Removal of breech plug

[Roundup]

Seeing I'm an old coot I'll ramble a bit here, but eventually I'll pose a question.  

Around 30 years ago I bought a new muzzle loader for all of $65.00!  Its a dead-ringer for many of the Hawken replicas I see retail for over $330.  Mine has brass furniture, is .50 caliber, shoots round balls a lot better than Maxi-balls, and has a birch rather than a walnut stock.

I have not shot it for quite awhile.  It has been fired approximately 200 times.  The only game I've use it on is sage rats and one coyote.  I have cleaned it thoroughly the same day I've shot it...  The old fashioned way with soap and hot water, and kept it well-oiled.  I've used both Black powder and Pyrodex.

My 14 year old Grandson is very interested in shooting it, so I'm resurrecting it and getting some new supplies.  My question is:  It has a hooked breech.  Is there any reason why I should unscreww the breech plug?  I've kept the gun very clean and there has been no evidence of rust or corrosion.

I'm open to advise.

Roundup

[SHOOTALL]

don't think I would

[Semisane]

From one old coot to another - I think trying to unscrew the breech plug would likely be a big mistake.  Given your maintenance routine, I can think of no reason why I would do so.

[flintlock]

No...Leave it alone...

I started with these things in the 70s, have one I bought used in 1977, another I made in '88 and have never removed the breech plug on either...

[Roundup]

Flintlock, Shootall, Semisane (I like that!)

Thanks for the reply.  To tell you the truth it was the answer I was hoping to get.  I thought I might be missing something important.  I didn't like the idea of buying a $7.00 tube of anti-seize either!

Roundup

[coyotejoe]

Many, probably most, old original ML guns have never had their breechplugs removed and it would be a bear to do so now. But then again, I've seen a few where the breechplug was just finger tight. My first muzzleloading gun, back in '58, was an old Ohio half-stock .36 caliber in which both the breechplug and nipple drum had their threads wrapped with sewing thread to take up the slack. I fired many shots from that old gun with no problem but I never loaded over about 30 grains of 2f in it. Ah yes, back when I was young and innocent, well, anyhow, I was young.

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

If it aint broke, dont fix it.