Some additional information.

Now that I have the tang in hand, the hook will start in the tang under pressure, it's that close. Do you think they are made to be tapped on the first time to ensure a tight fit? I do believe I could place themuzzle on a piece of leather on the concrete shop floor and tap the tang on with a hammer and piece of oak. Concern would be getting it back off. That may be easy given there are only two bearing surfaces owing to the taper of the hook. Like you,I have to believe the hook is centered on the barrel, suggesting the visual difference between the alignment of the hooks of the two barrels laid in the channel may have more to do with the slight difference in hook width and slight extra room in the barrel channel. Don't have the gun with me but something to check.

I'm not sure what you mean by this (54 fit)

Uh, the nipple needs to go left (from above) so material needs to come off the left (from above) interior of the tang, not "nipple side", correct? I'm fairly inclined to tap the tang on at this point. Let me know about that.

It's all close enough that I do think it can work.I may have to shave the tang face a hair and insert a shim between the barrel and lock.I have a tough time thinking of that shim as "craftsmanship" and would like the tang to continue to function with the 54 cal barrel. Challenges........

yeoman

The 54 cal barrel will still fit...

I am sure it will work, my biggest worry was the wedge alignment and from what I read you are in the ball park...

I still believe removing a little material from the tang will do the job, but before you do that I would ask that you put the tang on the 54 barrel... how much movement do you have? does the tang fit snuggly or does it move around abit.... Another thing that comes to mind the hook on the barrel is tapered a little bit narrow on the end slightly thicker at the barrel... so at this point I would suggest do not drive it on...

It is really interesting to me that your breech plug has the slot for the lock to fit up into as do the TC's - this is a big part of the L/R alignment... The measurement request I sent in the PM will also tell you a lot. I really suspect everything is really going to be close to the same....

Talk to you on the land line this afternonn...

mike

Roger that.

(you'd thinkI was an astronaut, or, maybe, a space cadet)

I'll have measurements for the landline.