Burnside Carbine

[OKIEPAN]

Has any of y'all ever replaced a rear breechblock on your 4th model burnside? And is it quite easy ? I do not have a schematic.

OP

[Arizona Trooper]

Do you mean the block with the chamber in it, or the floating piston in the back?

If it's the floating piston, open the action, pull the piston all the way to the rear. On the left side you will see a little figure 8 shaped retainer with a notch in the side on the bottom of the 8. Put a small screwdriver blade in the notch and push the piston forward to disengage it from the 8 retainer. Rotate the retainer to the left 90 degrees. Pull the piston out of the back of the block.

If it's the block itself, that is held on to the trigger guard/latch assembly by two screws that come up through the bottom of the guard. You have to take the breechblock hinge screw out to get to the front block screw. By the way, make sure those screws are tight or accuracy will be lousy.