Beretta Over/under Muzzleloader needs help

[smokepole45]

I just recently purchased a Beretta Centennial O/U muzzleloader. This is the one that Beretta made in 1980 to commemorate 300 years of gun making. It was just slightly neglected by the last owner and I have been cleaning it thoroughly. Here is the problem. There is a tiny plug on the bottom of the lower barrel (measures about 5mm with a hexagonal head) that is frozen in it's orifice. I have no idea what it is for. To try to remove it I have been soaking it in Kroil for several days, but it absolutely refuses to budge.
I have two questions. What the heck is it for, and do I really need to remove it? I wonder if it is like the so called 'clean out screw' on the Thompson Center Hawken that is just a plugged hole secondary to the manufacturing process. ANY help would be most appreciated.

[rollingb]

I have no idea what the "plug" would be for, and I doubt if there is any real need to remove it.
Can you run a range rod with a proper fitting jag and patch, all the way from the muzzle to the breech-face of each barrel?
If so, she should be good to load and shoot.

I would think that one of the barrels would require an extra long flash-channel to reach the breech of the "bottom" barrel since you say the shotgun is an O/U,.... that might be an area for concern, if you start getting "hang-fires" after a few shots, as I think that would be a likely place for fouling to accumulate.

Just a couple random thoughts, since I've never seen an O/U muzzleloader that wasn't a "swivel-breech".  

Another thought,.... is there also a "little plug" along the bottom/rear portion of the stock somewhere,... if so, maybe that little plug in the bottom barrel is for a sling-swivel.

[smokepole45]

I can run a rod to the breech face of each barrel. You are right, the bottom barrel has a very long flash channel, thus this shotgun lower breech area must be kept meticulously clean. It just seems odd that there is a 4-5mm plug in the lower part of the breech. BTW-Beretta provides a wrench to remove the lower breech plug, but that part is FROZEN in place. I have been dosing it with Kroil and it refuses to budge.
 Thanks for your thoughts.

[Bigsmoke]

I would say not to bother with the plug in question.  I think it is there for the duration.
You are right about the passage to the lower barrel, it must be kept really clean.  And popping a few caps prior to loading is an absolute necessity.  One easy way to get more fire to the lower barrel is to replace the factory nipple with a musket cap nipple.  That works wonders.
When they first came out many moons ago, I had one of the cased sets.  What a beautiful thing that was.  But, like so many others, it has long gone away.
John

[Ironhand]

I have had a Beretta double for about 20 years and I have never had to pull that plug. Hot water cleaning has always worked well. I would leave well enough alone.
I recently picked up the matching 50 cal double rifle. I will have to check to see if it has the same plug.

Ironhand

[smokepole45]

Thanks, Ironhand. You have helped me before and you are wise in the ways of these guns. I plan to clean it of all oils and solvents and load it to a maximum load tomorrow. I will fire said load from a distantance using a string. Better to test a pheasant load against a post than against your face.
 As for cleaning I was planning on using Ballistol to remove all crud. On my first shoot I plan to use Blackhorn powder. I have already replaced the #11 nipples with 209 shotgun primer adapters. Before my first shots I will "clear her throat" with a couple of primers. Is there anything I am leaving out?
 You have really been a big help. Not to many of these guns out there and even fewer that have fired them.
Good luck with that double rifle... Oh crud,there is a double rifle? Tell me more.
Regards, and thanks,
Smokepole

["Saddle quickly, and ride to the sound of the guns"]

[smokepole45]

I took the O/U shotgun out today. POW! POW! she runs just fine. Smokepole, thanks for all your help. I walked into this with no idea of what I was doing. I am far from an expert now, but I didn't blow myself up.

[Feltwad]

The plug in the bottom barrel should be left alone to loosing or remove it will surely cause problems if there is a gas leak it will surely burn a hole in the barrel channel,I have seen this happen with this gun . These guns are  not the best in materials used and will need work doing to them , the locks will need reharding also the main springs . When these guns first appeared on the market in the 1980,s I bought a pair I soon found the trouble with them with what i mentioned so I customized them and are  now are trouble free
Feltwad

[Feltwad]

The plug in the bottom barrel should be left alone to loosing or remove it will surely cause problems if there is a gas leak it will surely burn a hole in the barrel channel,I have seen this happen with this gun . These guns are  not the best in materials used and will need work doing to them , the locks will need reharding also the main springs . When these guns first appeared on the market in the 1980,s I bought a pair I soon found the trouble with them with what i mentioned so I customized them and are  now are trouble free
Feltwad

[Bigsmoke]

Feltwad,
Thanks for the final word on the plug - leave it alone!
Good seeing the photo you posted as well.  It has been a long time since I saw the cased set, I had forgotten about that unique type of powder measure.  That's quite a case for them as well. Was that a factory item or did you have it crafted for the pair?
John

[Feltwad]

Bigsmoke
When these guns were first issued in the Uk they came complete  with accessiors,powder flask, Irish shotflask , cleaning rods and brushes , nipple key,powder measure, spare nipples.. The box is one I built for the guns when first bought them.
Feltwad

[smokepole45]

That checkered grip looks Really Nice! The darker finish makes the guns look "rich". Question- what did your shotgun do that made you decide to harden the locks and springs? At this time mine seems to function just fine.
I took mine to the pattern board today. It shot 'donut hole' patterns usin 2 3/4 drams Blackhorn and 1 1/8 oz of number 8 shot.  On the 4th load I forgot to put in the felt wad under the shot and the pattern improved considerably.
One last question from a novice- Is there any easy way to force the 1/8 inch card wad into the muzzle? That was the hardest part about loading the gun.

[Feltwad]

There were several factors with these locks mostly due to  a poor finishing ,the internal screws becoming loose , the sear nose  peening over  the tumbler caused the lock to be slow to many burrs  and the main spring was too weak.The locks internals needed polishing and reharding and tuning in with these done the locks still work well today
Has for the wads try a thinner card wad or a waxed wad try and stick too a volume load ,the loading should be powder,1/8 card ,shot 1/16 card wad .If the bore becomes well coked making it difficult to place the wads a little spittle in the bore just before the wad will help
Feltwad

[smokepole45]

Taking 'Ugly Betty' to the range tomorrow for a second try. I found some card wads that were .001 thinner diameter than the ones I had that came with the purchase.
  I confess that when I saw your matched pair I was green with envy. How did you get that finish? And the wrist checkering? Beautiful!

[Feltwad]

These stocks were  just plain walnut so I stained them with several coates of a dark walnut stain not the water based and left too dry for about a month ,this I followed with a oil finish  which was left to dry for a week then burlaped off any extra then repeated , each coat of oil only takes a few drops . Do not expect a oil finish to come overnight it takes months to achieve a good oil finish. Has for the checkering I did myself  it would have been 18 or 20 lines to the inch English flat topped ,checkering is best done  before the stock is stained and oiled.
Feltwad