jh45gun
03-01-2006, 03:40 AM
I bought this as a project gun from a guy for 25 bucks. Barrel is a CVA "squirrel" rifle barrel that some one turned down the end to fit a Stevens Favorite 22 Receiver. Breech was threaded for a 3/8 x24 bolt. Need to put sights on it yet and make a forarm. Stock is a old Winchester stock that was on this when I bought it. This is kinda a goofy project but looked feasable. Bore is in decent shape some light pitting were their were machine marks were in the barrel in a line but I would guess that 95% of the barrel is shiney and smooth so I am hopeing it should shoot ok. I cleaned it out good with Bore Paste and that made it look pretty good. Folks that do not clean their muzzle loader barrels right from the get go really irritate me. :(
Well a friend and I used his lathe today to drill out the center of 3 3/8th x24 bolts and drilled and tapped them for a size 12x28 nipple Standard nipple is 1/4x28 so this one is a bit smaller. This nipple is the size used on the TC Senca rifle and the Ruger Old Army Cap and Ball Pistol. I was supprised to see that a #11 percussion cap fit on it snug I figured it may have taken a size 10. Glad to see it takes the larger cap. We left the bolt head on so it will come out of the breech easy with a wrench for easy clean out. I felt as long as we were making one breech plug might as well make a couple of spares too that way I should never have to worry about burning out one as I will have extras though I would suspect the only issue would be the threads of the nipple wearing out as they can do over time, Though I suspect that would take a lot of shooting. As you can see in the pics I am including here the hammer was altered when I got it with a hood or shroud what ever you want to call it to protect the cap area from flying cap metal. Here is a couple of pics.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0028.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0029.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0016.jpg
Well a friend and I used his lathe today to drill out the center of 3 3/8th x24 bolts and drilled and tapped them for a size 12x28 nipple Standard nipple is 1/4x28 so this one is a bit smaller. This nipple is the size used on the TC Senca rifle and the Ruger Old Army Cap and Ball Pistol. I was supprised to see that a #11 percussion cap fit on it snug I figured it may have taken a size 10. Glad to see it takes the larger cap. We left the bolt head on so it will come out of the breech easy with a wrench for easy clean out. I felt as long as we were making one breech plug might as well make a couple of spares too that way I should never have to worry about burning out one as I will have extras though I would suspect the only issue would be the threads of the nipple wearing out as they can do over time, Though I suspect that would take a lot of shooting. As you can see in the pics I am including here the hammer was altered when I got it with a hood or shroud what ever you want to call it to protect the cap area from flying cap metal. Here is a couple of pics.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0028.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0029.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v454/jh45gun/dcp_0016.jpg