looking for some smithing guidance and advise: UPDATE - SUCCESS

[waelkhntr]

I was recently given an inline muzzleloader with the breech plug frozen in place.
I have tried heat, cold, soaking in kroil, tapping with rubber mallet, sharp strike using brass drift. Finely drilled it and attempting to use an easy out and hammer drill. The plug hasn't budged.

Any tips or techniques that I might try?

Thank you,
Terry

 

[joe44va]

You could try clamping the barrel in a barrel vise vertically and plugging the hole in the plug. Add a little dishwashing detergent, I used Dawn. Dump in some boiling water but not enough to overflow the barrel, then let it sit overnight. The next day put a little heat on the Barrel (not the plug), put a wrench on the plug, and hit the plug on the end with sharp raps from a small (8 oz or so) hammer while trying to turn the plug with the wrench. If that doesn't work, it's gunsmith or machine shop time to drill the plug out and chase the threads for a new plug.

 

[gmarshall99]

I had a screw in a rifle of mine that ripped the edge off a gunsmithing screwdriver. I got an impact hammer from Brownells (which takes the 1/4 in screwdriver bits) and beat the daylights out of it until it finally budged.

 

[diyj98]

I'm betting even if you get the plug out, the bore and threads were the plugs go are toast. Kroil and heat would have been my suggestings. If you can put the barrel in a vice and put a large set of vice grips on the plug you might get it out, but again I'd bet you're wasting effort.

 

[waelkhntr]

Thank you for the reply's. I tried the boiling water too. If I drill the breech plug nearly to the thread size should I be able to chase the barrel threads with a tap.

 

[Protocall_Design]

If you do that, make sure you drill with the tap drill size, not the major diameter size.

 

[waelkhntr]

Good point Protocall. I hadn't thought of that and would have just used a nearly diameter size bit.

 

[joe44va]

Thank you for the reply's. I tried the boiling water too. If I drill the breech plug nearly to the thread size should I be able to chase the barrel threads with a tap.

Getting the threads on the tap and in the barrel to liner up will be near impossible. Best to drill, bore, and chase the threads on a lathe. IMHO

If you can bore to the root diameter of the threads in the barrel you may be able to "peel" the plug threads out like a spring.

 

[waelkhntr]

Thanks joe44, I'm getting in over my head with this project. Started out as a free muzzleloader, (can't afford free) now off to a gunsmith or machinist.
I have never experienced a bolt that couldn't be removed at home with patience and persistence.

Terry

 

[cmj8591]

Thanks joe44, I'm getting in over my head with this project. Started out as a free muzzleloader, (can't afford free) now off to a gunsmith or machinist.
I have never experienced a bolt that couldn't be removed at home with patience and persistence.

Terry

Not sure what brand you have, but it might be time to choke down and buy a new barrel. It's easy to loose sight sometimes when you get involved in a project like this. You don't want to end up spending 100 bucks to save 50.

 

[ken158]

If heat did not work then consider putting the barrel in a freezer for a few hours but I concur that "free" isn't always a good deal.

 

[2152hq]

Check down the bore first and decide if all the effort is worth it.
The bore itself may be a total loss already and putting effort into it is one thing but paying out to have the thing removed is another on a bbl bore that's toast anyway.

Inlines are generally used with Pyrodex or other BP subs.
Some of them are very corrosive,,some not as bad.
Many In-Line owners are just not qued in to BP cleaning routines and use them like any smokeless rifle.,,meaning they shoot it and never clean it.

The bores can be horribly pitted and usually the reason the plug is rusted solidly into place as well.

If a normal flash lite doesn't throw enough lite down there to see much,,drop one of the small dia flat disc batterys down the bore first and they will act as a mirror when you shine a lite in there.
Pretty easy to see what you have then.

I've got a couple rotted out inline bbls here I picked up out of junk boxes for free. I use the bbls for the decent steel in them for making other parts.
But it's amazing how bad the condition of them can be.
FWIW people tell me Pyrodex is one of the worst offenders if not cleaned.
I've never used it but I do use Amer Pioneer/Clen Shot and that cleans up easy with water and never has caused a problem in cartridge guns.

 

[waelkhntr]

Still trying combinations of heat, cold, force, different penetrating oils. Currently have the plug drilled, extracting bit in place, soaking in a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone, next to the freezer then bigger hammer drill. So far I haven't invested much money just time and frustration. And yes I'm prone to " loose sight sometimes when you get involved in a project like this" trying hard to keep this at bay so to speak.

Terry

 

[waelkhntr]

2152hq, solid advise.
The bore appears to be bright no sign of rust or pitting, lands and grooves appears intact and good to go, apparently after the plug wasn't removable the owner continued to shoot and clean the bore as one would with a traditional muzzleloader. There was a crud ring around the breech plug in the barrel.

Time will tell I guess

Terry

 

[waelkhntr]

How cold do I dare go and how hot do I dare go? I may have access to get this barrel chilled with liquid nitrogen and I have the ability to heat it to about any temperature. At what point will these extremes damage the integrity of the steel barrel? I don't want to make it brittle or soft. Trying to take a step back and think before acting (kinda strange/foreign concept for me).

Terry

patience ******* patients - I want results and I want them now!

 

[Protocall_Design]

Barrel steel is already soft. You can heat it to red or freeze it with LN, won't hurt it any. Some high end barrels are cryo treated (frozen) to make the grain structure more uniform. In the old days, and sometimes the new days, sights and other things are attached by silver solder or brazing. Doesn't hurt them. Keep the heat well below the melting point, obviously.

 

[waelkhntr]

Thanks for the reply Protocall. Appears that I'm way overthinking this seemingly simple project.

Terry

 

[scooter123]

I have to wonder if you aren't fighting a Left Hand Thread. Can't think of any reason why a maker would use a Left Hand Thread but I see a lot of engineering that is, at best, described as foolish. At this point it's probably too late to get that plug out but it might be worth a try.

 

[waelkhntr]

Scooter, that is a valid observation. The 45 cal barrel that came with this gun (came with two barrels)has a traditional right hand thread. I'm not aware of any main stream manufacturers that use a left hand thread. It certainly cant hurt at this point to try it.

Terry
dazed and confused

 

[MygunisaS&Wrevolver]

Sounds like you have an H&R Huntsman with internal threaded breech plug versus the other style with the slip in and out plug? I would carefully drill and extend the hole in the plug where the nipple was screwed in and use an easy out with the barrel secured in a padded vice. The problem with the H&R plugs is they have a little two pronged wrench that doesn't allow you to get much purchase on the plug to remove it.