What would be good way to make a single barrel into muzzle loader? What kind of plug could be put in to use caps or shotgun primers? Would like to do this as a winter project. Has anyone tried this? zorro. :?
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What would be good way to make a single barrel into muzzle loader? What kind of plug could be put in to use caps or shotgun primers? Would like to do this as a winter project. Has anyone tried this? zorro. :?
I converted many shotguns over to muzzle loading rifles years ago by replacing the barrel. If you want to convert a shotgun barrel to muzzle loader you may want to cut most of the chamber off and use the rest of the chamber area to thread for a breach plug. This will require a fine thread so you won't be going to deep into the wall thickness. If your not a machinist that understand this then find one that does.
http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/i...eFowler002.jpg
http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/i...peck16/003.jpg
I built the above shotgun/fowler out of a modern shotgun barrel I got at a gunshow for $5.00. He made me take the broken action also. As it is a 12 bore I used a 7/8 X14 NF thread and a grade 8 bolt I found in that configuration. It uses a sort of a Nock ignition whcih means that I drilled the face of the breech plug to a depth to get a reasonable lock placement. It has to be loaded with about 60 grains of 2f minimum to fill the breech plug. In a 12 bore that is not really a concern. The plug is about 1 3/8" deep and I was able to run the tap into the chamber without drilling. A drum could have been installed instead of a vent liner and understand that the drum or vent liner would have to be removed before the brech plug is removed. It works, the barrel is proofed for smokeless cartridge loads (I still would only muzzle load black powder) The original barre was 32 inches and I shortened the breech by about 1 1/2 inches (2 3/4 chamber) I also reamed out the full choke to something like skeet for ease of loading and so I could hit something with it. It shot tight as heck with the original choke. The underpinnin glug was soldered on. I cut the stock out of a birch tree so I do not have much into the gun.
DP
It sounds like you want to convert a modern break action single barrel shotgun into a muzzle loader. It is not too difficult to convert the modern gun into a muzzle loader which uses 209 primers for ignition. You would end up with something similar to the T/C Encore with the 12 gauge muzzle loading barrel. In concept, all you need to do is install a breach plug which holds the 209 primer in place when the action is closed.
However, there are a couple of issues which you need to think about. First, the breach plug needs to be held firmly in place, even when the action is open. If the breach plug can be pulled out when the action is opened, you have a potentially dangerous situation in the event of a hang fire.
Second, you need to make sure that the powder cavity in the breach plug is small enough that the powder charge will fill the entire cavity and have some powder in the bore of the gun. Said differently, you want to make sure that there is not any void space in the breach plug between the powder charge and the over the shot wad. The void space could cause dangerous pressures.
Finally, you will have to deal with the extra diameters of the chamber forcing and cone areas. The most common way of dealing with this is to drill out the chamber and forcing cones with a slightly over sized bit. For a twelve gauge you use a 11/16 inch bit. You then put a sleeve in to this area. The sleeve has the same internal diameter of the bore of your gun. Most people use a short section of barrel which has had its external diameter reduced to 11/16 inches on a lathe for the sleeve. If you sleeve the barrel, you can thread a short portion of the chamber area for the breach plug. The 11/16 inch bit will work as a hole for 7/8 X14 NF thread.
You might want to check out Recreating the Muzzleloading Shotgun by William Brockway. That book deals with traditional guns. However, Brockway describes his process of converting modern barrels into muzzle loading barrels. His method is slightly different, but he will definitely get you pointed in the right direction.
Good luck.
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www.muzzleloadingshotguns.com
gunsmith buddy of mine just took the ejector out of a old h&r barrel i had.then just turned out a breach plug. threaded it and the breach of the barrel works fine. the breach plug is about the same as the chamber little over 2 3/4 in. made to shoot 209 primers. if i can learn how to post pics i will
A gunsmith I knew also did what you are talking about and coverted single shots into ML's. He made quite a bit by silver soldering rifle barrels into single shots and using shotgun primers. It would take a long breech plug to convert a 12 bore to a ML 12 bore. Actually I have enjoyed shooting BP cartridges in double hammer shotguns and think that a sinlge shot would also work with cartridges. If one had a loose fitting primer pocket in a cartridge one could use that shell in the chamber and muzzle load it and then prime it with a 209.
DP