Touch hole/breech plug question

[Hawkeye]

I have had a "kit" laying around that I got from a buddy many years ago. Was thinking about finishing it and came up with this. It is a precarved stock from TOTW and the center of the pan is about 5/16" forward of the face of the breech plug. I have a few options, 1) finish it as is, 2) get a new stock, 3) put it all back in the closet and forget about it, or 4) sell everything off and get the 28 ga smooth rifle I really want. If I opt to finish it are there any problems with the vent being in front of the breech face? Thanks for the input.

Hawkeye

[northmn]

If you can sell it do that.  Takes a lot of work to build a ML and you might as well spend it doing building what you want. 

DP

[longcruise]

I just dealt with that problem.  Mine is a percussion but nevertheless, the center of the percussion tube was forward of the breech plug by quite a little bit.  Probably about the same as yours.  I went ahead with it as it were and it's going to be ok, but I had to move the lock bolt waaay back to clear the barrel without going too deep with a groove for bolt clearance.

It might work for you as is.  Are the lock bolt holes predrilled?  Is the lock tapped for the lock bolt?  If all those things are done, I'd go ahead and build as is.  If it really really bothers you, maybe you could have the barrel cut just forward of the existing touch hole and have it rethreaded and the breech plug reinstalled.  Then you could move the touch hole back to suit you.

Not an answer to your question but just a few things to consider.  

[Jerry V Lape]

First, does the pan have enough metal to let you shift the center rearward by grinding out the rear side of the trough?  If you can move that trough center a 1/16" then use the larger White ligntening touch hole liner you should be just about perfect if I have this calculated right.  The edge of the whitelighting inside cone would be within a 1/16" of the breech plug.   I had the reverse situation and moved the center of the trough forward an 1/8" by grinding and it works great. 

[smylee grouch]

Hawkeye: I dont know if I read you right but it sounds like you could drill and tap a 5/16 or 3/8 vent and the back of the vent would be right on the face of the plug, and centered on the pan. Did I read that right?      Gary

[Jerry V Lape]

Gary, I understood the center of the pan was at 5/16".  If he used a 5/16" liner, half the diameter (5/32") would be on each side of that mark - and therefore his inside edge of the liner would be approx 5/32" forward of the plug face and that is going to be enough to catch a lot of crud on the plug face which wouldn't get blown out the vent I think.  He probably needs to move the center mark back about 3 or 4/32" to get best results.  If the lock can be moved back is one way, or as I detailed above, grindout the pan enough to move the center of the pan back.  Usually enough metal on the pans to do that.  

[Birddog6]

Why not have it rebreeched with a longer breechplug  & get the face of the breechplug closer to the vent liner ?   

[smylee grouch]

Jerry and Hawkeye, you are right, I read the post wrong and was thin king about this all afternoon at work. The fouling trap at the breech would be real bad if you could even get the thing to fire consistently.  A longer breech might be an option.   Thanks for corecting me and best wishes and good luck with your problem.     Gary

[Jerry V Lape]

Bidrdog6 solution would work too if a compatible breechplug and tang can be shaped to come close to the inletting already there.