Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Muzzleloaders New Encore breech plug troubles

Hi guys
I took my new TC Encore out to the range today, I'm no ML expert but used my brothers Omega last season and became familiar with these guns some.
Well I got to the range and decided to take the breech plug out and check the barrel and also to bore sight it with a target down range.
When I went to put the plug back in it didn't go in very easy, not by hand anyways.So I put the wrench on it and it turned all the way in, I didn't get crazy with it either.

Well I was on paper right away and it only took about 4 shots to get it were I wanted it 3" high at 100 yds. I shot it about 8 times cleaning it with a spit patch and lubing the breech plug also about every 2nd or 3rd shot. At this time the plug could be spun out with your fingers once it was broke loose with the tool.
When I got home I took it all apart and cleaned it really good.
When I went to put the plug back in it started turning in hard almost right way, maybe after one rotation. I had the threads in the gun and on the plug clean and lubed. I noticed a small bur on the plug so I am having a friend bring me a new plug from the sporting goods store an hour away.
I called tc and they said the threads are 11/16-20
no one in town has any dies in that size. Should this new plug screw right in with my fingers? Is the barrels threads stronger than those on the plug? I sure hope I didn't mess up the threads in the barrel! This is a bummer, I hope the new plug takes care of it, the gun shot well with the 3 pellets of 777 and the 245 gr dead center bullets.
Are breech plug problems fairly common? Have any of you had to re tap the threads in your barrels or the threads on the plug?

Thanks for your help, I hope I don't have to send the barrel in to TC I only have a month before I go up to Canada with it to hunt whitetails.

Here's my gun

Should screw right in smoothly. Could have a bur inside there or you accidently started to cross thread the breech plug.

I had this EXACT same problem with my Triumph, after it was put in clean, which wasn't easy, then later fired, it was a BEOTCH to remove without the wrench. Anyway, I'm quite certain it was a bad breech plug or the female threads because they replaced my ML for a different reason and this one is like BUTTAH to remove, clean OR dirty. BUTTAH!

I was very careful when putting it in, like I said it was tough the first time I tried to install it. The new plug isn't here yet but I'm crossing my fingers it will work.

skane that rack in your avatar looks like one huge 4 banger!
Did you have to send your gun back to TC?

hope it all works out for you. If not, Order a Bergara barrel for it.

GB-

Yep, I sent it back to them and got it back within a WEEK! I did some pizzing and moaning cuz I purchased the thing to hunt in Manitoba for the ML season in two weeks!

You likely did nothing wrong when putting your breech in.

I shot the deer in my avatar in Kansas a couple of years ago - I can't take credit for the rack, just being in the right spot. ....153" of bone with a measely 16" spread! Weighed just a smidge under 3 bills dressed - that's what I like! I'm not into the whole score thing. Just like hunting the mature ones with the massive bodies.

Hey
Good news, I had him buy the plastic thread cleaner as well, ran it thru first just to make sure the threads on it didn't get wrecked. There was a spot 1/2 way that I had to use the tool to get it the rest of the way in,threads looked ok.
Then I installed the new plug, same thing, tough spot 1/2 ways. Used the tool gingerly and it came out with just my fingers the entire way. So I lubed it up and put it back in..fixed!

thanks again and good luck in Man. I'll be up there for the last week 5th-10th!

I got lucky last year and took this guy, my first deer with a ML!

Man, what a hog! Great pic! details, details!!!!

I had seen him during bow season but he was extremely nocturnal.
Didn't see him hardly at all during rifle season either.
Luckily I'd drawn a ML tag and we had a big cold snap with lots of snow and below zero temps and that got him moving. To tell you the truth I'd shot at him at 96 yds the evening before and missed. We can't use powered scopes and it made it really tough in the wind and blowing snow, that and I was frozen and could barely move my fingers to pull the trigger.
The next morning at first light he was on the same trail amazingly! But he winded me and ran up a hill 250 yds or so away.
All I had was a grunt tube so I gave it a try and he stopped and looked back. Then out of no where this little guy comes flying in from behind me looking for a fight! The big guy saw him turned around and came marching in with his ears pinned back.
He came to within 50 yds of my portable blind and held up there between two trees staring in my direction. I was aiming at him through the window sideways with the gun tipped at a 45 degree angle and on his chest. I wasn't even sure if it would work that way, but I squeezed the trigger and he flipped right over onto his back! He was kicking some so I reloaded quick and left my ram rod in the blind "rookie".
That same evening my buddy shot a good nontypical as well.
My bucks longest tine was 13 and main beam was 27 inches.

Gauling of breech plugs has been an issue for T/C which is why we have seen new breech plug designs from T/C. It is T/C's attempt to reduce the barrel replacement cost and of course make
removing the breech plug easier on us.

Since your rifle has the older breech plug may I suggest you apply some T/C breechplug grease to the shoulder area of the breech plug that butts up against the barrel and wrap the breech plug threads with plummers tape and apply some "Slick 50" bearing grease on top of the threads. I picked this "method" up last year from another T/C shooter.

I am using this system on all of the Encore/Pro Hunters breech plugs with no gauling fears and very easy cleaning upon removal.

I have plenty of "slick 50" grease, one tube is enough to do about 100,000 breech plugs.

PM me an adress and I will send you some "slick 50" grease and anyone else who might want some as well.

P.S. Goatboy, what a fantastic ML kill..good for you.

Doc

GB-

GREAT freaking buck!!!!!!!!!! Great picture too! THAT'S what I'm talkin' bout!!!!!! DAMN!!!! Looks like you've got the affliction like I do - perhaps we were separated at birth?

I'll need more details my friend. I'm a whitetail freak.
Here's a snow shot for ya too. Last year in Kansas during the worst storm there in nearly 100 years - of course, this Wisconsin boy is used to the snow - I was likely the only one in three counties hunting that night. Of course, after I pulled the trigger, guess what stepped out.........

http://attainkarma.com/scotts/skkansas06.jpg

That deer is really impressive...good pictures as well.

Doc

My brother hunts down there in Ks also, bought the lifetime resident tag before he left "wise move!" He was down there in that storm also, western kansas by any chance? Very nice buck!

Maybe we were seperated!

Southeast Kansas....
Man, that was a storm. I knew the deer would be holed up for the rest of my trip once the storm subsided to I settled with that guy....Should have seen what stepped out 2 minutes after......grrrrrrrrrr...*L* All my Kansas deer have been taken for the price of the tag too.

You've got some great bucks there GB....GREAT!

Thanks for the offer Doc, that's VERY nice of you!!

GB-

PM incoming.

BTW, Doc has a habit of being a nice guy......The NERVE of that guy.....

Scare some of those big bruisers over to SW MO!! Great buck!

UC-

I'm sure I've done it plenty of times already!

Hey, watch out for "Underclocked' he has a "Quigley Sharps" so your Deer out to a half mile or so is his shot. ; ;))