Cold bending breech plug tang

[Eric Smith]

Shumways book recomends removing the plug tang for bending and Dixons book leaves it in the barrel. House DVD shows HH leaving the plug in the barrel too. Can a barrel be bent by leaving it in to bend. I wouldn't think so. What do most of you do? Any thoughts on this?

[KLMoors]

I thin the tang down to 1/8 inch or so before I start any inletting so it bends real easy when it comes time to do that. I leave it in the barrel and take it over to the vice to bend it.

[Long Ears]

I have never had any problem bending them while in the barrel. No way could you bend the barrel while trying to slightly bend the tang. (probably shouldn't have said that). slow and easy and lots of bent and test, bend and test. Bob

[flehto]

I too file the tang thickness down to 1/8" and also get rid of the large radius at the bolster/ tang junction and replace it w/ a 1/32"  filet.. Bending the tang in the bbl is a lot easier than out. Make a cardboard template of part of the bbl and wrist contour and bend to that.....Fred

[Acer Saccharum]

I bend with the plug is in the barrel, otherwise, you stand a very good chance of messing up the threads on the plug.

As an aside, I have not been able to bend a barrel much, even when intending to do so.

[Meteorman]

I thin the tang down to 1/8 inch or so before I start any inletting so it bends real easy when it comes time to do that.

I too file the tang thickness down to 1/8" and also get rid of the large radius at the bolster/ tang junction and replace it w/ a 1/32"  filet.

Do you guys get to 1/8" immediately behind the bolster, or does it taper down, ending up at 1/8" ?
I'm wondering about how this might work on a longer lollipop-style tang......

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I bend it in the barrel, I clamp the tang as close to the end and still get a good hold on it then i grab the barrel as close to the breech as possible and bend gently. Usually I over bend the tang and have to bend it back a little.

[WMnBR]

I leave it in the barrel and never thin it at all.

[Acer Saccharum]

Most original tangs are thick near the plug, and taper out to 1/8 or less at the far end.

You gotta make the top of the tang match your stock profile. Be really wary of making the whole tang 1/8" thick. I think that will screw up your whole stock design.

[TinStar]

I made the cardboard template as flehto said and had no problem bending it with tang in the barrel. The template was a big help.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

[KLMoors]

MM, I take it off the top of the tang first up near the plug. What I am trying to achieve there is to get rid of some of that flat spot right near the breech. I then work my way back, taking some of the top near the breech and most off of the bottom as I go. I do end up with most of the tang a little over 1/8 inch by the time I have it bent and filed.

[Clowdis]

I bend tangs by leaving the breechplug in the barrel and gripping the tang in a vise. Then I use the barrel as a lever and bend the tang easily to match the contour of the stock. You can vary the point of the bend by placing the bend point at the top of the vise jaws. You can bend a very nice radius into the tang and using the barrel as a lever it's very easy even with a thick tang.

[JDK]

+1 for Clowdis' method of bending the tang.  I like to do it with the barrel sticking up, perpendicular to the floor as the weight of the barrel does most of the work and I feel I have better control of the bend.  J.D.

[J.Cundiff]

This is how I did mine too, and it worked out great. (So far, my first and only time doing it too.)

[Ken G]

If you are bending a long tang sometimes you need to be pretty precise where the bend is going to be.  I use these little rods in a vise for doing the trigger plate and some parts of the tang.  Larger rods will allow more curviture

[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y298/Packdog1/General/100_0645.jpg/[img]

http://tnhogrifle.com/Tutorials_and_Tips.php

**when bending trigger plate be sure to have pins and screws in the plate or you might collapse a hole.

[Bernard]

Guess I'm just different but I bend my tangs removed from the barrel. I just lay them upside down on the anvil with the threaded part on the flat of the anvil and the tip of the tang on the horn. A few taps with a 2lb hammer and voila the tang is bent. I use a template to check the curve. When it is inletted I then file it flush with the desired contour of the top of  the wrist. Works well and does not stress the breech plug threads.

[dannybb55]

I do mine hot. I take a low heat on the tang and gently forge the curve, taper, etc and quench it in oil. The old tangs that I have seen have forge scale on the bottom and sometimes the sides. Sometimes you will see some that have been doubled up and fagot welded underneath.
                                   Danny

[John Archer]

Danny...why are you quenching in oil?

John.