as on originals, a vent hole centered in the pan will hit the breech plug. This is made worse because if you use a TRS stock, the lock is positioned so the fence is lined up with the end of the barrel, forcing you to notch the breech plug. Lexington1, a notched plug is fine and should be safe. However, let me make some suggestions based on a lot of experience. The barrel wall thickness of a Bess barrel at the breech is wide. You will have plenty of thickness for a liner to be installed without the threads on the liner interfering with the breech plug threads. I suggest filing the notch in the plug bigger and much wider. Make it a big wide funnel shape deep enough at its outside edge to clear the vent hole and reaching right to the middle of the plug face. Smooth and polish it so it cleans easily after you shoot. Next, install a 5/16" diameter White Lightning vent liner in the barrel. Assuming the existing vent hole is where you want it, take out the breech plug, and redrill the hole for the liner all the way into the bore, tap the hole, and then grind the threads on the liner so it goes in only as far as the outside of the breech plug threads. Therefore, it will not interfere with installing or removing the breech plug. If you contact Barbie Chambers, you can get the liners made from carbon steel rather than stainless so they will tarnish and match the patina of the barrel.
You counter sink the head of the liner just a small amount so you can file it flush with the side of the barrel. Finally, for a Brown Bess, drill out the hole in the installed White Lightning liner with a 5/64" drill. Shoot the gun and if you get many flashes in the pan but no ignition, drill that hole to 3/32". I suspect that will make for reliable ignition and for effective cleaning. This recommendation is based on experience and knowledge, not speculation.

dave

 

[Scota@4570]

Dave and I posted at the same time, I think we had the same solutions. I wrote:

TRS kits are designed to be the same as the original. Originals were like what you describe.

What to do? To install a regular size liner, 1/4x32TPI?, you will need to deal with the breech plug threads and liner occupying the same space. The easiest thing would be to thread for the liner with the breech plug out. Then put the plug back in. Note how deep you need to notch the plug for the liner and make it so.

You will not be able to use a twist bit to cut the liner tap drill hole and notch the plug in on operation. IF you try the intermittent cut will wallow out the tap drill hole oblong.

You could install the liner projecting into the plug threads. Loctite it in place. Then fresh up the plug threads to put thread into the liner. The plug face notch will not be so large this way. Be aware the breech plug tap will try to unscrew the liner.

Maybe make a liner out of a smaller machine screw. Say a #8 NF. Then drill a plain touch hole in the screw before you install it with Loctite. Then touch up the breech plug threads. You will have restored the intended configuration with a smaller touch hole. This is what I would do.

Whatever you do be sure you do not lock the breechplug threads with the liner.

How big is the existing touch hole? Maybe go with 1F powder? Muskets used coarser powder.

 

[lexington1]

Thank you very much! I truly appreciate the comments. This is along the same thought process I had, but I've never done it before and wanted to make sure I wasn't being an idiot. You guys are great!