Breach Plugs, tape and fouling, what do you do???

[gregdaws]

HI there
I'm hoping that some one can help me out here. How do you wrap your breach plugs, completely or just the threads. What tape are you using and do the ends of your plugs look the two from my Omega?

I'm at the range yesterday and had a major headache. The Breech plug wasn't in far enough and I couldn't close the breech with a primer in it. The breech plug was in and tight just not in far enough. I ended up backing it out, dumping the powder and starting again. I cleaned the threads in both the gun and on the BP, re-taped like the BP on the right in the photo) One thing that concerned me was that I cleaned out what seemed to be several very small chrome flakes. I checked the bore and where the BP sits and found no issue. I loaded and shot 1 round which has been my practice scoping in the gun to the first shot with a cold and clean barrel. The target above is the 3rd shot in 3 days at 100yds, the actual shot form yesterday is on the left at 9.00 O'clock. I'm a few clicks away from shooting sub MOA on the bull which makes me very happy.

When I got home I stripped the gun down as I always do to clean it. One thing I noticed was fouling on the barrel where the breach plug butts up to the bore. Most of it scraped off relatively easily but in one area that it was so hard that I was concerned that I'd damage the face. I was able to clean it using Ballistol, a bronze brush and an old tooth brush but it took a lot of work. The fouling was difficult to spot and I think has been there for some time. I'm wondering if the sold fouling is responsible for the odd fouling pattern on the ends of the two breech plugs pictured. The plug on the right has never been used by me and came with the gun. What are your thoughts, Is there something that I'm getting wrong here.

One other thing. I'm shooting 777 and seem to be suffering the beginnings of corrosion on the falling block which is blued. I clean the gun after every use and oil it. Is there anything that I can do here? I'm considering changing to Precession Bullets (Cecil Epp's) BP that uses 25ACP brass and small rifle primers as a way of limiting blow back and thinking that I may need to find someone to re-blue the block.

Apologies for the really long post I love shooting my Omega, I'm just so frustrated with my BP issues. Does anyone else have experience with similar issues?

BTW, I think that my flakes of chrome issue may have actually been a scraping from the brass end of my range rod as I pushed the sabot/bullet out before cleaning and reloading at the range.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[jsteurrys]

I use Blue Monster Tape. I wrap it like the breechplug on the left as I don't want any tape on the seal surface as that affects headspace for a front sealing breechplug. Keep the mating surface in the barrel clean also.

 

[gregdaws]

I use Blue Monster Tape. I wrap it like the breechplug on the left as I don't want any tape on the seal surface as that affects headspace for a front sealing breechplug. Keep the mating surface in the barrel clean also.

That’s kind of where I’m at now . I take a pride in keeping my guns well maintained but I missed a bit of fouling on the mating surface.

 

[SteveH]

Two things:

1. I know the tape you are using is TC-dedicated Teflon tape but you might want to try regular white Teflon tape which is not as thick. I tried the pink and found that it did not leave much room for error- if I overlapped it too much, I could not get the plug all the way in. The white stuff is cheap and you can overlap it to get the thickness you want. I go with minimum overlap and then a little grease. Plug stays clean and is easy to remove.

2. You may know this, but make sure you are wrapping the tape on the plug in the right direction, such that when you screw it in, it does not unravel. This can sometimes make the tape get gunked up before you have the breach plug all the way seated.

Best,

Steve

 

[ElDiablo]

I’ve tried wrapping up over the face of the OEM plugs with regular white and Blue Monster. Aside from the headspace concern, I see (with a borescope) that often the tape starts to come off the face as I screw it in. So I just wrap the threads now and apply a little oil.

I’ve mostly given up on the OEM plugs now though and use Woodman’s adjustable plugs.

On the falling block - you could clean it off and have it nitrided. I’ve done that to several of mine.

 

[gregdaws]

Two things:

1. I know the tape you are using is TC-dedicated Teflon tape but you might want to try regular white Teflon tape which is not as thick. I tried the pink and found that it did not leave much room for error- if I overlapped it too much, I could not get the plug all the way in. The white stuff is cheap and you can overlap it to get the thickness you want. I go with minimum overlap and then a little grease. Plug stays clean and is easy to remove.

2. You may know this, but make sure you are wrapping the tape on the plug in the right direction, such that when you screw it in, it does not unravel. This can sometimes make the tape get gunked up before you have the breach plug all the way seated.

Best,

Steve

I got the direction thing, took me a while but I got it.

The issue of tape thickness is something that I thought about as I was messing about in the shop today. I have the TC pink tape and I have other pink tape that I got from the local hardware store The TC tape is much thicker and requires more effort to screw the plug into the breach. Now I have the mating faces clean perhaps I need to experiment a little.

Thanks for your input Steve

 

[gregdaws]

I’ve tried wrapping up over the face of the OEM plugs with regular white and Blue Monster. Aside from the headspace concern, I see (with a borescope) that often the tape starts to come off the face as I screw it in. So I just wrap the threads now and apply a little oil.

I’ve mostly given up on the OEM plugs now though and use Woodman’s adjustable plugs.

On the falling block - you could clean it off and have it nitrided. I’ve done that to several of mine.

I think that I am going to move from the OEM plug to the PR bullet plug and the idea of Nitriding the block is good. Maybe that's what I'll do. Thank you for the input, I really appreciate it.

Greg

 

[Travis299]

Two things:

1. I know the tape you are using is TC-dedicated Teflon tape but you might want to try regular white Teflon tape which is not as thick. I tried the pink and found that it did not leave much room for error- if I overlapped it too much, I could not get the plug all the way in. The white stuff is cheap and you can overlap it to get the thickness you want. I go with minimum overlap and then a little grease. Plug stays clean and is easy to remove.

2. You may know this, but make sure you are wrapping the tape on the plug in the right direction, such that when you screw it in, it does not unravel. This can sometimes make the tape get gunked up before you have the breach plug all the way seated.

Best,

Steve

I believe that the tape goes on CCW with the plug facing the bore.

 

[Widude]

I don’t think I’ve used tape in a long time, nothing specific against doing so. I just use some ‘choke tube lube’, gorilla grease, or another type of grease. Regardless, I seldom leave my plugs in very long.

 

[sabotloader]

Just my way of taping the BP... Be aware that you also have to clean the treads in the BP port to prevent snagging the the tape as you install the the BP. I do wrap the nose of the BP actually I I have two wraps at the nose and then pat the excess down into the breech plug port. This usaually and most often seals and stops the blowback from moving down the BP threads.

Most times I have found that the tape you originally used the pink/red tape, is too thick to go in the the PB port smoothly.

 

[Outdoornut1]

Blue Monster tape or mega tape (both 3 mil) is a far better product than junkie white/pink tape for sealing. If you want to use that thickness try the yellow that is made for gases like natural gas, refrigerant. It is good for corosive properties too. Take if from a career long pipe guy.There is a version of the thin tape that has nickel in it made for sharp threads cut on , SS, and brass.As far as wrapping, on right handed threads hold plug / part in your left hand, tape in your right and wrap away from you.I've gave this lesson a thousand times and guys still try to wrap threads backwards.

 

[gregdaws]

Just my way of taping the BP... Be aware that you also have to clean the treads in the BP port to prevent snagging the the tape as you install the the BP. I do wrap the nose of the BP actually I I have two wraps at the nose and then pat the excess down into the breech plug port. This usaually and most often seals and stops the blowback from moving down the BP threads.

Most times I have found that the tape you originally used the pink/red tape, is too thick to go in the the PB port smoothly.

Not Sure why I am just seeing this a month after you put it up. Great Article, thanks !!

 

[rangerod]

I always thread the tape on counter clock wise as you face the powder end of the plug. This way as you thread the BP into the barrel in won't bunch up. My concern has always been to keep the fouling out of the bottom of the threads along with improving the seal.In your middle photo the powder end looks totally normal. I always use white regular old plumbers tape. I think it's a good idea to use a little bit of grease if shooting T7 as the plug can be harder to break loose compared to black horn.

 

[Grizz12]

Is tape that much better than grease? Do you also put it on the nipple threads?

Have any of you tried to clean the breach plug with a sonic cleaner?

 

[ElDiablo]

lways thread the tape on counter clock wise as you face the powder end of the plug. This way as you thread the BP into the barrel in won't bunch up.

Counter or clockwise? Counter clockwise would be the opposite of the way I do it.

 

[sabotloader]

Is tape that much better than grease? Do you also put it on the nipple threads?

Have any of you tried to clean the breach plug with a sonic cleaner?

I do use Tetra - Heavy Duty Gun Grease on the nipple threads.

 

[sabotloader]

Counter or clockwise? Counter clockwise would be the opposite of the way I do it.

Turn the BP counter clockwise to wrap the tape clockwise down the BP. This matches the treads going into to the breech plug insert. Plus when you turn the BP in your fingers after completed wrap, it pushes the tape down into the grooves of the BP threads.

 

[HC]

By rotating the breech plug Counter clockwise looking at the powder end of the breech plug.
By rotating the breech plug Clockwise looking at the primer end of the breech plug.

Edited:

 

[Grizz12]

Counter clockwise looking at the powder end of the breech plug.
Clockwise looking at the primer end of the breech plug.

Lay the tape in your hand
Lay the plug on top of the tape
Twist the plug like you are twisting it into the barrel and the tape will roll onto the threads

 

[ElDiablo]

I don’t turn the plug. I just wrap the tape. Looking at the powder end - I wrap clockwise. This puts the tail going opposite of the way you thread it in - so no bunching up. If all you guys are doing it the other way, evidently it works both ways….lol

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