Fitting breech plug?

[Not English]

Deuce, You will need to do both the face and bevel. The bevel and fit will change when the face is filed and vice versa. On the other hand, I know other people will disagree, a 90% fit may be good enough considering the current orientation. It's hard to say without seeing the breach plug itself

[FlintFan]

That is an advanced project for your first time fitting a breech plug.  In addition to just fitting the plug to the barrel, you will most likely have to fit the tang to plug/barrel assembly.  That can be just as a tedious undertaking depending on how good of a fit you are trying to achieve.

Candle soot will become your friend.

[Deuce50]

Thanks not English.  That's why I've been doing.  Marking up the chamfer and the face, tightening down and then filing where the contact is.   I've got it hitting all the way around the face except the tiniest spot and I'm about halfway lined up with the flat I want.  So I probably have .003" more tip remove from the face to get the flat lined up.  At this point I'm going real slow and only removing metal by rubbing the face of the plug on sandpaper onto of a flat piece of steel. 
How hard do you guys wrench these plugs down?  I have the barrel in a vise with metal jaws wrapping the barrel in a piece of leather.  I'm putting a good bit of pressure on the plug and the barrel wants to twist a bit in the leather.  Thinking if I put brass shims on the jaws instead of leather i could get more torque

[borderdogs]

I used Birchwood Casey choke tube grease on the threads before I started trying the plug over and over you can gaul the treads.
Rob

[Deuce50]

Well i got it!  Face is completely touching and flat lines up.  Feeling pretty accomplished.   Here's a couple pictures...

[rich pierce]

Fine work.

[Deuce50]

Thanks rich.  Being that I had to file the plug down because of the barrel stamp, the back of the plug now sits below the rear face of the barrel, maybe .013".  Is it necessary to file the barrel down to match?  The hook seems to still have plenty of engagement with the tang.

[rich pierce]

I’d want them to line up. A little draw filing after you get everything inlet should do it.

[Not English]

Deuce, that's really a nice fit! Do you have access to a milling machine? it's pretty easy with an end mill to take the barrel breach down. A lathe will work as well, but I think a miil is easier. Depending on how much metal you need to remove, it might be worth just removing the breach plug and filing the barrel down to fit. Remember that the bottom 3 flats are totally hidden from view, so the fit is not as important. The main thing is a really good fit between the breach plug hook and the tang.  On to the next step. Someone on another thread soft soldered the tang onto the breach plug when inletting the barrel tang. I've always used epoxy, but frequently it comes loose. Getting a soft soldered joint to come apart is pretty easy. So is cleanup.

[Dphariss]

Great job. Thats how its supposed to look.

Dan

[Deuce50]

Not english...no I don't have access to a mill anymore.   The plug is sitting down in probably .015" at the most.  Wouldnt take much to file that down.
Trying to find some info on how the hooked breech fits together but I'm not coming up with much.  Is there a thread on here I'm missing?

[Deuce50]

Here's a picture of the breech plug in the barrel.  Anyone see a reason to file the end of the barrel down to match the plug?  The entire hook portion is exposed.  I'm thinking just file the tool marks from the rear face of the barrel and start fitting the tang end of the hook to make it match the barrel flats, then glue the hook assembly together and draw file the barrel.

[rich pierce]

Until we see the tang fitted we can’t know what adjustments are needed. Nothing now, that’s for sure.

[Deuce50]

Until we see the tang fitted we can’t know what adjustments are needed. Nothing now, that’s for sure.

I think I get what you're saying rich.  Filing the barrel face is how you fit the tang to the hook?  That's where I'm a little confused.  Trying to find a tutorial for this step in the process.

[FlintFan]

You file the tang to fit the hook/barrel. Smoke the tang face with candle soot and lightly tap the assembly together.  You will see the high spots that have to be filed down were the soot is rubbed off.

Go slow, and only remove a little at a time.

Some commercial hook and tang sets are better than others.  Some are very good right out of the bag, others require extensive filing just to flatten the face of the tang before fitting can begin.

[Deuce50]

You file the tang to fit the hook/barrel. Smoke the tang face with candle soot and lightly tap the assembly together.  You will see the high spots that have to be filed down were the soot is rubbed off.

Go slow, and only remove a little at a time.

Some commercial hook and tang sets are better than others.  Some are very good right out of the bag, others require extensive filing just to flatten the face of the tang before fitting can begin.

Thanks...  that makes sense.  The face of my tang is rough.  I'll get to flattening it.

[Deuce50]

I have the tang section of the breech filed free of casting marks.  The hook section seems to be fitting together and it is flush against the back of the barrel.  Cleaned everything up and attached it to the barrel with some quality super glue.  Then I noticed that the long part of the tang is bent.  Sighting down the barrel, the rear of the tang is off a fair bit.  Whats the best fix for this?  Bend the tang?  I did check the web on the face of the tang and it is pretty much the same the whole way around  so that is throwing it off. 

Here's a picture of it sighting down the barrel.

[Deuce50]

Well after some filling and tweeking I think I have the tang straight.

But the more think about it, I'm not sure I have it fitting together correctly.  Is the entire curve of the hook supposed to make contact with the curve inside the tang?  I basically mated the vertical face of the tang with the rear of the barrel.  When I press the two faces together and push down it seems solid with no play.  I've searched thru the forum and can't find much of an explanation.  Any advice would be appreciated.

[mikeyfirelock]

Deuce....If you have the two faces , tang and breech, nicely mated with good contact , I think you’re in business.  When the rifle is fired, the thing that counts is that the two faces have good contact. All the hook does is keep things sort of together.   A slant breech Requires a little more fitting.
Put them together however, solder, epoxy, and on to the next step.
You’re doing way better than I did with my first ( several) rifle(s). Keep up the good work.
Mike