Armstrong RBL 110pr Model Breech Block Seat.
by John
If the screw which held the breech block in place was not tightened, when the gun was fired, explosive corrosive gases would escape backwards rather than propelling the projectile. An inefficient and destructive result.
If the screw was not not tightened at all, the breech block, which weighed 130lb, could be ejected with great force, and devastating, potentially fatal results to the gun crew.
So it was important that a gas tight seal was achieved when the block was inserted and tightened. That required a seat like a valve seat in an internal combustion engine, and a corresponding 45º angle on the breech block.

First I made the breech block. The plug was turned from LG2 bronze. This will seat against the steel barrel bore. In the original the block was made of steel or iron, and it seated against a copper insert seat. I decided that it would be too fiddly and difficult to reproduce the original steel/copper system, so I substituted the bronze block which fitted against the steel end of bore in a 45º seat.



I used 2 tools to make the seat. A commercial carbide seat cutter, and a shaped stone to finish.


The seat was cut with the carbide cutter, by hand and using cutting fluid. When it was 1-2mm wide, some chatter marks were just visible, so they were polished out using the stone, also by hand.


And today I picked up some laser cut parts from the cutter. (JR Laser, Geelong)

Is your lathe a CNC or did you turn that manually? Nice work either way.
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Hi John, the breech block was CNC turned. Sides milled of course. And thanks. John
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