Totally Unhappy with My Sidekick

[slayer]

Who ever designed this breech plug for the Sidekick should be fired immediately :x every 3-5 shots, I loosened it up and it was fine, then I forgot and did about 10-15 shots and it is totally locked up and I even put T/C Synthetic anti-seize on it. I have tried breaking spray, boiling, tapping, twisting-nothing!! I don`t own a vise, but I tried vise grips and a very large phillips screwdriver, but no go, but I did manage to make my fingers bleed!! I even ruined alot of blueing and really gouged my barrel near where it sais Sidekick on the barrel  :x I may have to send this back to NEF, or I can use it through muzzleloader season, which is the 3rd week in October and then send it back? What would you do? would the 3/4" nut on the end of this stupid tool do it? I hear some people having to use vices and power tools to get these off, that is just ridiculous!! They had to know this kinda thing could happen to these breech plugs :x Now, I am more worried about the barrel gouging than the breechplug. I am going to send my breechplug tool to start to the nice fellow offering to weld the 3/4" nut onto it and go from there, but I know that barrel is going to rust where it was gouged. Hell, the barrel rusts so easily already it isn`t funny, it is a real shame, because the rifle is so extremely accurat it`s silly!! My favorite load so far is a Buffalo Bullet Ball-Et in front of 90 grains of Goex 2F Black and using the Veriflame system using the small rifle primers. I also tried some Pyrodex and it liked that also, in fact the darn gun shot everything well, including Roundballs all the way up to 90 grains of anything!! The Pyrodex had a little delay with Pyrodex using the smal;l pistol primers, but was immediate with small rifle primers. The gun was louder and kicked alot more when using the regular 209 primer, especially with 90 grains of Goex 2F and a 470 grain maxi ball Man, that one hurt!! anyway, it is a shame that these guns have the flaws that they have, 1 being the breech plug removal system, the other being the rusting so easily. Any thoughts? I am so upset I am going crazy :twisted: Thanks-Jack.

[Robert]

Sorry about your problems, but you might want to clean up the language in your subject line before Graybeard is another problem for you.  I am not positive here....but I don't think he will let that fly.  I am just trying to help...no critisizm intended.

[slayer]

Ok, I understand about bad lanuage, but I just read my post again, and it seams fine to me? I could be worng, and if so, please point them out to me Thank you-Jack.

[Winter Hawk]

Check the SUBJECT line.  Urinating in public is a no-go on GBO....
You might want to say that you are angry or mad instead.

-WH-

[slayer]

OK, got it, won`t happen again, and thanks for pointing that out for me. I am sorry for that, I am just so upset right now. Regards-Jack.

[TOGO]

Slayer,

  I had similar issues with my rifle, I had to go to a friends house that had a vise, we broke it free finally. I was using 777 and had T/C grease on the threads, under the advise from others I switched to Copper Anti-Seize purchased at my local Napa, problem solved.

[slayer]

Thank you very much TOGO I will pick up some of that up!! I am also getting the 2 3/4" nuts welded on by that good fellow John, before I do any more damage to my fingers and barrel Thank you-Jack.

[jritter]

jdbe welded the two 3/4 in. nuts on the plug for me, and it works well.  I call put a deep well socket on it and as big a breaker bar as necessary!  The hardest thing is holding the barrel or action steady.  I have a scope, and you have to be careful not to use it for leverage, its so tempting!

[stuffit]

To hold your barrel fixed in a vise or vise-grips use sheet lead over the jaws.  You can grip the steel tightly without marring it.   Pay attention to the advice regarding the scope.  Be sure not to bind it when fixing your rifle barrel to remove the breech plug.  You're right.  The breech plug design doesn't seem well thought out.
 :wink:
stuffit

[perklo]

Slayer,

You are right, the design is a bit bad... But it is the design of the tool and also of the crud they sell as "breechplug Lube"!

Go to this link:

http://perkloafm.com/pixs/hntsmn_breechtool2.pdf

I also have switched to automotive anti-seize compound, and have a bunch of other tips about improving that tool that don't involve welding.

More tips:

When tightening the breechplug after cleaning, just BARELY go past where you reach bottom - don't tighten much at all once you meet resistance.

If you shoot 4-5 shots or 15, break that plug loose a half turn while it is still hot from shooting. That saves a bunch of trouble later.

You were on the right track breaking it loose every 3-4 shots. That helps too.


You might try making a tool modified as in the link above, getting a padded vise ready, taking the barrel off the frame and then heating (unloaded!) the breech area a LITTLE bit with a propane torch. Just to where it is too hot to touch, not cherry red or anything near to it.

Then while it is hot, clamp it in the padded vise and try the modified tool on a ratchet wrench...

Good luck - perklo   :grin:

[slayer]

Thanks Gents!! I appreciate all of your info Jack.

[corelokt308win]

couple of thoughts here.  If the new tool dosn't work out well, you could buy one of the 25acp plugs for it, they seem to have a hex nut to put a socket on.  Also, I wonder if it can't just be cleaned like an old sidelock, stick the breech end in hot sudsy water and put a tight, wet patch over a wire bore brush and plunger away.  As for the rust issue, cold blue and break-free works for me.  They do like to rust.

[slayer]

Yes ,great idea, that is what I do with my other muzzleloaders that don`t have removable breechplugs and will do it that way with the Sidekick, until I get the breechplug out Thanks-Jack.

[hemlock-45/70]

If you haven't gotten it out yet. You might want to try shooting 2-3 fast rounds to heat it up,  then break it loose. This has worked for some of the stuck plugs I've heard about.

[fast*eddie]

If the breech plug in the SideKick is the same as the Huntsman , I use TetraGrease for the plug . The TC pink tape didn't work for me. No problem .

[nrb]

My Huntsman has shown the same problem with 777 and the breech plug. After trying hex nuts, antiseize and teflon tape, I found that a short bath in HOT water did the trick with no straining. A little Simple Green may also help.
best,          nrb

[lik2hunt]

Try Permatex Anti-Sieze on it and you'll never have any more sticking probs. Get it at the auto parts store, the same stuff auto mechanics use.

[slayer]

Thanks guys!! Is the Permatex Anti Seize better than the Copper Anti Seize? I just want to get the best one Jack.

[lik2hunt]

Go to the link Perklo listed in his post. You'll never have any more problems.
Yes I think the Permatex is the best. Millions of auto mechanics can't be wrong.
Here's another link that might help.

http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=53728

Note my post there.