For Mike Brooks and anyone else who has built a 1776 Pattern Rifle

[lexington1]

I just bought the parts for a British 1776 pattern rifle from the Rifle Shoppe. Everything came from TRS very quickly and they had everything in stock, but I have one question. The Colerain barrel came with a square tanged breechplug installed. The 1776 rifle has a patent breech. The parts came with the rear tang area of the patent breech but not the  patent breechplug itself. Should I just cut the installed breechplug down to a hook breech?

 I love the 1776 rifle on your site MIke and I hope mine looks even half as nice as yours when I'm finished!

[Mike Brooks]

I have had a machinist friend of mine convert all the 1776 breeches I've done to hook breeches for me. To be honest I don't know how he does it.

[smart dog]

Hi Lexington,
Yes.  Just cut the tang off the plug and file the bolster into a hook that works with the breech.  I do this routinely with barrels purchased with well fitted breech plugs.  Rather than refit the barrel with a hook plug, it is much simpler to shape the fitted plug into a hook.

dave

[lexington1]

Thanks guys. I thought maybe TRS had shorted me a breechplug.