Rookie with first questions

[AZ-Robert]

I'm working on a York kit from Chambers (RK-2). I've chopped out the rounded corners at the breech end of the barrel inletting and brought the barrel as far back as the kit's original inletting will allow. That seems to leave it too far forward for two reasons:

- it leaves about 3/16" of space between the aft end of the bolster and the end of its inletting.
- it looks like it will put the flash hole location deep in the breech plug.

So from there I'm wondering if I need to bring the barrel further back and, if so, how far? If the bolster is supposed to come all the way aft in its inletting so that it is hard against wood on its aft side then I might have 3/16" to play with. But moving it that far will bring it into interference with the bolt that passes from side plate into the lock.

So...
- bring the barrel back or accept that I'll have to gouge out the breech plug to put the vent liner in?
- if you recommend bringing the barrel back, is it just enough to stay clear of the bolt from the side plate to the lock? or do you suggest putting a hole in the bolster to pass the bolt through?

 

[rich pierce]

Move it back some more, about 1/4". I recommend reducing the bolster on the tang some and then making a half notch instead of a hole through for the rear lock bolts to pass. Otherwise somebody is going to break something removing the barrel someday.

 

[mazo kid]

It's quite common for the breech plug to have a notch or hole in it for the lock plate screw.

 

[Onojutta]

I'm not sure what the technically correct answer is for bringing the barrel back; hopefully someone else will give some advice. Personally, I would try to bring the barrel back to keep the touch hole out of the plug. In one of Turpin's videos he puts the liner right into the side of the breech plug and then drills a tapered channel through the front of the breech plug, essentially creating an 90 elbow within the plug. This may work and Turpin sure has about a thousand times more experience than I do, but that doesn't keep me from worrying that this method would be prone to fouling after several shots. I can just see that 90 degree channel in the plug getting clogged with residue. Common sense seems to say to me that it would be ideal to keep the touch hole directly in contact with the real charge.

Now, if you do decide to move the barrel back, I can give you this advice... Assuming your barrel is swamped, I had a heck of a time on my swamped kit getting the barrel positioned properly in the pre-cut channel to inlet the breech. I'm not working with a Chambers kit but my barrel channel was pre-cut about .010-.020" smaller than the barrel. It would be really hard to chisel that small amount all the way along the length of the channel without boogering it up, so I am using a mill file that has safe edges and filing down the sides of the channel. It's painstaking and has taken several hours, but I am well on my way to a fit that looks like the stock grew around the barrel. As I make progress, I am also able get the breech where it needs to be.

 

[Zonie]

I can't believe that someone made a video which champions positioning the barrel so that the touch hole intersects the breech plug. :shake:

Mr. Robert:
Move the barrel.

I am very surprised that Chambers didn't position the barrel within 3/32 of where it needs to be.

Anyway, you know where the center of your pan is.
You can find where the face of the breech plug is by running a ramrod down the bore and putting some masking tape flush with the muzzle on it.

Position the barrel so that the face of the breech plug is 5/32 to 3/16 behind the center of the pan.
That will allow the installation of a 5/16 inch threaded liner. If your liner is a 1/4-28 or 1/4-32 you can reduce this dimension to 1/8 to 5/32 behind the center of the pan.

 

[AZ-Robert]

Thanks for the tips, guys. I'll bring the barrel back to get the vent liner just ahead of the breech plug and centered on the pan. Good idea on the notch vs hole in the bolster, Rich. :hatsoff: