It appears that im not the only one here that doesn’t get exactly what this fellas is talking about ?
So I guess I will add my opinion to the mix
I would agree with Cody about installing pre made breech plugs in a barrel set .
With an acceptation. If those are to be English breech designs as Dan posted or the ones
D ,Taylor Sapergia posted a photo of
then yes that would indeed be troublesome unless one took the time to perfectly index everything .
but even then if you were off even a fraction . the breech would not seal and in order to get it to seal you would have to modify the standing breech so as to allow for the untrue hook .
one also should be very carful with breeching a completed barrel set . its very easy to break the barrels from the rib .
but how to keep that from happening is another topic all together
I would also point out that bill Brockway goes through " making " the breech plugs and fitting them to a barrel set .
A) these are not pre made plugs
B) they are basically the more common type of plug ,where one plug fits inside the larger plug . Again see D ,Taylor sapergia photo.
BUT im wondering if this fellas isn’t thinking of some of the less common German designs where there is a bolt that comes up through the plugs from the bottom .
I used to have some photos of this . Maybe Bill Brockway will chime in and be able to show this .
Basically what you have is 2 plugs just like you would on a rifle . IE the ToW plugs . These are set to the barrel .
Then between the two plugs , there is a short section of the center rib that is held in place by a bolt .
A hole is drilled center between the two plugs .
A bolt is then inserted from the bottom . It comes up and taps into the short section of center rib . Thus holding it in place .
I wonder if this isn’t what the fella asking the question is taking about as it would be one way of continuing the top center rib back between the breech plugs that ToW sells .
I did a SXS for a fella many years ago , this exact way .
On the ones I did , I used a brass bolt and then tapped completely through the small section of center rib . i then did engraving and gold inlay around the brass . Thus turning the center of the bolt into the center of a flower design .
I did find an old photo so maybe this will help explain what im talking about .
I wonder could this be what the bolt question is about ?
It would indeed go through the breech plugs
or is he talking about the back drilling hole and plug often seen on the outsided edge of the breech plug on hammer guns which is part of the improved breech drilling .
As was shown by others here , that is done on the inside edge of the plug on flintlocks if your doing the improved breech designs that many have posted already
