The Winter Project That Is Going & Going...

[Col. Batguano]

My varnish oil finally got hard enough to buff yesterday. I left the gun out in the sun all day to help polymerize the finish. I didn't bother with the RR. Funny thing though, when I went to put the RR in the channel, (mostly to see how well the 2 colors match between the gun and the RR) it wouldn't fit through all the pipes. I noticed that on my other guns the RR's wouldn't come OUT of them. All swelled up tight. So it's always somethin' ain't it?

 

[Cruzatte]

Ever have one of those days? I don't know how I did it, but I managed to shear off the frizzen screw. Guess I'd better hunt up a bolt extractor.

 

[billraby]

I finished that same gun that you are working on a little while ago. Made a series of videos of the build that I have been putting up on You Tube. Maybe it will be of some help. Here is the first one.

https://youtu.be/8YiR6o9iL9Y

 

[Cruzatte]

I've been having some puzzles over inletting the breech plug. So I took a break, lit my pipe, sat in my rocking chair on the front porch and thought it over. Could it be I didn't bend the tang enough? So I tried that. And yes, it helped out quite a bit.

Got the old frizzen spring screw extracted without any complications, and put in the new one Saturday afternoon.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Your tang could need a bit more bending.Inlet it on down and see how much is above the inlet.

 

[Cruzatte]

Your tang could need a bit more bending.Inlet it on down and see how much is above the inlet.

That was my thought, too. Thanks. It has been some twenty years since my last muzzle loading project.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Your tang could need a bit more bending.Inlet it on down and see how much is above the inlet.

From Cruz' picture, it would seem that tang would neet quite a bit of bending. How would you do that without risking breaking it?

 

[Davemuzz]

Well, the "how much more" to bend will be a little less than the picture shows......as the barrel isn't fully seated in the channel from that pic.

 

[Black Hand]

It appears the breech of your barrel still needs inletting deeper. Get the breech seated at the proper depth then bend the tang to approximate the angle of the stock and inlet.

 

[Zonie]

Your tang could need a bit more bending.Inlet it on down and see how much is above the inlet.

From Cruz' picture, it would seem that tang would neet quite a bit of bending. How would you do that without risking breaking it?

If the breech plug is like many (like the one in this picture), it is made out of a piece of machined low carbon steel bar.

Steel bar material can be bent a lot without fear of it cracking or breaking.

To bend the tangs on the breech plugs I've used I make a thin cardboard pattern that can rest on the top flat of the barrel and matches the the curve of the wrist. A empty cracker or cereal box can provide the cardboard.

Then, with the breech plug screwed into the barrel I open the jaws on my bench vise leaving them about 1/2" open.

Placing the tang between the jaws and using the barrel as a lever arm, it doesn't take a lot of force to bend the tang.

With a bit of futzing, I can bend the tang to closely match the cardboard pattern.

Now, if someone is using a cast breech plug, bending its tang can be difficult and if it is bent too far, it can break.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Placing the tang between the jaws and using the barrel as a lever arm, it doesn't take a lot of force to bend the tang.

I would have to put on diapers before attempting that. :shocked2: :redface:

 

[Cruzatte]

Placing the tang between the jaws and using the barrel as a lever arm, it doesn't take a lot of force to bend the tang.

That's exactly how I was taught to do it by an experienced builder whom I've known for over 30 years.

 

[54ball]

First things First...

Have you marked the barrel at 1/8"to 3/16" in front of the breech plug....this line centering the center of the Lock pan?
You can go a little closer to the plug with a drilled vent.

What I'm getting at is the whole barrel may need to move back for ideal vent location. The lock is set, it can't be moved. The only thing that can move is the barrel.
Use your ramrod....Mark, and find where the plug is in relation to your lock pan.
Most of these, even Chamber's sets require the barrel to move back unless you notch into the breech threads.

Confirm this First.

Looking at the components out of the box it appears that that tang may not need any bending what so ever. If so it's minimal.

Like Blackhand said it appears the whole barrel is too high. Bending the breech now only compounds the problem. If....If the barrel is not seated in the channel.

Look at tang folks. As thick as it is if the barrel is all the way down, all it may need is filing to the stock. The barrel has got to be down and in the right position.

In the above photo it looks like the barrel is too high and too far forward for the vent to work out.
Angles and photos can be deceptive, I may be seeing this all wrong but please....
Do these checks and confirm these locations.

 

[Cruzatte]

You're spot on. I did exactly that with a ramrod. Checked the length of the threaded portion of the breech plug with a caliper, too. And then made my preliminary mark on the barrel. The photos were taken before I did these checks.

 

[54ball]

One more thought.....
Pre- carve stocks are a little whippy. If it's not supported the buttstock can sag making the tang and breech appear not to fit when it really does. You can even get a false print from the black. Sometimes when the barrel is taken out it will drop down and print.

 

[Cruzatte]

I'll bear that in mind. In such a case, I have experienced hands I can turn to locally.

 

[fleener]

Well, I hope you get it done in time for next year. I would like to see it in person.

Also, dont forget to learn "Jerusalem Ridge" on your fiddle.

Fleener

 

[Crewdawg445]

Did you file a drift on the tang? I personally am not a fan of TOTW parts kits. I've found they required more "fixing" than they were worth IMO.

Inlet tangs with a drift, as in slight bevel/ taper towards the underside.

 

[Black Hand]

Personally, I'd file about half the thickness off the underside of the tang, add a slight bevel to the sides then inlet. Remember to leave a fingernail thickness space at the rear to avoid chipping out the stock - can be filled with wax after the gun is assembled.

 

[Crewdawg445]

I agree, should have mentioned it but shouldn't assume others can read my mind! Lol, indeed they leave a vast amount of meat on those thangs, plenty of workable area and material.