Drum Problem

[b bogart]

I have a bad problem that I hope you all can help me with. I made a terrible mistake and got the drum hole pointed downward pretty bad. I need to fill the hole, and redrill and tap. It is a 3/8 x16 tapped hole in a 1' barrel. The gun is well along so I need to ressurect it!
Thanks in advance.
Bruce

[keweenaw]

That is a problem.  I would fix it by plugging the hole and then fitting a smaller threaded drum.  It's too bad you've used the coarse thread 3/8".  The minor diameter of your  hole should be about 0.307"  I would take a piece of good steel, like drill rod, and thread it using an adjustable die to cut the tightest thread I could screw into the hole.  Put it in with red loc-tite,  dress it off and then drill and tap for the smaller drum.  Unfortunately you'll have to use a 1/4 - 28 drum, which is considerably smaller than ideal. 

Alternatively you could open your hole up and tap for 7/16 - 20.  Plug as above.  You could then use a standard 5/16 - 24 drum.  In my mind this is a much better option than using the 1/4" threaded drum and the plug will be behind the drum anyway.

Tom

[Michigan Flinter]

I think if it were me I would shorten the barrel rebreech it and drill and tap the drum hole using a drillpress so that the hole comes out square to the barrel. I wouldn't fire a rifle that has been repaired in that area.  Eric D. Lau Riverdale Mi.

[Roger Fisher]

Its no joshing matter - kinda like when your watzit doesn't perform properly; bit gotta say as slick willy did 'I feel your pain'!

Serious - I would think long and hard before I would do a repair job there.  If nothing else it would p       you off every time you thought about it.    Cutting off the breech end would not appeal to me either since you say she is well along and if a full stock, sheesh!

If she were mine I would consider converting to a flinter assuming you can get a flintlock to fit the mortice and a liner the proper size,   Course, some folks could make a proper liner.  Since she is a 1 in barrel the flat should be plenty wide enough to go the larger vent size...   Only thinking out loud here.....Better minds may prevail.

Please enlighten us all on exactly how you drilled and taped so cockeyed?   

[b bogart]

No Roger, It's a halfstock. Operator error, and failure of the locking device on my drillpress table. That piece of junk needs a new home. I wasn't careful enough tho. Cutting and rebreeching is not an option. It's a tapered barrel and the amount cutoff would cause a problem as the barrel is an oct/round.
Looks like I'm outta luck.
Bruce

[keweenaw]

Bruce,

You're not outta luck.  The threads on the plug are going to be considerably stronger than the threads on the drum.  If you do this correctly you are no more likely to blow out the drum if it's screwed into a repair plug than if were screwed into the barrel, particularly if you make the repair plug out of a higher grade steel.  On Model 12 Winchester shotguns - many millions made - the barrel is screwed into a barrel adjusting bushing that has the interrupted threads on the outside to mesh with the receiver.  That bushing is really thin, far thinner than your minimum thickness of a 5/16 drum in a 7/16 plug, and the barrels on Model 12's don't blow off, ever, even with 38,000 psi proof loads which is a lot more pressure than you can generate with black powder.  If you want to convince yourself it's ok, do it, double charge it and put two balls in it and touch it off with a piece of firecracker fuse.  That drum is not going to blow out.

Tom

[Ian Pratt]

  Without seeing it this is a guess, but you could possibly make yourself a larger drum, depends on how bad the angle is and where you started in relation to the center of your side flat. The flash channel in the drum wouldn't need to be bigger, just the meat around it, wouldn't sacrifice strength that way.  If your lock is inlet already you could file fit after the drum was installed 

[Dennis Glazener]

Thinking out loud.
What about using a patent breech of some sort or make up a breech on the order of a patent breech.  That type type breech would allow you to cut off the existing problem and replace that section with the new breech.
Dennis

[Tim Crosby]

 Bruce,
 What did you come up with? Or are you are still thinking?

Tim C. 

[b bogart]

Well Tim, I'm weighing all the excellent ideas presented to me. Going to have to order some drill rod, and maybe turn an oversized drum. Geuss it won't hurt to try it all. In the mean time I am still chastising myself for such a stupid error. No I'm not gonna cut a swith, but I continue to have stern discussions with myself.
In the mean time I'm amusing myself with another horn. No drum on it!!!!
Bruce

[Acer Saccharum]

I don't like the plugging and re-drilling. It just seems like a down the road safety issue for someone, and you don't know when. That plug, when re-drilled will become a sleeve, and I doubt it will stay where it's put. Especially if someone likes to clean their gun by removing the drum, or the drum gets tightened past its intended location.

Is there any way you can drill it out bigger and re-tap bigger?

Gawd, I hate drums.

Acer.

[Tim Crosby]

Well Tim, I'm weighing all the excellent ideas presented to me. Going to have to order some drill rod, and maybe turn an oversized drum. Geuss it won't hurt to try it all. In the mean time I am still chastising myself for such a stupid error. No I'm not gonna cut a swith, but I continue to have stern discussions with myself.
In the mean time I'm amusing myself with another horn. No drum on it!!!!
Bruce

 
 If you want bring that barrel and drum down. I'd like to see what you've got to work with.

Tim C.
 

[b bogart]

Sounds good Tim. I'll give you a call this week! Thanks.

I am cotemplating turning an oversized drum, mounting it in the barrel, then using a file and some good sense (for a change) "sculpting" the drum so that it appears somewhat square with the world.

Acer, I'm no fan of drums (and less now) but I have 3 cussions just about finished (parts were almost free) and I have been learning. Probably not anymore percussion guns after this round. Although I do have some half stock blanks. They may find new homes.

Bruce

[northmn]

You can easily go up to a 1/2 inch drum and a fine thread and file it more or less straight.  Making drums is no big deal.  One step I like when installing a drum is to solder it in place when lined up with the hammer, some of the newer silver solders work ok.  Never had one blow and have seen an instance where an individual had a nipple blow out of the drum.

DP 

[Birddog6]

Were it me, I would go with a larger drum if that will work, and if not I would change the barrel.  I don't like the drum in a plug idea on a new rifle.....    To me that is making a repair on a new rifle. New rifles are supposed to be new, not repaired.

Then you could take the old barrel & cut it off, rebreech it & use it on another rifle or sell it.

[Roger Fisher]

You can easily go up to a 1/2 inch drum and a fine thread and file it more or less straight.  Making drums is no big deal.  One step I like when installing a drum is to solder it in place when lined up with the hammer, some of the newer silver solders work ok.  Never had one blow and have seen an instance where an individual had a nipple blow out of the drum.

DP 

Crossthreading the nipple is an aid in having her blow out.   


" Didn't put enough dirt down Pilgrim - saw it right off!"

[northmn]

You do not cross thread, you hopefully clean it out straight with the enlargement so that you can rethread. Clean it up for a retap 3/8 to 1/2 is a fair jump. Depends on how far off the things is misaligned.

DP

[Dphariss]

I have a bad problem that I hope you all can help me with. I made a terrible mistake and got the drum hole pointed downward pretty bad. I need to fill the hole, and redrill and tap. It is a 3/8 x16 tapped hole in a 1' barrel. The gun is well along so I need to ressurect it!
Thanks in advance.
Bruce

Cut the barrel and put in a patent breech.
Even as cheap as the gov't was in converting guns they never used drum and nipples. Too many weaknesses.

Dan