Breech Plugs Modified to Use VariFlame Adapters

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A few years ago PRbullet came out with adapters one could use to utilize large rifle primers in one's muzzle loader. Breech plugs were modified so these adapters would fit, and they worked good. Following are photo of a QRBP modified to use the adapters, and magnum rifle primers.





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Following are photo of Omega breech plug modified to use the VariFlame adapters





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The adapters are stainless steel, and are very very durable. Because the adapters are stainless, they don't 'crush', and most all the time there will be blow by. This blow by can be cured by utilizing an o-ring. The adapters are a larger diameter than shotgun primers. The primer socket in breech plugs needs to be enlarged for these adapters to fit. This can be done with a 9/32" end mill. One also uses the end mill to make the socket deeper so that one's rifle will go into battery when the o-ring is in place. Another thing done to the breech plugs was to enlarge the flash hole to 0.034". The adapters fit a 22 Hornet shell holder, so they can be easily primed, with any standard priming tool. Spent primers are easily removed in any standard press.

The large rifle magnum primers were tested in sub-zero weather more than once, and there never was a problem igniting Blackhorn powder, after the loaded rifle was left out over night. Unlike shotgun primers, the magnum large rifle primers do not erode flash holes. After 700 shots, measured flash holes were exactly the same as they were at zero shots. It seems like the adapters, and the breech plugs will last forever. ☺



Am using this metric o-ring 1.5mm thick with ID of 4.5mm, and an OD of 7.5mm. Don't really know how many shots they are good for, but would guess maybe 25 to 35 shots? Have used Winchester, CCI, and Federal magnum rifle primers; they all work. The Federal 215 primers leave a soft residue in the flame channel; i like that best.

One needs to take care not to make the primer socket too deep. If too deep the firing pin won't hit the primer hard enough to ignite it. My goal is make the socket 0.75mm deeper than factory. If the socket is too shallow, the 0-ring prevents the rifle from going into battery.
 
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PR 2.jpg700 Vari flame.jpg Cecil Epp the guy who owns Precision Rifle (Home of PR Bullets) has produced the Vari Flame adaptors for several muzzleloaders including the Remington 700 ml, Savage 10ml 2 and Thompsons Omega and Encore as well as the CVA. He also produces a breech plug conversion using .25acp brass for the T/C's.

In addition he sells the Vari Fame adaptors and breech plugs with Green Mountain Barrels as a package for anyone looking to convert their Savage center fire to a smokeless muzzleloader.

I have been looking at various LMRP conversions on the market and think that I will be trying the Vari Flame this spring. I own a Savage and an Omega so being able to use the adaptors on more than 1 rifle is a plus.
 
I was going to start a new thread about doing these same breech plug mods. I forgot that Ron has already done it.
On my Omega plugs i went only 0.50mm deeper in the primer pocket for the oring, and that is ok for the 1.5mm o-rings. I also set up one plug to take the vari flame adapter and a 1.0mm o-ring, and for that i only went 0.25mm deeper with an end mill. That seems like enough crush as it will close about the same as before the mods were done. Im using some o-rings that have a square profile in the hope that it will last more shots than the round profile o-rings.
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For the CVA plugs i didnt make the pockets any deeper than they were already for the 209 primers, that already close and seal well on the 1.0mm o-rings. I just wanted to use the variflames in my Accura and Optima pistols, but got tired of waiting for CVA to start selling them @ $89 for a plug and 10 VF adapters. This way ive only got $15 in it for the 9/32” mill. I also found a 7mm mill bit that feels like it makes a slightly better fitting pocket. 9/32”=7.14mm and the 7mm bit actually made a 7.06mm hole which fits very nicely, literally splitting hairs tho as they both work fine, so far. Weather permitting a range day this weekend will tell if i just ruint some breech plugs. Not a big deal since i have several extras.
 
I was going to start a new thread about doing these same breech plug mods. I forgot that Ron has already done it.
On my Omega plugs i went only 0.50mm deeper in the primer pocket for the oring, and that is ok for the 1.5mm o-rings. I also set up one plug to take the vari flame adapter and a 1.0mm o-ring, and for that i only went 0.25mm deeper with an end mill. That seems like enough crush as it will close about the same as before the mods were done. Im using some o-rings that have a square profile in the hope that it will last more shots than the round profile o-rings.
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For the CVA plugs i didnt make the pockets any deeper than they were already for the 209 primers, that already close and seal well on the 1.0mm o-rings. I just wanted to use the variflames in my Accura and Optima pistols, but got tired of waiting for CVA to start selling them @ $89 for a plug and 10 VF adapters. This way ive only got $15 in it for the 9/32” mill. I also found a 7mm mill bit that feels like it makes a slightly better fitting pocket. 9/32”=7.14mm and the 7mm bit actually made a 7.06mm hole which fits very nicely, literally splitting hairs tho as they both work fine, so far. Weather permitting a range day this weekend will tell if i just ruint some breech plugs. Not a big deal since i have several extras.
Muzzy what are you using for the adapters? I don't know if you are making the breech plug a little bigger to just use the rifle primers or if you still need the adapter. I'm very interested in what you are doing here because my Accura V2 Lr has a quite a bit of blowback with the Cci 209M primers. I need to get some o rings and try them out first.
 
Muzzy what are you using for the adapters? I don't know if you are making the breech plug a little bigger to just use the rifle primers or if you still need the adapter. I'm very interested in what you are doing here because my Accura V2 Lr has a quite a bit of blowback with the Cci 209M primers. I need to get some o rings and try them out first.

Im using Vari Flame II adapters. The same ones as the CVA Paramount uses. Also available from PR Bullets
https://www.prbullet.com/lrvf.htm
 
Im using Vari Flame II adapters. The same ones as the CVA Paramount uses. Also available from PR Bullets
https://www.prbullet.com/lrvf.htm
You said that you were going to try this on an Accura, correct? What I'm wondering is if I can have my Accura V2 Lr breech plug modified to be able to use a vari-flame adapter. Would that be better than using the blackhorn breech plug with 209 primers? Are the Rifle primers easier to find than the 209 shotgun primers?
 
You said that you were going to try this on an Accura, correct? What I'm wondering is if I can have my Accura V2 Lr breech plug modified to be able to use a vari-flame adapter. Would that be better than using the blackhorn breech plug with 209 primers? Are the Rifle primers easier to find than the 209 shotgun primers?
CVA has been promising a Vari Flame II version of the QRBP breech plug for quite a while.
It doesn’t say so in the description but the pic shows the loose powder/bh209 style plug. Also comes with a new firing pin, maybe.
So, yes you can have your plug modified. Precision Rifles in Canada will mod any plug that you send him, to take them. Or wait for CVA to start selling their kit. I just got tired of waiting.
Per Rons tests the LRMP doesnt wear out the flash hole. And, i think that substituting a Large Pistol Primer for the LRMP, in the VF module, would also make it more suitable for T7 and Pyrodex, cutting down on the crud ring. That’s something i hope to try out this summer.
 
i think that substituting a Large Pistol Primer for the LRMP, in the VF module, would also make it more suitable for T7 and Pyrodex, cutting down on the crud ring. That’s something i hope to try out this summer.


February 27, 2021 -- powder is 777ff -- large pistol primer
Did some shooting this morning; made some changes. Sized the bullet smaller. Changed the wad to a poly wad. Increased the powder charge to 115 grain.

Shot nine times.

Never swabbed/scrubbed between shots. Never before was able to shoot multiple shots without swabbing between shots. Could feel the 'crud' ring, but was able to load 45 caliber bullet in the 45 caliber rifle with ease.

Sizing the bullet smaller; balancing that by increasing the powder charge, and using pistol primers seems to maybe, be an answer..............

No swabbing -- 9 shots.
 
Thanks to @billyboy* i got some different orings to try out with the modified Accura and Omega breech plugs. I finally got around to trying them out a couple weeks ago. The square profile o-rings i tried didnt seem to last any longer than the normal o-ring and was actually quite a bit harder to close the breech on both the Accura and the Omega. Maybe taking another .001”- .002” out of the breech plug would help but at the higher cost of those o-rings it just isn't worth it if they don’t last longer. 10-40 shots per o-ring depending on load variables- powder type and amount, bullet weight and fit, barrel length…
The VF2 modules are about as good an ignition source as i can imagine. I wish PR still made the original VF modules, but using SST instead of the original brass. I have 30 but they seem kind of fragile so i dont want to use them up as they are near impossible to find until some machinst reinvents them. They took small rifle primers and fit into a 209 primer pocket breech plug. (Knight also made some LRMP module conversions for #11 ignition plunger guns like the MK85)
I finally found the CVA VF2 Accura plugs available, but their claim indicated that they shouldn’t be used in the Accura LR or Accura V2. Only the Accura MR, PR and the -X series. Nothing about the Wolf or Optima line, or why they shouldn’t be used in specific models. Probably just lack of testing and liability concerns.
 
George,

I have about 800 LR primers and a few hundred large pistol primers that seem to fit the pockets also. As much as I've been shooting the last few years, they should last quite a long time.
John
Those of us that have them are very lucky. I've got close to 3,000 LRMP's, but they don't last long when shooting and/or competing. I have a friend that surprised me by giving me 500 Federal 215M Match primers. :dance:
 
I was a bit leery about buying from them but they had some sporadic good reviews on other forums here and there. No negative ones so I gave them a try with just that one item. Take credit cards and thought I could possibly get the money back if it wasn't delivered. Came in about a week's time. A lot cheaper than CVA. Just for giggles I used the priming tool it came with and SOB at about the 5th load, BANG!!!. Put that crap away and went to my handheld primer loader with a 22 hornet shell holder and finished up the rest. The tool that it comes with is going to hurt someone and i suspect they'll be a lawsuit at some point. Crazy dumb thing, pound a primer with a hammer, reminded me of a bugs bunny cartoon! (And yes that was going through my mind as i was being stupid but had PPE on!)

There's a seller on ebay that has 20 adapters for about a buck a piece at times so I bought 60 over the last few months.
 
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