Over the comb

[Ezra]

Does/has anybody give a class on installing a tang over the comb?  Somewhere in the Pacific Northwest would be too much to expect, I suppose.


Ez

[sz]

I know of no classes, but I can tell you how to do it.
The "trick" to it is to make the bend at the nose of the comb, but not the 2nd bend over the comb in the tang.  Don't try to make it too thin either.  You need enough to file it down to get the shape correct.

Inlet the long tang as you would any long tang, but allow it to but into the comb so it inlets there too.  When it's down to level, you will have it sticking up over the comb line at the same angle the nose of the comb is cut at.
Now, mark the place where you want the 2nd bend to "break over" and take the tang out of the wood.  Exactly opposite of the mark, hack saw through the underside of the tang 1/4 of the way through the metal.  Bend the tang and it will bend there sharply.  I then braze the "cut" up.  There is probably no need to do the brazing, but it makes me feel better. 

File off all the brass from the sides of the tang.  The top and the bottom wont matter.  Inlet the tang over the top of the comb and when it's down 90% of the way, file everything to the correct contour.   That will eliminate all the brass on the top and look nice.  Install your screws from the barrel back as you go.  Everything falls into place.

[Ezra]

Yeah, well, my brain says "sure, no problem"  and my hands say"you gotta be kiddin', right?"  Thanks SZ.


Ez

[sz]

It's not all that hard to do Ezra.
I have done about a dozen of them, and all were nice when I was done.
 Just go slow and think things through,   and it will be fine.

[Ken G]

Here's a short tutorial I did a while back. 

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=8143.0

[David Rase]

Here's a short tutorial I did a while back. 

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=8143.0

Ezra, I volunteered last year to inlet an over the comb tang for a raffle gun for Ron Scott's Gunmakers Fair.  Never done one before but always wanted to so this was a good excuse to do one.  I followed Ken's tutorial pretty much to the letter and it turned out fine.
DMR

[Birddog6]

Debatable, to do or not to do it........       I will say if you are pretty good at inletting, have at it.    I will say if you are not good or so-so at inletting, let it go & wait til you are good.  Nutherwords if you have gaps & etc. in all the rest of the rifle, I would wait til you are better.   Reason being this over-the-comb tang will get  attention, and if it is poorly done, it will ruin the looks of the rifle.    If you are not so good at inletting, but have no fear of doing one, & possibly messing it up & cutting it up for firewood, then go for it. For some to mess up a $ 200-300 piece of wood is acceptable. To others it is not, just something you have to decide.   

Personal opinion, the thinner the tang is the better it looks, as a real wide one will make the rifle too wide at the tip of the comb coming up off the wrist.  But also the thinner it is the easier it is to mess up, as they get very delicate.

Others may see it differently.  

Keith Lislel

[Larry Pletcher]

A question I always wanted to ask about this has to do with removing the barrel.  Can the barrel be removed without removing the over-the-comb tang?  I was never sure if it was all one piece.  Maybe there's a trick I don't know about this.
Regards,
Pletch

[Ken G]

Larry,
Mine can not.  Actually, when you remove the barrel, you have to remove the buttplate to release the tang which is tucked undeneath the buttplate comb.  

[Birddog6]

Mine are that way as well, all one piece to the buttplate & lipped under the buttplate.  You have to be VERY careful with it, as you bend it, then bend it back, it just grew about .30- .040"  Now that don't sound like much, but you have a screw boss at the end of the wrist & now it don't fit into the boss, so now you have to shrink it in Length and that is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you have it all inlet & fitted........     Bend it twice, figure on cutting it off & welding it back up & refitting it all......

Keith lisle

[Steve Bookout]

Pletch, you can remove the barrel on an over the comb tang IF you use a hook breech.  It is unusual on a southern rifle to be set up that way, but they are out there.  Cheers, Bookie

[J.D.]

Debatable, to do or not to do it........       I will say if you are pretty good at inletting, have at it.    I will say if you are not good or so-so at inletting, let it go & wait til you are good.  Nutherwords if you have gaps & etc. in all the rest of the rifle, I would wait til you are better.   Reason being this over-the-comb tang will get  attention, and if it is poorly done, it will ruin the looks of the rifle.    If you are not so good at inletting, but have no fear of doing one, & possibly messing it up & cutting it up for firewood, then go for it. For some to mess up a $ 200-300 piece of wood is acceptable. To others it is not, just something you have to decide.   

Personal opinion, the thinner the tang is the better it looks, as a real wide one will make the rifle too wide at the tip of the comb coming up off the wrist.  But also the thinner it is the easier it is to mess up, as they get very delicate.

This sounds like a good reason to practice inletting on a chunk of 2X6. Hmm practice inletting a barrel AND the tang.

IMHO, if I was to build rifle with an over the comb tang, I think I would make one with a hook breech, as Bookie mentioned.

I actually thought of that before I read you post, Bookmiester.   It's amazing how great minds think alike.

God bless

[B. Hey]

A thought on barrel/tang removal .... Not having experienced building a TN, my comment is "gut based" and nothing more. I was wondering if one could cut/split the tang under one of the tang screws BEFORE it reaches the nose, thereby allowing removal of the barrel and PART of the tang without disturbing the tang over the nose and comb.  A tight split would be needed indeed. And my idea may be foolhardy, but I wonder if it might be possible. Thanks for your comments ... Take care .. Bill

[chuck c.]

Ezra, I feel your pain. I've been agonizing over doing this for months now but I'm determined to try it on my next build. It just looks really good! I've got to solve the problem of after rust from the browning solution first. I live in a very humid climate made even worse by the recent hurricane. I've used a box of fresh baking soda and lots of oil. It's slowed down considerably but I've had the barrel out several times and that would be a real bad idea with that long tang! If it doesn't stop completely and soon I may try some ammonia.

[Birddog6]

Rust could definitely be an unfortunate issue to deal with.  My tangs are inlet very tight & I mean you have to work them to get them out. Any rusting could lock them in & you would have one H of a time getting one out.

Keith Lisle
 

[Ezra]

I have been dancing around doing this for too long.  Time to just man up and do it.  Got the lock, stock and in a couple of weeks the barrel with a 13" tang arrives...


Ez

[chuck c.]

Keep us posted on your progress. Where's your barrel coming from?