patchbox release in butplate?

[joe bogle]

i still have'nt brought myself to put the release for the patch box in the buttplate on the virginia " bogle" rifle that i just finished--nearly finished.
  i plan to hunt with this rifle and i cant help but wonder if the patchbox could fly open when shooting. I guess that with a strong enough release spring that it might be pretty stable if the release button were recessed enough.
   does anyone have any experience with this type release, or any suggestions, i have some good pic's of the release to work it out but i have some hesitation about installing on this rifle.
           thanks for any help or advice.---joe bogle

[Nate McKenzie]

I use them often and never had a problem. I put a sort of oblong funnel shaped recess around them so your finger nail can activate it.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Check out the last two pictures in the "Leatherbelly's New Rifle" thread.  He uses 75 grains of FFg GOEX as a standard load, and has never to my knowledge, had the box fly open when shooting his rifle.

[joe bogle]

Great work on the Beck rifle, love the red under tones of the stain.
 The bogle rifle, however, has a push button release in the center of the butplate. this is what has me concerned. I can see how the design that you used should work very good and i may need to apply the same for my rifle. I guess that i just need to decide of i want to keep with the originality of the bogle.

[J. Talbert]

Just what kind of release in the buttplate are you referring to?  I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake.

Jeff

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I can't see how a push button in the butt plate would work, and you'd be justified in being nervous about it popping the lid on recoil.  Many Lehigh rifles have a simple spring stud that protrudes through the butt plate and is actuated by the finger nail to open the box lid.

[joe bogle]

go to " antique gun collecting" the thread by wayne elliot on the "bogel rifle" and check the fifth picture down. this is a good pic of the patchbox lid and the release catch. if my memory serves me right, i remember just pushing the button in to release the lid. i;ll try to get in touch with wayne elliot and see if he remembers for sure.

[bgf]

It looks to me like it relies on the small surface area of the stud and probably a stiff spring to prevent accidental opening.  I'm assuming the "hook" on the lid is installed with the open side away from the butt-end.  If the hook is instead installed conventionally (open end of hook toward butt), perhaps the lid is opened by pulling instead of pushing the pin.  It must have worked reasonably well, either way, or there would probably be a nail or screw added in the lid to supplement it .

[WElliott]

Joe is correct. My recollection is that the original Jos. Bogle patchbox release requires a simple push action to open.  And bgf is correct- the spring is stiff enough to make an accidental opening unlikely.

[Swampwalker]

If you're trying for a copy, you're stuck with a push button.  However, if doing an 'inspired by' rifle, you could easily orient the action of the catch to be parrallel with the buttplate, and have a little slot where the stud comes through the buttplate, like was common on PA rifles.  That way, the opening action is parrallel with the butplate, not into it.   Does this make sense?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Upon studying the photos, I see that the button is only between 1/8" - 3/16"in diameter.  Shooting it would not depress the button, but setting it down on something, like your instep, might.  As long as you were aware of it, and kept it in mind, I don't see it as a problem.

[joe bogle]

thanks to all you guys. I'm gonna do it like the original!