Wrapping Breech Plug for Seal

[45-70]

what most fail to realize is the breech plug doesn't seal on the face in almost all production rifles tape and all help, but even though expensive it is worth the money first time plug sticks. If bad enough it will gas cut your threads in barrel which then is useless. Still can't beat Bestill plug.

 

[Sideshow]

Some of you guys are saying blowback, do you mean gas cutting? I think of blowback(blow by) as gas blowing past the cap or primer, and gas cutting as fouling getting into the threads of the breech plug.

Actually the stuff getting into the threads muzzy is because the bp isnt sealed to the barrel . Gas cutting occurs when the hot stream of gas acts like a smoke wrench (cutting torch) on the barrel and/or bp eventually and actually removeing metal . Much like a burnt exhaust valve looks in a 4 cycle engine . As a mechanic i believe you can picture this maybe a bit better . This gas cutting happens on a front sealing bp under heat and pressure and can be quite severe . I personally believe thats why the savage ml is no longer produced . It too had a front sealing bp using Smokless powder . Not a great combination IMO . The same thing IS possible with subs for gas cutting . This is WHY i wrote "Ends the Stuck bp Blues" .
A rear sealing plug changes the whole dynamics of whats going on during ignition and powder burn and especially the bp to barrel seal issue of a front sealer plug . I do think that its Still a good idea to use something to stop the crud entering the threaded portion though of a rear sealing bp . "Why Not" block the crud and heat from going in there ?? Makes good sense to me .....

 

[Far Sighted]

Some of you guys are saying blowback, do you mean gas cutting? I think of blowback(blow by) as gas blowing past the cap or primer, and gas cutting as fouling getting into the threads of the breech plug.

Michigan Muzzy my terminology might be incorrect. Before changing methods on both my rifles I had blacken burned power on the threads of the breech plugs and outside the primer pocket. It was mess a and normally tough to remove the plugs.
Since last fall I discovered BH209 was the way to go instead of pelletized powder. At the same time I tuned my rifle by applying the thread sealing compound on the starting thread of plugs. Thanks to the idea from a fellow member here.
Also I learned to clock (counterclockwise) the breech plugs and the firing pin housing towards each other slightly to eliminate any gas blow by. Now there is zero mess from gases at either end except the face of the breech plug. Of course I clean the flame hole in the plug as required.
Just recently after I shot the Optima V2 over 15 times it was remarkable clean on the outside surfaces. I am pleased as it is much more fun to shot those MLs then before.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Michigan Muzzy my terminology might be incorrect. Before changing methods on both my rifles I had blacken burned power on the threads of the breech plugs and outside the primer pocket. It was mess a and normally tough to remove the plugs.
Since last fall I discovered BH209 was the way to go instead of pelletized powder. At the same time I tuned my rifle by applying the thread sealing compound on the starting thread of plugs. Thanks to the idea from a fellow member here.
Also I learned to clock (counterclockwise) the breech plugs and the firing pin housing towards each other slightly to eliminate any gas blow by. Now there is zero mess from gases at either end except the face of the breech plug. Of course I clean the flame hole in the plug as required.
Just recently after I shot the Optima V2 over 15 times it was remarkable clean on the outside surfaces. I am pleased as it is much more fun to shot those MLs then before.

Im using the thread sealant on my Accura, too. Im using a DIS breech plug from Bestill. I was wrapping it with tape. Both ways work well. But with the sealant, DIS and bh209 im able to shoot indefinitely and easy cleanup too. only the reloading of the modules is a bit of a drag but not bad after some practice. in my Knight tho I'm still taping the Lehigh plug. the Accura is easier to clean and shoot. the Bestill 2 piece may be in my future.

 

[sabotloader]

to me it was worth the money just for fact of removing the breech plug and fouling around but you fellows are shooting blackhorn i assume but real test is shooting black powder for 20 -30 rounds. I don't shoot targets for a living , why even say such a thing

No I shoot T7, BH is to expensive for me to play with. If you are shooting targets you are probably shooting a whole lot more than and other factors such as gas cutting starts to appear.

I normally shoot around 8 -10 pounds of T7 and maybe 20 ozs. of BH in a years time. And shooting 15- 20 rounds is not uncommon when I start shooting clay birds. I am just out having fun then. I really hate shooting paper targets.

Also when I do remove the BP after such an outing there really isn't that much fouling on the BP or the internal threads. Of course if I am shooting caps there is a lot of fouling in the breech to clean up. I guess shooting the easiest way is not that challenging to me.

 

[sabotloader]

Some of you guys are saying blowback, do you mean gas cutting? I think of blowback(blow by) as gas blowing past the cap or primer, and gas cutting as fouling getting into the threads of the breech plug.

I would agree with that. With the tape and the seal that I get I really do not see that happening.

 

[Far Sighted]

Im using the thread sealant on my Accura, too. Im using a DIS breech plug from Bestill. I was wrapping it with tape. Both ways work well. But with the sealant, DIS and bh209 im able to shoot indefinitely and easy cleanup too. only the reloading of the modules is a bit of a drag but not bad after some practice. in my Knight tho I'm still taping the Lehigh plug. the Accura is easier to clean and shoot. the Bestill 2 piece may be in my future.

The are several reasons for making adjustments as we know. Accuracy is one primary result. I have discovered that any bullet/sabot I have will shoot well out of my Optima V2 with the changes I made.
Take a look at the clean faces of these primers.

 

[sabotloader]

Yes - I love clean primers

But then again this is more due to proper head spacing...

 

[WV Hunter]

Thank you, I get a ton of blow back on my MK and it makes a mess in the breech. I will give this a try in hopes it will seal better.

You will still get the blowback in MK type rifles. The cap/primer doesn't seal. Great rifles though, just something that goes along with them.

I tried tape first which is ok. With all respect it is difficult to apply and not necessary as you have shown. Way too much of it in my opinion.
Then I tried some stainless steel thread sealing compound which. I apply the compound only on the first 3-4 threads of the plug. It does a great job of preventing blow back. The threads have a small film of compound which is easy to remove.

Glad you found something that works for you, however I would disagree that tape is hard to put on. Very simple and it works in all my rifles just fine. My plugs seal and stay clean, and my primers come out looking just like what Sabotloader showed (in my Knight Disc style rifles, and Omega's).

 

[snapbang]

I put grease on my plug and that works great. It does however create one heck of a mess when cleaning. Think ill locate some tape.

 

[sabotloader]

I put grease on my plug and that works great. It does however create one heck of a mess when cleaning. Think ill locate some tape.

I do not know whether this will help anyone or not, but I will offer it up...

I thing I have added that is not shown - I do wrap the the nose of the plug twice then one wrap all the way down the plug. The double wrap on the nose provides 2 layers of tape on the nose of the plug and adds that much more of a gas seal. When tightening the plug it should be snug but not tight enough to tear the tape at the contact point. Hope that makes sense!

 

[Sideshow]

I do not know whether this will help anyone or not, but I will offer it up...

I thing I have added that is not shown - I do wrap the the nose of the plug twice then one wrap all the way down the plug. The double wrap on the nose provides 2 layers of tape on the nose of the plug and adds that much more of a gas seal. When tightening the plug it should be snug but not tight enough to tear the tape at the contact point. Hope that makes sense!

Yes it does . If that doesnt work or hold up and it Still leaks beyond the front edge that touches the end of the barrel then you must get deeper into the true issue . For a knight the Best answer is Bestills 2 piece plug . If funds are short then either DIY or a gunsmith "lapping the 2 surfaces in" cures it for good . You must consider headspace changes will occur Possibly so a new unfitted plug , front sealing , is the way to do it with . Then fit the headspace for primer crush . Good post !!!

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I do not know whether this will help anyone or not, but I will offer it up...

I thing I have added that is not shown - I do wrap the the nose of the plug twice then one wrap all the way down the plug. The double wrap on the nose provides 2 layers of tape on the nose of the plug and adds that much more of a gas seal. When tightening the plug it should be snug but not tight enough to tear the tape at the contact point. Hope that makes sense!

My only problem with what you are doing is I can not keep my work space that clean. I'm just doing too many things and am kind of a slob. I have to put up a background to hide my mess.
Great tutorial on taping.

 

[sabotloader]

If you could only see that work space right now!! but I ain't show'en ya!

 

[snapbang]

Very good tutorial. Sabotloader is good at giving instruction and direction. That is a skill.

 

[sabotloader]

snapbang - thank you!

If you look carefully at pic #3 you can see the white tape around the nose is more white than the body of the plug because of the two wraps. And direction of wrap is critical as other have suggested.

 

[snapbang]

Im headed to Home Depot in the morning. My hot water heater is leaking. Its ony 5 years old. Ill check there for the tape

 

[rugerbh103]

Hopefully this makes sense.

Depending on where I hunt, I often have to remove the BP and push an unused load out. Every time I have to do that, instead of shooting it out, I wind up with a ton of powder stuck in the threads of the barrel. It's a greasy mess. Takes forever to get the powder out of there. I hunt with Knight MK-85's and LK-93's. Will tape be an easier clean up?

 

[Doccbst1]

Hopefully this makes sense.

Depending on where I hunt, I often have to remove the BP and push an unused load out. Every time I have to do that, instead of shooting it out, I wind up with a ton of powder stuck in the threads of the barrel. It's a greasy mess. Takes forever to get the powder out of there. I hunt with Knight MK-85's and LK-93's. Will tape be an easier clean up?

I've always used tape because it's easy and clean and also unload as you described. The tape will get in the threads but easily removed with a brass bore brush. I can also say I've never had a stick breech plug and the tape seals as well.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Yes it will be less messy, for sure. Not completely mess free, but a lot better. That is, imho, one of the upsides to using pellets.