Petes breech plug headspacing

[trb0]

While waiting for my Pacnor I made a kit to headspace the plug squarely and in controlled increments of as little as .001. First I made a modified shell holder for a RCBS press that will hold the breech plug via a screw through the middle. I then cut a Lee die that the breech plug will slide through with no wobble. You screw the die into the press with an assortment of Skips shims underneath. You then raise the ram on the press and screw the die until the stem of the breech plug is flush with the top of the die and lock down the lock nut. By removing shims from underneath the die at desired thickness you file the stem square with the face of the die and repeat until you have the desired length. Sorry if someone has already done this and it is a repost. Tim Baldwin

[trb0]

Another view. Also i hope to be able to pass this around to other people who are building a Remington conversion. So if you are in the process and would like to try it let me know. All it will cost is the shipping between members. Thanks Tim

[dave d.]

:)Tim very nice job and Thank-you for offering this out to other members.

[trb0]

Thanks Dave. Longrider is going to be the first to use it . I am shipping it tomorrow. We will see soon enough how it works and what if any improvements can be made to it. Tim

[moto357]

good idea Tim, and very generous to offer to others

[trb0]

I just hope it works. Im more than glad to possibly help other members. Im gonna use it one time and I dont want it to be something else that I find 5 years from now while cleaning my gun room and pitch it because I dont need it. Tim

[thelongrider]

Yes, this looks like a great way to trim a breechplug square. I feel honored to be the first to use it.

[Jon]

Tim. Great idea and great offer. You are one of the great people on this board keep up the good work.
Jon

[trb0]

I couldnt help but try it out before I sent it to thelongrider. First I measured the o.a.l. of the breechplug from ventliner to end of the stem. After shimming it and getting the stem flush with the top of the die I removed a .003 shim and file the exposed stem flush with the top of the die. I then removed the breechplug ang measured it. I had taken exactly .003 off and it was perfectly square. Im sure there may be some tweaking that may help but we will all figure this out as we go. Thanks Tim

[trb0]

Dave,Richard or Edge do any of you guys have a recommendation of how much to take off the stem each cut. I know by reading how most have done it(holding it to a sanding disc etc.) that it is hard to have any idea the amount you are taking off. I realize once you get close it will really tighten up. Once taken off it cant be put back. Thanks for any input. Tim

[Richard]

I can't comment as I have not done one yet! Supposedly I am going to be getting two to do when their PN's come in.
Richard

[trb0]

Well maybe we will have it all worked out by that time. My barrel should be 4-6 weeks out. If you would like to try it before then just let me know. Tim

[shivesy]

On my Remington that has Petes plug in it, I would roughly quess I took off 20 to 30 thousandths. The finished shaved nipple on my plug is about even with the top of the outer flange of the plug. I was really getting nervous as I was shaving my plug. I thought for sure I was doing it wrong. Then after taking off about 4 more thousandths again and reinstalling the plug the bolt started to close. Boy was I happy.
I recommend fitting the plug to one of your thinest case heads. Then if some of your other case heads are to thick and the bolt doesn't close just sand the face of the case head down by hand till the bolt closes for that one case. Move on to the next case and so on. It doesn't take much sanding to make a case fit.

[dave d.]

:)tim how long is your plug?to give you a idea mine is 1.190 without a ventliner or a case.

[trb0]

Dave, its o.a.l. is 1.201 after I shaved the .003 off of it. It started at 1.204. Thanks for the help. Do you think taking .003 off at a time is too much? Tim

[rkrobson]

Having had 3 Pacnors built I can tell you .003 will be too much if you are within .001 of the match fit. The idea of using the case with the thinnest base thickness is good, if its .003 thinner than the majority of cases, or more specifically the cases you select to use. I have bought 500 Lapua 308 cases and trimmed and checked for thickness variation. There was about 70% that fall within .0015 difference, left over were some up to .003 thicker and some up to .003 too thin. Tim, I have paid a gunsmith to do this when he screwed on my barrel, and he has a way of measuring the parts involved and being very close, and then milling off .001 at a time, these measurements, however are best done with the barrel off Iam told. I talked to Justin of Richards Custom guns and he is milling the inside of the cases to make them uniform, this combined with a tool like the one you made will be great assets to the DD users. ray

[trb0]

Thanks rkrobson. This is the kind of input Im looking for. I have found the same thing as you and will use a case .003 thicker than my ideal goal so that if I pass it by .002 I am still good with my goal cases. I have the means to change my case thickness if necessary but very few are afforded this luxury and am trying to help those that dont. Thanks again for your input. Tim

[shivesy]

I just measured my plug without vent. 1.158