Encore/Omega breech plugs

[bronko220002]

Good grief. I saw a pair of these for sale on GunBroker.com and put a bid in on them. Got outbid so I put in my max bid of $85. I got an email earlier that I was outbid again! I decided I wasn't going to go any higher but I was curious as to what the high bid currently was and its a whopping $205.00!
I think I'll just modify mine with a vent liner or bushing when they wear out. A heck of a lot cheaper.

 

[Jitterbug]

Good idea! I plan to put liners in mine, too.

I was lucky enough to stumble into some on the MidwayUSA site, about 2-3 years ago. They were a pretty attractive price, something like $10-15 each.

They were marked “Clearance,” or something similar. There was something that hinted they were going to be discontinued, but I couldn’t believe that would be the case. Silly me!

I bought a few extra, since I did not know about vent liners at the time. Naturally, I now wish I had bought a truckload of the breech plugs!

I still haven’t had vent liners installed in any of them. The “To-Do” list just keeps growing...

 

[ronlaughlin]

For me the OEM Omega breech plug is useless now that one can no longer purchase a box of 1000 W209 with several longer than 0.33". The OEM plugs are too short to make a seal using the current longest available primers.

The only breech plugs that work for me using shotgun primers, are the custom Bestill plug, or the adjustable Woodman plug. Both plugs provide a perfect seal; perfect ignition; in my Omega rifles.

 

[ElDiablo]

I was lucky enough to stumble into some on the MidwayUSA site, about 2-3 years ago. They were a pretty attractive price, something like $10-15 each.

They were marked “Clearance,” or something similar. There was something that hinted they were going to be discontinued, but I couldn’t believe that would be the case. Silly me!

I bought a few extra, since I did not know about vent liners at the time. Naturally, I now wish I had bought a truckload of the breech plugs!

Yes, I did the same thing. That was a killer deal. Seems like they were less than $10. IDK. I’ve since sold most of them on eBay to dudes willing to pay $85-$130. SMDH.

 

[Jitterbug]

Yes, I did the same thing. That was a killer deal. Seems like they were less than $10. IDK. I’ve since sold most of them on eBay to dudes willing to pay $85-$130. SMDH.

Seems like the perfect way to get myself a Woodman or Bestill breech plug…

 

[Steelheader323]

Myself and a couple others have bought from a guy on eBay who is making factory replacement plugs for about 30$…good quality for a replacement

 

[ElDiablo]

Myself and a couple others have bought from a guy on eBay who is making factory replacement plugs for about 30$…good quality for a replacement

Yep - and he has them avail again…

 

[SteveH]

I had an old plug that Ron converted for me to use SSK/Lehigh ventliners. I believe he also reamed out the primer insert to allow the use of an O-ring, which gives me some leeway in the primers I use. Fortunately I have a bunch of CCI and Winchester primers that work pretty clean, although my preference are the Remington SSTs which I have not seen in years.

I wonder if it would be worth SSK's time and effort to make an Omega/Encore breech plug with a ventliner, similar to what they make for Knights. If SSK copied Ron's basic design, my guess is they could market them at a reasonable price.

 

[bronko220002]

Jeff at Hankins has them for $25. I'm going to order one.

 

[ElDiablo]

Jeff at Hankins has them for $25. I'm going to order one.

Slightly different than OEM. I’ll be interested to hear some feedback on that plug.

 

[bronko220002]

Slightly different than OEM. I’ll be interested to hear some feedback on that plug.

Actually no they're not. He replied to my email that he was getting a lot of requests for the so he made a batch to OEM specs.

 

[ElDiablo]

Actually no they're not. He replied to my email that he was getting a lot of requests for the so he made a batch to OEM specs.

The face of his plug doesn’t look like any OEM plug I’ve ever seen….

 

[ronlaughlin]

Photo is an early Omega OEM breech plug.

 

[bronko220002]

I wasonly goi g by his reply to my email

 

[phalanx]

Didn't really need any new plugs but I ordered two from Hank's. They don't appear to have any small concave to the face like the originals I have and shown in Ron's pic. Be interesting to see how they work and if i need to I can always deepen the face and/or add a ventliner at some point in the future.

The Beestill plug I got from Boonechaser is the cat's meow though!

 

[ElDiablo]

View attachment 39605




Photo is an early Omega OEM breech plug.

Never seen one like that Ron. Was that made for pellets do you suppose?

 

[Steelheader323]

Never seen one like that Ron. Was that made for pellets do you suppose?

The first gen plugs came out right around the time pellet craze came around..they actually hade a few different plugs for the hex head encore, and omega rifles. Flat, curved concave and the most recent was the concave with a flat ridge around the outside

 

[ElDiablo]

Here’s an ancient thread with pic showing some of the early designs. Interesting.

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/omega-breech-plug.11135/

 

[Wilyote1]

Myself and a couple others have bought from a guy on eBay who is making factory replacement plugs for about 30$…good quality for a replacement

I have two of these from eBay and use Cheddite 209s without an issue.

My next project is to make vent liners for one of the older breech plugs. Debating wether to buy vent liners or make them myself. Anyone go this route?

 

[ElDiablo]

My next project is to make vent liners for one of the older breech plugs. Debating wether to buy vent liners or make them myself. Anyone go this route?

https://www.modernmuzzleloader.com/threads/vent-linners.58513/