.Would this plug size be suitable for the threaded portion of the breech plug?
IMO should be fine as long as the casting is good
2.What should the diameter be before threading?
Myself I let the Tap im using dictate the size . In the case where im making a plug for a barrel that’s already threaded , I mic the thread and turn to a couple thousands over .
But you have to know what the tolerances your lathe is capable of in comparison
If your using a die one should keep in mind that all dies are not the same even though they are marked with the size and pitch your looking for .
This is why having a matching tap and die is important
3.Where can I get a die suitable for cutting thread in a breech plug?
ToW should have the Die you need . they used to anyway . myself i by all my tap and dies through the local machinery supply .
The great thing about this is I can get lazy and just take the barrel in . tell them I want a die . The mic the threads and then give me a choice of tolerances which usually means when buying a set , a higher cost . If just buying the die alone , tell them you want it as close as possible .
Also tell them what your doing and that you need to cut threads all the way to the base of the shoulder of the plug . If you don’t you may end up with something along the lines of a standard die which will leave you a 3/16 or so that you will have to file a thread .
also you do realize that you can tune those threads on your lathe with the proper tooling
4.How big should I drill the powder chamber?
myself i go 1/4 . but thre are considerations . IE the leanght of the plug to the flash channel and such . keeping in mind the bigger the chamber , the more powder your going to need to fill it
i also cup the face of the plug .
on another note .
it bugs me that these castings are available only in one piece . note sure why this is done . i ask TRS about this one time and they told me that it was because they had issues with the tang and breech matching . personally i see no more of an issue then would happen with any other hooked breech . IMO its probably more to do with cost then anything else .
so if your casting is a 1 piece and you going to hook breech it , make sure you account for the hook on the breech when you separate the tang / standing breech . A good casting will give you room for this and still have room for cutting the threaded section .
Here is the current piece im working on .
She still has a ways to go as you see she still has building screws in place
Stock is purple hart “customer request “
Barrel is a 7/8 Douglas of 45 cal . " cal as per customer request "
Everything else I have made .
Set trigger , breech , tang , lock , final ,TG …….
She also be engraved with gold and silver inlay . As I said lots of work yet to go , to include finishing up the carving and backgrounds of the carvings and building the adjustable rear sight .
not to mention lots of finish and prep work .
I will tell you that there is nothing simple about building a LePage or reproducing of any of the other makers who built these style of pistols.
so if you have not built a custom pistol before , your going to have a very big row to hoe
PS. in my photos the parts are only set in place so i could take the photos
