Takes my breath away. More than envious Greg.

Mr. Storie and I had a discussion at the Greeley show about different methods of retaining firing pins in the split halves of Ballard breech blocks... Rodney, I looked in the mirror and there's a footprint in the middle of my back where you gave me the kick... down this rabbit hole...
This retard made a fixture this morning and spent a few hours tonight making things come together, appears to be a very good idea.

Jeff, 
shot a match with one of my Ballard builds and the new triggers last weekend, they worked well.

Greg, as usual, beautiful machining!

But…I have to ask what your theory is, as to why it’s better than a simple round pin in the breech block?   

It appears you are going to spring retract it, which I do like.

I’m probably asking a dumb question because it is is obviously not a standard Ballard breech block the way its machined, so you are, again, thinking out of the box!   

Bob

bobw wrote on Jun 1^st, 2024 at 12:24pm:

I too, have to ask what this does. Is it just that the bushing doesn't have to be screwed in?

Gwahir,
I turned them both, block and the plug in the lathe.  Started out with the compound set at 15° but it was a lot of angle.  Changed it to about 12.5°.  The following pictures is the recent fixture in a 4-jaw and after I drilled the hole through (1/8"), my boring bars consist of broken carbide endmills ground to suit.  The drill has a tendency to walk drilling throught the split halves and there are a few other variables, hence the boring to get back on exact center.

Frank, My thinking here is the Ballard is a split breech block and threads never seem to be happy in split halves, jam up, cross thread, etc. worse after heat treat.  I like the dovetail wedge like Hubalek and Peterson did with the 22's but I was wondering how they'd hold up to the pressures of CF.  In this case, the plate is captured and can't shift side to side.  I'm going to give the breech block one more screw - above the firing pin just behind the vent hole (that isn't in yet), stress calcs don't indicate any concerns but a gut feeling says just do it.

Bob, 
I recently had a crater form around a flash hole from shooting pistol primers and black on another build, (probably 5K rounds through it) my headspace was set to sammi spec according to my notes but I never felt good about any of it.  I recently used an insert and tightened things up slightly and everything is happy now - a rare case I know.
There was a lot of effort exerted in this first time around but I have some things figured out so it'll be easier on the next.  When I get the rifle shooting I'm going to run quite a few loads through it and gage it.  We'll see how it does that'll determine how many more I'll do like this.   
The material I'm using for the inserts is 17-4 stainless, fairly easy to work with, easy to treat, and it becomes bullet proof, pun intended.   I am installing a small spring for retraction also and I like that.

Greg, now I get it!    
You’re basically tried to beef up the block face.
Bob

I wasn't thinking about the strength in thrust but, what has always been the weakness of the Ballard, a split breach block, that in a case failure can separate the half's.

I've always thought a side plate BB would be the best upgrade for the Ballard.

Nice picture Greg, that green back ground really helps!
Bob