Wall gun #18 Drilling the touch hole

[@southronjr1570]

My father and I ran into a similar situation with an Amoskeg rifle-musket that we got as a parts kit and they had drilled and installed the breech plug that went almost 2 threads past the vent hole in the barrel. I ended up dishing the side of the plug down to the vent similar to what you had done with the file. My father gave me a tip that polishing the face of your breech plug, it makes clean up MUCH easier. A typical cleaning rod jag has very little movement when you bottom out and twist the jag and patch so the slicker he breech plug face is, the faster you can clean it up. We also generally polish the inside of the barrels for similar reasons by making up a tool using a circular 1/2 thick felt jag that's is tight in the bore and melting Dremel tool polishing compound into the edges of the felt jag and run it up and down the bore A BUNCH of times changing the jag as needed. It makes a real difference in both accuracy and clean up. We even do this to our smoothbore guns.

[@ScoutSniper3124]

I'm watching your fine video, because I too have a broken drill bit in the same way you did. THANK YOU for the video, armed with this newfound knowledge I'm going to fashion some vise blocks tomorrow and continue on.

[@johnndavis7647]

I have an interesting rifle. Its pretty nice but the breach plug stops a 1/4" From the where the barrel starts. I noticed thst it had a bad habit of grabbing patches. So i removed the drum and nipple and i looked in there and i saw that big gap in there. Its a mystery to me how someone could such a nice job on the rest of the rifle and not get that most important thing right? Anyway, all i can think of to do is put a new patent breach in it and install a drum with a longer threaded part. Or take out this breech-plug and drill it out like a patent breach and put a new drum in it. The fun never ends. Thanks for the video.

[@lexheath8276]

My Tulle has to be drilled thru the breech plug as well. I've broken three bits so far. How difficult, torque wise, was it to get the witness marks to realign? Do you just force it into alignment?

[@Kashtukprimal]

Forced it. It should be a tight fit

[@ecmillerbud1]

You should NOT drill into the breech plug, the vent hole should be just in front of the plug. You should have moved he barrel back further in its channel before you installed the barrel lugs.

[@Kashtukprimal]

Edward Miller wrong buddy. This method was common back in the day

[@ScoutSniper3124]

I'm new to this, but from what I've seen the pocket for powder is in the breach plug itself, and that to my mind makes more sense because it adds more metal to that high pressure area than if the barrel held the powder. I'm not an expert, but it seems to me you'd want that.

[@jonc2914]

I broke 7 drill bits trying to drill through my barrel.... my matchlock was fine and only broke 1. Still cant drill my vent hole... know wtf I'm doing wrong?

[@Kashtukprimal]

Is your drill press set for the lowest speed?

[@jonc2914]

@@Kashtukprimal I dont have a press.

[@jonc2914]

@@Kashtukprimal got a cheapo 50 buck harbor freight press and it drilled in like butter..... so ya my hand drill was a stupid idea.

[@ScoutSniper3124]

Don't know if it'll help, but I watched a video from Project Farm testing different drill bit sets. For the price, Dewalt seems to make a good drill. I broke a bit doing this, still working on getting it out. The bit I was using was 1/16" (0.062") and a cheap one. One I get that extracted, I'm planning on being VERY CAREFUL and using the best bit I can find.

[@danellis4437]

What stain are you planning to use?

[@martyred6860]

What seals the breach now, threads? Is this going to be a true wall hanger or will it be fired, shot etc? Nice job by the way like your builds and videos. Keep up the good work.

[@Kashtukprimal]

Marty Red drilling the touch hole into the plug is actually how they did it back in the day. This gun is intended to be fired.

[@martyred6860]

Cool, just different then what we have done or were taught. So I was asking about the sealing surfaces and the plug. I meant no offense. We have watched all your builds good stuff. Thanks for the quick response.

[@Kashtukprimal]

Marty Red no offense taken. This gun is so big the breech plug is massive. And since the lock was already partially from the supplier, I didn’t really have a choice where the touch hole would go. Thanks for your comments. Enjoy