Stubbing an Encore

I bought this Encore 50 cal muzzle loader barrel cheap. The bore is bad where a powder charge was left too long, so I'm going to cut it off just in front of the lug and stub it. I want to thread the cut off barrel, and see how it shoots. This means I can only thread it back to the breach plug, or I have to make a custom breach plug.

The only detailed I've found on this procedure uses a 13/16-16 thread. I'm leaning towards a 13/16-20 just to have a little more metal over the 50 cal bore.

Anyway, it seems I can get a left hand tap for a fraction of the price of a right hand tap. It doesn't matter to me, since I have no other foreseeable use for this tap, and I can cut left hand threads on the lathe just as easy as right hand.

Does anyone have any experience or suggestions to share?

Thread it on the lathe instead of using a tap? Better thread, cheaper tool.

wesg said:

Thread it on the lathe instead of using a tap? Better thread, cheaper tool.

Click to expand...

I wish. I'm still learning and using the old style tool holders. I also don't have an internal threading tool or a good way to hold one. Started making one, and got distracted with life, etc. At this point, I'm wanting to spent more time making parts, and less time making tools. Don't get me wrong, making tools is cool, but I'm blowing the whole summer preparing for a muzzle loader elk hunt in CO in September. Making tools is at the bottom of my list right now.

I'm still using the old style tool holder that came with the lathe. After this hunting season, I need to get a modern tool holder and a set of decent HSS cutting tools. I've been using (regrinding) the small ones that came with the lathe so far. Pretty sure I won't be using the 3/4 x 1" cutters anytime soon, or ever.

Grind an inside thread cutting tool and make whatever thread you feel like. It only takes 10 minutes to grind a decent tool.

You need the threads in the stub to be straight unless you like the idea of looking down an offset barrel. It will be easier to get straight threads on the lathe than with a tap.

Some of the finest, most accurate firearms in the world were produced with hand ground tooling and "old style" toolholders. There is no reason not to do the job properly.

If you cannot make a simple boring bar and threading tool, you really should not be attempting to build a firearm.

Maybe I'm missing something here,but WHY use a LEFT HANDED TAP for the BREECH (NOTE SPELLING PLEASE) plug.

HOW can you get a LEFT hand tap cheaper? Are you sure it is not a Chinese POS,and not of equal value of the right hand tap? Someone in the future will possibly wring off the breech plug trying to get it out if you use a left hand thread,which is NEVER DONE.

Relax everyone. I've finally decide to spend $700+ on tooling to make operating my lathe more enjoyable, instead of buying that $13 tap ( 13 16 2� 4 FL H14 Hand Left Hand Tin Coated High Speed Steel Plug Tap Union BU | eBay ) just to get the job done cheap and easy.

BTW, If I did ever use a left hand thread for something like this, I'd leave a clue engraved on the lug.