T/C Breech and Tang Fitment

[Gtek]

Have collected enough pieces to build a new to me. Scored a never used in the white (no marks maker unknown) 32" 50, 1-66 15/16" with plug installed. Placing in tang it is loose, now how loose I have not pulled out the gauges and dials YET. I can and will measure it but my brain tells me when the barrel is rolled down and in tang it should be at the least firm, tight and wear in sounds real good to me. Being plug is probably most likely some form of cast, what would a good build up material be if one decided to do. Having TIG and nickel rod or gas and bronze up and machine back. Have not pulled plug but planning to just because and to check plug seat and to lube up threads. TOW has them back in stock now, hoping not having to and this one is externally really fit nice up front. Any thoughts or suggestions from the been there done that crowd?
Thanks,
Lar-

[pietro]

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I bed/inlet the T/C rear tang with the breechplug (and barrel) hooked into it, so that the barrel is ever so slightly raised from the stock's nosecap. (I use a shim in the bottom of the forward end of the barrel channel)

When the "raised" barrel is pressed down into the barrel channel during final installation, and the barrel wedge installed, the wedge should keep a bit of "down" pressure on the barrel to ensure a snug fit of the breechplug hook into the tang's recess.

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[Gtek]

All on board with that, but the generous side clearances and the slight fore and aft in tang is whats tweaking me.

[pietro]

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The breechplug hook can be glass-bedded in the recess after coating the hook/barrel & the outer tang with paste wax as a release agent.

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[725]

Glass bedding and or brass shims. Have done it both ways and if the brass is "fitted", it can look kinda neat.

[waksupi]

Do you mean the threads aren't well matched, or that it isn't properly breeched?

[Gtek]

Have not pulled/unscrewed plug yet. Taking tang in one hand and barrel in other, engage barrel into tang as mounted, rattle, rattle, X and Y. The "HOOK" is right at .365" width, the tang is give or take at .400" ID, casting is a little rough in there. .035" loose side to side and I can get two .016" feeler gauges, one on each side between rear of plug and tang face when engaged. The several other TC's in house seem very tight when barrel is home. Am I being to ( ) here and missing something and expecting too much? I will admit to being an aircraft mechanic for a little over three decades and when rattle, rattle is between thumb and fingers bells go off. All of my smithing and experience is of later style platforms and you fellows are the miesters with the smoke poles. I would think side to side is somewhat contained by bedding forward, but the fore and aft I would think closer to zero?

[Good Cheer]

Some ancient writings of wisdom.

By the way, if you have to push down the barrel that last little bit when it goes into the channel and the source of resistance is the fit to the tang, then you have the condition that puts the wood in tension across the grain behind the lock. That's what makes TC's split on the side opposite the lock plate when the cumulative tolerances in manufacturing add up against you.
My solution is to bed the tang in the stock with the barrel in position.

[Gtek]

Picture is worth a thousand words. A - "DON'T REMOVE TOO MUCH METAL" The point was someone beat me to it and question of best way to restore material (assume cast) to create proper fit.