Used sidehammer rifle

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I recently bought a used rifle. The guy selling it said the barrel was perfect! Never been fired!
When I got it, I checked out the barrel. Some rust but not bad. Got it cleaned up pretty good with no pitting that I could see.
Biggest problem was the nipple was stuck big time.
I bought a can of PB Blaster and sprayed about half into a small cup and soaked the nipple end of the barrel in it for about 3 days.
Saturday afternoon, I put a small adjustable wrench on the nipple and with a length of metal pipe for a breaker bar, I was able to wrench off the nipple. Luckily, the threads inside the drum were in good shape, not rusty at all.
The little screw on the bolster, or clean out screw is pretty much welded in.
I could drill it out but maybe just leave it alone. I can clean out the flash channel fine without it.
Just goes to show that buying a used whatever is always a gamble.
 
Did you think about or try the steam cleaner to heat the breech plug? It works most times.
 
I recently bought a used rifle. The guy selling it said the barrel was perfect! Never been fired!
When I got it, I checked out the barrel. Some rust but not bad. Got it cleaned up pretty good with no pitting that I could see.
Biggest problem was the nipple was stuck big time.
I bought a can of PB Blaster and sprayed about half into a small cup and soaked the nipple end of the barrel in it for about 3 days.
Saturday afternoon, I put a small adjustable wrench on the nipple and with a length of metal pipe for a breaker bar, I was able to wrench off the nipple. Luckily, the threads inside the drum were in good shape, not rusty at all.
The little screw on the bolster, or clean out screw is pretty much welded in.
I could drill it out but maybe just leave it alone. I can clean out the flash channel fine without it.
Just goes to show that buying a used whatever is always a gamble.
Leave the little screw alone ,it fills the hole!/Ed
 
Leave the little screw alone ,it fills the hole!/Ed
The only reason I would ever remove the clean-out screw would be to replace it with a grade 6 stainless steel socket head cap screw liberally coated with anti-sieze compound.
 
The clean out screw is misnamed. As far as I know, its purpose has always been to be able to remove the screw, instead of the nipple, and dribble enough powder into the barrel behind a dry ball load to shoot the ball out of the barrel. Because the clean-out screw is at a 90° angle to the bore, it's easier to get the powder into the barrel, than from through the nipple seat in the drum.

All the above presumes that a owner takes as good of care of the clean-out screw, and the threads in the drum for the screw as he does for the nipple itself.

Since NO ONE I KNOW has ever taken such care of the clean-out screw, they are ALWAYS found in terrible shape, usually corroded into the drum so that removal is impossible.

I don't know about anyone else, but THAT'S NOT HOW I WAS TAUGHT TO CARE FOR MY FIREARMS. Period. If a screw is susceptible to corrosion because it's a part of the ignition system, then it's SUPPOSED TO BE REMOVED, cleaned, lubed, and replaced every time the gun is cleaned. Just like the nipple.

Yet, on EVERY MUZZLELOADING FORUM that I have visited, the same stupid advice is given. Don't try to remove the screw in the side of a percussion snail drum patent breech plug, nor the screw in a percussion drum that threads directly into a barrel. It is true that good tools, gunsmith quality screwdrivers especially, are required to attempt the task of screw removal on any rifle, new or used. Knowing what to do, and how to work loose a stubborn, very tight screw is mandatory. If factories didn't want the screws there in the patent breeches in the first place, then they should have plugged the holes permanently, and ground them flat so the plug didn't show. Like later Thompson/Center breech plugs.

In the case of percussion drums, there has ALWAYS been a choice between those with a screw in the side face, and those without a screw. If the drum has a screw, then it SHOULD NOT be allowed to corrode by never removing it to clean, as this eventually WEAKENS THE DRUM.
 
The clean out screw is misnamed. As far as I know, its purpose has always been to be able to remove the screw, instead of the nipple, and dribble enough powder into the barrel behind a dry ball load to shoot the ball out of the barrel. Because the clean-out screw is at a 90° angle to the bore, it's easier to get the powder into the barrel, than from through the nipple seat in the drum.

All the above presumes that a owner takes as good of care of the clean-out screw, and the threads in the drum for the screw as he does for the nipple itself.

Since NO ONE I KNOW has ever taken such care of the clean-out screw, they are ALWAYS found in terrible shape, usually corroded into the drum so that removal is impossible.

I don't know about anyone else, but THAT'S NOT HOW I WAS TAUGHT TO CARE FOR MY FIREARMS. Period. If a screw is susceptible to corrosion because it's a part of the ignition system, then it's SUPPOSED TO BE REMOVED, cleaned, lubed, and replaced every time the gun is cleaned. Just like the nipple.

Yet, on EVERY MUZZLELOADING FORUM that I have visited, the same stupid advice is given. Don't try to remove the screw in the side of a percussion snail drum patent breech plug, nor the screw in a percussion drum that threads directly into a barrel. It is true that good tools, gunsmith quality screwdrivers especially, are required to attempt the task of screw removal on any rifle, new or used. Knowing what to do, and how to work loose a stubborn, very tight screw is mandatory. If factories didn't want the screws there in the patent breeches in the first place, then they should have plugged the holes permanently, and ground them flat so the plug didn't show. Like later Thompson/Center breech plugs.

In the case of percussion drums, there has ALWAYS been a choice between those with a screw in the side face, and those without a screw. If the drum has a screw, then it SHOULD NOT be allowed to corrode by never removing it to clean, as this eventually WEAKENS THE DRUM.
No it is not for dribbling powder , I believe Idaholewis addressed this if you look at his posts on side locks . But I know for a fact it was never meant to removed , it fills the hole remaining when making the breech plug again see the cross section detailed by Lewis .The photos explain much better than I can/Ed
 
All my other rifles and pistols have that screw. When cleaning, I've always removed it, cleaned it, lubed it up and reinstalled it.
I clean up the drum from the nipple end with pipe cleaners and q-tips.
It's just been part of my routine.
 
No it is not for dribbling powder , I believe Idaholewis addressed this if you look at his posts on side locks . But I know for a fact it was never meant to removed , it fills the hole remaining when making the breech plug again see the cross section detailed by Lewis .The photos explain much better than I can/Ed
You are speaking of the screw in the right side of a percussion snail drum patent breech plug. That screw hole was indeed used to drill the flame channel from the bottom of the nipple seat hole to the powder chamber. Why Thompson/Center didn't just plug it, and grind it off to match the contour of the snail before bluing, I'll never know. On later models the hole was drilled into the powder chamber from the left side, and you can often see the remnants of the hole from the lousy job Thompson/Center's manufacturing team did grinding that screw flat.

Nevertheless, if I owned one of the old style breech plugs with the screw, I'd sure NOT trust to Thompson/Center's quality control to have completely filled that hole all the way into the flame channel, and done so in a manner NOT to cause an obstruction in the flow of hot gases.

When properly executed, the anti-chamber patent breech plug design speeds up lock time considerably. Especially in percussion. But, manufacturing burrs left behind, clean-out screws (whatever you want to call them) not filling the hole completely, clean-out screws protruding into the flame channel, the powder chamber NOT being beveled so as to match EXACTLY the groove diameter of the bore, and several other things that can be done incorrectly; all can contribute to spotty ignition.

I would want a properly fitted screw in the hole of any patent breech that I owned that was equipped with a screw. Properly fitted means that the threads completely fill the threads of the hole with only the SLIGHTEST of a radiused bevel protruding into the flash channel. Because the screw enters the flash channel at an angle, creating that radiused bevel will require some fancy file work. Something I am sure neither Thompson/Center or any of the European manufacturers spent time & money on. A quick hit on a grinder, hoping to get close, and that's what the rifle's got. Too short, swirling gas flow, and corrosion, tough luck! Too long, obstructed gas flow, tough luck!

On the old school round percussion drums, a customer had a choice between to have, or not to have a clean-out screw. And, indeed, the screw was just for that purpose. Which is where it got its name. So the name is both appropriate, and correct.
 
You are speaking of the screw in the right side of a percussion snail drum patent breech plug. That screw hole was indeed used to drill the flame channel from the bottom of the nipple seat hole to the powder chamber. Why Thompson/Center didn't just plug it, and grind it off to match the contour of the snail before bluing, I'll never know. On later models the hole was drilled into the powder chamber from the left side, and you can often see the remnants of the hole from the lousy job Thompson/Center's manufacturing team did grinding that screw flat.

Nevertheless, if I owned one of the old style breech plugs with the screw, I'd sure NOT trust to Thompson/Center's quality control to have completely filled that hole all the way into the flame channel, and done so in a manner NOT to cause an obstruction in the flow of hot gases.

When properly executed, the anti-chamber patent breech plug design speeds up lock time considerably. Especially in percussion. But, manufacturing burrs left behind, clean-out screws (whatever you want to call them) not filling the hole completely, clean-out screws protruding into the flame channel, the powder chamber NOT being beveled so as to match EXACTLY the groove diameter of the bore, and several other things that can be done incorrectly; all can contribute to spotty ignition.

I would want a properly fitted screw in the hole of any patent breech that I owned that was equipped with a screw. Properly fitted means that the threads completely fill the threads of the hole with only the SLIGHTEST of a radiused bevel protruding into the flash channel. Because the screw enters the flash channel at an angle, creating that radiused bevel will require some fancy file work. Something I am sure neither Thompson/Center or any of the European manufacturers spent time & money on. A quick hit on a grinder, hoping to get close, and that's what the rifle's got. Too short, swirling gas flow, and corrosion, tough luck! Too long, obstructed gas flow, tough luck!

On the old school round percussion drums, a customer had a choice between to have, or not to have a clean-out screw. And, indeed, the screw was just for that purpose. Which is where it got its name. So the name is both appropriate, and correct.
OK what ever you say , me I pull the nipple with less chance of loosing /damaging a little screw that is better left alone .Quicker and works every time I"ve had to (until I get a Magspark installed) like yesterday on my new (TO ME) 54 Renegade . Happened 3 times with the nipple it came with thou it had an super clean fire channel/nipple CCI #11 (verified by me) . Only time it happens with a 209 is when I skip the (powder part) !
 
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