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Pink is thicker and more durable - yellow is the thickest but I have not found a gun I can use it in yet... I have been using white in the White but last night when I put mine back together I decided to try the pink... It when in just fine - I'll let you know how it works... I use pink in the Remington's and the A&H's - but I have to use white in the Omega - the breech plug is tighter. A big key is not to tear the tape on the way in. That is why I suggest you spin and push the tapedown into the threadsbefore you install it. You should look down the barrel with a pen light and make sure that you can see teflon all the way around the bottom of the barrel on the face of the breech plug.

Will get some pink and try it. Will also look down the barrel to make sure all is ok.

Did you get the pics I emailed you? Hopefully they didn't kill your computer.

CD

Tape is just a lubricant and has to be put on the right way it has to be wrapped so the tape does not come loose when you turn it in. If you loosen any fitting with tape it has to be replaced. The idea of turning back when you have the plug tight just doesn't seem right. Every good mechanic has a torque wrench in his tool box to make sure you have the correct tightness (I don't because I was just an old E-I tecnician). I just don't see why you would break a good seal when its done right. Of course this is only my opinion. Some of these guys forgot more about Ml than I will ever know. However I did work in a paper mill which was very wet and dusty etc.
Ken

sabotloader
Why remove the stock from the barrel assembly? I'm conditioned to leave it in the stock as much as possible and generate a cleaning regime around leaving it alone ... I'm just worried accuracy will suffer if the stock to barrel assy fit is made loose over time ...

All of my black powder specific cleaning supplies should arrive today so tonight is the big night - my Ultra Mag gets a top to bottom, soup to nuts cleaning and lube. I'm also planning on swapping out the 209 breech plug for the #11 and using the teflon tape trick along the way - I especially like the hint of putting the tape on the breech face/edges!

thanks,
phil

Philnie - I've always pulled the barrel from the stock as well. It allows me to wipe the fowling off the edges of the stock along the barrel, clean the trigger assembly, and makes for easier cleaning. For instance, do not pull that trigger and put in the breech plug and fianally the end cap locking nut. Then, take the trigger assembly off (one screw holds the bold trigger in place) and put the breech plug in, etc... much nicer. Plus I have seen fowling along the top of the trigger assembly on the under side of the barrel along the hammer area.. If you leave it in the stock, you miss that.

So far, I have not seen a decrease in any accuracy. Now this would be different if the rifle barrel was pinned to the stock like in some of the old flintlock rifles, but it's not. If the barrel is made to come out.. it comes out.

I haven't taken a trigger off yet. Will do that next time.

But, when putting the barrel into the stock, there is about 1/8" or so of play, forward and back. What I have done is slide the barrel all the way back prior to tightening everything down. My thinking is, that is where it will go on the first shot, might as well put it there myself.

That is what Jay's 15 minute bedding job eliminates - that forward/back play. It would also make the barreled action try to hang together, maybe even enough so to be a bother, during disassembly. Your method of pushing the barrel back is sufficient IMHO.

I lucked out with my laminate stock.. there is no play at all. I set the stock on and start the back locking lug first, sending that in half way. Then I start the front locking lug and tighten that but not completly. I then tighten the back lug tight and then finish with the front. Also I never crank them into place. They are tight mind you but I am not going to bend the wrench to do so....