Is this breechplug a danger?

[Skychief]

The breech plug on my Bob Tingle rifle is like none I have seen.   My shooting buddy said use caution because of it.   I would like your opinions please.

The rifle is a halfstocked .45 with a "hooked" breech.   The "hook" is actually  not hooked but just a simple cylinder of about 3/8" in diameter that mates with the tang.

Here's the catch.   This cylinder is hollowed out to accept a hex wrench (~1/4").   This cavity actually bores into the breechplug approximately 3/8".   I measured as carefully as I could and believe from  the face of the plug to the bottom of this cavity is 3/8" of solid breechplug.   At best 7/16".   

Would any of you fear shooting a rifle so described?   I believe that Tingle breeched this barrel himself, but I found it rather odd.   Odd is fine, but, I want to know that it is safe to shoot with 3/8"-7/16" of solid breech.


I really will appreciate any suggestions/opinions.

Thank you, Skychief.

PS, I suppose the question might be boiled down to: What minimum thickness of plug is required for a 45 caliber percussion roundball rifle???

PPS, the barrel is 15/16" across the flats and I do not know the thread rate of the plug.

[Don Getz]

If I can follow your measuring correctly, you said you have at least 3/8" from the bottom of the hole to the front edge of
the plug.....solid steel.   Sounds good to me, but, if it were mine, I would find an allen wrench that will fit that hole and try
to remove the plug, find out what is really there...........Don

[Daryl]

Bob (I think) Day was an old longrifle maker in Chilliwack BC.  My .45 longrifle is one of his.  Beautifully inlet and with excellent wood, it displays several schools of building, and has a straight octagonal 7/8" bl. It was .50 cal when I aquired it, however the hole was not centred and each sight had to be way over at the end of reason to sight in. I re-barreled it to .45 and it was the orignal test bed for my .40 barrel was well.

The gist of this post, is that the treaded plug was a short schedule 5 5/8x18 socket plug screw.  The tang has a projection that fit into the hole of the socket screw plug. What held the barrel in longitudinally and back against the tang, was the barrel pins.  This system is safe and has worked for many decades. "Day' built rifles over along period of time and as far as I know, no failures.

This rifle was the first flint rifle I 'kept' and I got it by trading an Italian Sharps actioned, Christian Sharps barreled Carbine .50/70 to CB, a long time ago.  It was my first 'kept' flinter and taught me to shoot flint - I'm still learning and it still is a favourite to shoot. It still makes nice 1/2" groups at 50 yards off the bags.

[Skychief]

Thank you for the replies guys.   

Sound advice Don...I may pull that plug so I KNOW what I am dealing with.   The rifle has been in a safe for ~ 30 years until now.   It appears to have been well maintained during that time and the bore is shiny as glass.   Is there any other way to try to ascertain the condition of the breechface without pulling that plug that you know of?

Daryl, thanks as well, I appreciate it.

Skychief.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Daryl, your rifle was built by Al Brown...you're thinking of Roy Day, the longbow maker in Maple Ridge.  Al breeched his barrels with that system for nearly fifty years, and I've never heard of anyone ever having a problem with one.

[T*O*F]

Tingle probably got his breechplugs from Numrich Arms back then.  Their H&A Kentucky rifle had the same breeching setup. 

It had a really slim forestock too.  They didn't use underlugs.....they drilled and pinned the barrel to the stock thru holes drilled directly thru the barrel.

[heinz]

Numrich had a Kentucky rifle and a Hopkins and Allen rifle.  I have owned each and they were totally different animals in the breech. My "Kentucky" had a standard tang/breech plug.  I can't say they all did.  THe HA had had a socket style breech which accepted a pin to hold the stock on, sort of a standard under hammer rig.

My Tingle had that unique Tingle breech.  There are a lot of unique things on a Tingle.  I never had a problem but I bought t new and kept it clean.  And I probably shot way too much powder in it working up loads.  It liked 90 grains of 3F and a pillow ticking patch.

Always a good idea to unbreech a new gun.  I used a socket style Allen wrench that fit on a 1/2 in breaker bar on my Tingle.   

[Don Getz]

In the 20 years that I was in the barrel business, you run into some strange things.    One of them was a gun, don't
recall the make, that had a breech plug such as we have discussed here.....hole in the rear to fit a socket wrench.   The
guy that owned the gun complained about smoke coming out of the back when he shot it.   You may not believe this, but, upon removing the plug, there was a hole drilled in the bottom of the socket hole that went straight thru the face of the
plug, about 1/8" diameter............that is why it smoked so bad.   Actually, not too much worse than some touch holes I
have seen.......hmmmmmmmmmm.......................Don

[Gene Carrell]

Numerich Arms sold a breach  setup as described  back in the 60's. Used a socket plug and a cast tang with a  hex  stud to mate with the plug. Pretty  simple and safe  if  not altered. Only  one surface to seat.

[Daryl]

In the 20 years that I was in the barrel business, you run into some strange things.    One of them was a gun, don't
recall the make, that had a breech plug such as we have discussed here.....hole in the rear to fit a socket wrench.   The
guy that owned the gun complained about smoke coming out of the back when he shot it.   You may not believe this, but, upon removing the plug, there was a hole drilled in the bottom of the socket hole that went straight thru the face of the
plug, about 1/8" diameter............that is why it smoked so bad.   Actually, not too much worse than some touch holes I
have seen.......hmmmmmmmmmm.......................Don