Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I have been shooting my new Traditions Pursuit XLT now a couple times at the range and wonder how often do you guys remove and regrease the breach plug at the range (if at all)?

I have shot about 15-18 rounds each time and it is difficult to remove at home that evening after it all cools down. I do not remove it at the range at all. I grease it liberally with Knight breach plug grease (the blue stuff) prior to going.

This past weekend I actually had to put the barrel in a vice to get the leverage I needed. It does move, but very slowly and requires good strength. When it comes out, there sure is not that much grease left it seems.

When I install the clean plug before going to the range, after applying grease, I turn it all the way in until it stops, then back out about 1/8 turn as I have read on the forum here. I end up with lots of excess grease to clean up.

Do you guys often experience this yourselves in your rifles? How much grease is too much? Do you remove the plug at the range after 10 shots or so and clean / regrease... or just regrease?

Just want to be doing the right thing.

BTW, on a side note, I am very happy with the results of 90 grains T7 and 460 grain Bullshops. I hit a 100 yard 5 shot group of around 3" with 3 of the 5 in a 1" group... open sights.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Putting too much grease is not a bad thing. I just take some Q-tips and reach in there and remove the excess grease that is squeezed out the front. Also, after eight or ten shot, just take your breech plug tool and give that breech plug a twist back and fourth. That will make sure that it is not seizing up on you.

If your trip to the range takes time to get home before you can clean the rifle, take a zip lock baggie with you. Remove the breech plug, hammer striker, what ever and store that in the baggie. It will come out easier when the rifle is hot. There is no need to REMOVE the plug, just twist it.

I tried Sabotloader's method of the teflon tape to seal everything, and like you described.. I ended up out in the shop with a vice, the barrel secured in it, and having to tap the plug to break it free. It worried me that I might possibly damage the lug so I went back to the method that always works for me. I put on a layer of teflon tape, then paint it with grease, install it and back turn it 1/8 to 1/4 turn. Check it on the range, and it comes right back out at the end of the day for me.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Make sure you just "finger" tighten the breech plug. After 5 or 6 shots, back the plug out a little and then again " finger"tighten it. I used to have problems all the time with my winchester until i learned how to do it.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I use Permatex anti-sieze I get from a Farm and Home store. It works very well and I can't recall a stuck plug with it. I've stuck plugs with T/C's grease and CVA's grease but never this stuff. Just check it every now and then. I also pull my plug at the range while it's still hot.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I haven't used grease at all in my son's Pursuit. Get teflon plumbers tape and wrap the threads three or four times. Make sure you over lap both ends a little. I only hand tighten it as well. I am getting to like his Pursuit as well or better than my Optima....have fun!

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I use the CVA anti-seize stick on my Mustang plug. I put it on pretty heavy then work it into the threads with my finger tip. Put the plug in finger tight, then back it out one-quarter turn. Never touch it again until I'm cleaning the gun.I've found thatif you back your breech plug out a little at a time until your breech will close tightly against the primer, you will get less blowback into the breech area from leakage around the primer.

Never had any difficulty at allremoving the plug, even after a 40-shot range session and a three or four hour cool down before cleaning.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I use Slick 50 One grease and fill the threads on the breach plug with it before inserting it back into the barrel. I haven't had any trouble removing a breach plug in the 3 years I've been using the stuff. My last time at the range, I put 21 shots through the KRB and the plug came out as easy as it went in.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

COElkScout

I hate grease.... it is messy and not necessary....

This is a general write up - that I did a couple of years ago... I have not re-read it but i am sure it still applies to what I am doing...

In fact I am just getting ready to pull a breech plug from my Remington I'll get some actual pictures. This plug has been in for 14 shots last week and 22 shot this morning. I can not take it out right now - but give me an hour I deed to run an errand first....

Quote:

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Is there a significance to the color of the pipe tape?

---

There is differences..
The white tape, plumbers tape, we see all the time is the thinnest tape out their designed for water lines.
The pink tape is a thicker tape and will with stand a greater temp.
The yellow tape is the thickest tape and is really designed for gasoline pipe.

The tape that you use will depend on how tight your breech plug is as it screws in - if it is so tight that it chews the tape up going in you will to use a thinner tape. I have found the pink tape (TC Breech Plug Tape), or pink tape from Home Depot (less expensive) works great in the Remington’s - but is too thick for the A&H's they need white.

The tape that is patted down over the face of the breech probably does one or two things... a) a lot of it is blown out the barrel with the first shot but b) some of it is blown up and into the gas seal between the breech plug and the barrel creating an even better seal.

One of the keys when tightening the breech plug is not tear or ball up the tape in the threads and when the to faces meet squeeze the tape but do not crush it or tear it.

Here is some information I wrote up along time ago - it works for me but I can not guarantee it for you so experiment a bit at a time...


Breech Plug Sealing

www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=39309


It is my theory that sealing the breech plug should occur at the face of the breech plug against the rear flange of the barrel. If the blowback can be stopped where these two surfaces mate, blown back powder and more importantly the hot gases will be sealed from the threads of the breech plug. These gases and powder residue are responsible for the seizing of your breech plug. These same gases can cut your breech plug and cause a breech plug failure.


This subject came up again on another forum. This the information I posted and it WORKS, anyway on my four inlines. I really don not even worry about seized plugs - I shoot several rounds each trip to the rock pit.

The following picture shows my efforts as explained below.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/sabotloader/BreechPlug2.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/sabotloader/BreechPlug.jpg

This is one of those things that I have really been fortunate with. When I go to the range I shoot 30-40 shots 100 grains of loose t7 with 209 primers. I shoot 2 Remington’s and 2 A&H's. With all four of these guns I believe I have the breech plug thing whipped. I do not loosen or even fool around with the breech plug at the range. When I get home and get to it I turn it (them) out with very little pressure. I have tried several anti seize products, and anti seize with tape, even tried the finger tight thing, but have settled on just TC's tape or a comparable Teflon tape from a local building supply - one wrap.

From the two side locks that I built I think I have learned something.... I believe the face of the breech plug should mate up with the face flange of the barrel, if this mating is clean and tight, this mating should stop gasses from going back into the threads of your breech plug. I have blackened the face of my breech plugs screwed them in snuggly against the barrel flange - backed them back out and checked the black to see if contact had been made all the way around. The 2 Remington’s and one of the A&H's showed that there was good contact all the way around on the plug. One A&H seemed to have a very small non-contact spot. The next thing I do is start wrapping Teflon tape from the barrel end of the plug back to the nipple end. The key for me is that beginning wrap - when I am done wrapping the tape on the barrel end of the plug it should extend out from the plug - I then push and press the tape down on the face of the plug - insert it into the threads and I tighten it snuggly against the barrel flange - not tight - do not want to tear the Teflon, but make it snug because you need to compress the Teflon a bit. If you look down into the barrel with a barrel light you should see the Teflon all the way around the breech plug in the barrel. Your very first shot will drive that excess Teflon back up into any gaps there might be and your threads are sealed... (the Teflon might even cover the flash hole when your done wrapping) Popping one cap will take care of that.

That is my formula it has worked well for me - but every rifle is different so I can't say it will work for you all. I really believe it all comes down to how well the face of the plug and the face of the barrel mate up.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Good info in that post. I may give the teflon tape a try in the near future.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Thanks all for the tips and ideas. Gave me plenty to try before, during and after my next time out.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Can't vouch for breech plugs, but teflon tape and pipe joint compound used together works wonders on plumbing. I've been in the plumbing business for over twenty years now and for most of those years had an occassoinal leak using tape orpipe joint compoundalone. Someone told me about using both and I tried it. Not one leak since,using the combination of both! (and the tip only cost me $500.00 - I picked it up at the required annual"continuing education" class, about the only thing new I learned that year :()

It makes sense it would work on a breech plug, too!

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

COElkScout

Here are the pics that I suggested that I might take...

Both the Nipple and the Breech Plug were installed snug - so to compress the tape not tear it. Neither the nipple or the breech plug were lossened during the 36 shots. This setup was used in to different range times without removal.

One thing I did do was to spin the breech plug in a Scotch Bright pad to remove burrs and to dull the sharpness of the threads so they would not cut the tape.

Remember this works for me - for you or any others - work your way into this - last thing I want is a stuck breech plug.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Sabotloader.. I really wanted your method to work and so I did as you instructed using the pink T/C breech plug tape. I put it in careful and snug. Shot about 25 rounds out of it, and we were stuck big time. I had to take the rifle into the shop, mount it in a vice and then with a short solid steel rod, tap the breech plug wrench as I turned it. Finally got the thing out, and no damage to the rifle. Why you have such good luck, I can not figure out.

I took the same rifle went back to the old method of white tape and then grease it, fired twenty rounds and turned it out with my fingers only. No cross rod was needed to get the breech plug wrench to turn. While I admit the breech plug grease is messy, its better the fighting that plug in the shop. I was a little worried actually. Glad I used a inexpensive rifle to test all of this with.

I shot my White today for a total of twenty five times and it too turned out. Although after 10 shots, I took the hammer out, wiped all that down, turned the breech plug back and fourth, and then put the rifle back together again.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I've had no luck with the pink tape or the white tape. It was a PITA to get the pink torn up tape out of the breech plug threads in the barrel. I use cva breech plug grease and its been great so far. I'll have to give that slick 50 a try too.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Just a little tip on breaking breech plugs~ instead of using the manufactures supplied breech plug wrench, use a standard socket w/ extension and ratchet. You get more leverage with the ratchet, and itsmuch sturdier then the supplied wrench. For T/C and Knight rifles, I believe they take a 7/16 socket (if my memory serves me right).

Just a little tip for those frustrating froze plugs............

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

cayugad

Dave, the other day when I was in Sportsmans a guy cam in with his Black Diamond breech and was talking to the salesman about getting a #11 nipple for it. The salesman pick a #11 cap of the wall and handed it to him.... I told the guy that was the wrong nipple for a Black Diamond he needed the flame thrower nipple if he was going to try to start T7 pellets... well anyway I asked him to let me look at his breech plug... It really did not have a flat face on it, in fact it seemed sharp to me and I remember thinking I am not sure my method would work with the Black Diamond breech plug. It is way different than my Omega plug which does have the flat face. So I really do not know about a TC Black Diamond...

But, if you have a flat face nipple and flat faced ring on the rear of the barrel - it really should work. A TC tech is the first person that instructed me to make sure the two surfaces mated - then UC suggested the tape... I have been fortunate in that each on my inlines the system works well. I took me a long time to trust the White - but Doc said it would work...

Wish you were around the block instead of halfway across the US - I sure would like to try one of your inlines - except the BD...

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

automotive anti-seize and when your done a quick shot of spray bore scrubber takes it right off. It comes in a small can with a brush already and you dont even have to touch the stuff. I also use it for the nipple and clean out screws with my traditionals. I have never had one problem with it.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Good info, been useing TC's Gorilla Lube, but will give the teflon a try. Thanks sabot

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

While I'm at the range shooting I back mine out a few turns after 6-7 shots and screw it back in just to make sure it dosen't get stuck. When I'm done for the day I unscrew it and drop in a small jar with some alcohol and clean the barrel. Once home I clean the gun for storage, take the breech plug out of the jar, clean the grease off with some WD40 to cut the grease. Then I make sure the fire channel is clear, blow some air through it, coat it with the CVA anti seize stick and screw it back in. No problems so far. I would like to find some of that Slick 50 stuff. I'll have to search the auto parts store. Everyone say's Walmart has it but not the lame ones by me.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/gxc.aspx That stuff and Slick50 ONE grease both work very well for me. The fit of the plug determines whether I add the teflon tape or just go with the grease. Looser plugs get both but very, very little grease on the forward threads over the tape wrap.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

Lately I have been using a some what similar method to Sabotloadder's but without the tape. I have been using automotive anti-seize for years and always backed off 1/8 turn from finger snug. Lately I have been using a Q-tip to coat the BP threads and then put a light coat on the front sealing surface of the BP. I then screw it in till it is finger snug without backing out. Using this method I have not had any problems with blowback into the threads and I only need the cross bar in the wrench for the first 1/8 to 1/4 turn and can then unscrew by hand the rest of the way, even after 20 to 30 rounds with 777 powder.

When I used the back off 1/8 turn method I could remove it in basically the same way but it seemed to have more of a crunchy feel to it during the first few turns, it seems smoother the new way. My guns do have a flat sealing surface so that may be part of the reason it works for me. I haven't tried the teflon tape yet but might give it a try to see if things stay a little cleaner.

RE: Inline breach plug - what do you do?
 

I either use a little nippleanti-seize or bore butter on the breech plug. I have never had it stick on me yet. I usually take it outwhen I clean my rifle after shooting. If it was left in for a long time maybe it would stick.