Traditions Drum Removal

[hanshi]

I have a Traditions DeerHunter Percussion .50 I bought some 20 years ago.  It was their cheapest model.  It has been heavily used and well cared for and is surprisingly reliable and accurate; a keeper. 

I want to convert it to flint and use an L&R replacement flint lock.  I padded the drum with leather and used a wrench and tried to remove it.  It should have unscrewed (I think) considering the force I used but it didn't budge.  I don't want to risk damaging either the drum or the barrel.  Does the drum in this model just screw out or is it held captive by the breech plug?  I don't want to have to remove the bp but will if it's the only way to get at the drum.  Does anyone have experience with this model?  I had no trouble removing the drum from a couple of CVAs I own and wonder what I need to know about the DH.  What say the forum?

[bgf]

First thing I would do is call Traditions and see if it is supposed to be possible.  A friend of mine had one that he wanted to take apart, and if I remember correctly, the drum came out (to "unlock" the breechplug), but the breechplug never came out.  When he called them, they said it was just too tight and couldn't be removed.  I suspect the drum may be similar -- i.e., torqued so tight that removal is not a guaranteed option without damage (because the threads are severely deformed); sometimes you can and sometimes you can't.  I know that doesn't really help, but at least you won't ruin it as a percussion barrel if that is the case.

[Daryl]

Man - that just put up a red light on those guns, for me. We torqued it so tight, you cannot remove it??  Perhaps they welded or silver brazed  them too but didn't mention that?

[hanshi]

Sounds like a bit of overkill to me.  I was informed by another shooter that he did call and was also told the drums won't come out.  This may or may not be true but I won't risk it.  I MAY saw the drum off and work from there.  Got to think about this one.  Thanks for the replies.

[Don Getz]

Beware, before you proceed.   I had a fellow stop in the shop with one that was loaded, wanted me to remove the breech plug and get the charge out.   I removed the drum, which also went thru a portion of the breech plug.   But, when
I removed the breech plug, which came out with some difficulty, I discovered I had removed all of the threads from the
breech plug.   So, there I stood, knowing I would have to repair this POS.   That was the moment that I decided that,
whenever a person brought a gun like this into my shop, I would put my hands in my pockets so that I could not touch
it for fear of breaking something.   There are guns out there that just should not be sold................Don

[whitebear]

Just buy a new barrel and breechplug and make a flint barrel to fit.

[Daryl]

Witebear has the best solution - Taylor put a Rice barrel on one and it shoots great now - after reducing the height of the comb, of course.

[blunderbuss]

If you got the breach plug out of one your a better man than me I've tried it twice and sheered the drum off both times never got to the breech plug.
 The old percussion guns had a drum that would go through the wall of the barrel and then the drum was large enough for powder to run up in. That meant the powder was directly under the nipple .If the cap went off the powder went off. These new type causes the flame to take a couple of turns before it gets to the powder.Then the hole in the breech plug is smaller than the bore collects fouling and a bugger to clean.

[ottawa]

I believe that both CVA and Traditions use threads that are impacted fit so you cant remove them without sending it to them (breech plug, drums ) its probably a 10mm thread on the drum that's what was on a cva .50 I sheared off trying to remove it and Dixie sent a replacement for it but the drum will be into the breech . also if you do get the breech out of on of those  they are an odd ball metric pitch like a 16mmx1.25 in the .45cal.