Riveting nose pieces - what do you use?

[Mark Elliott]

I am curious what everybody uses to rivet nose pieces in place.   I have been using copper harness rivets.   I trim off most of the base leaving a little square that I have to inlet on the inside of the barrel channel.  I am looking for an easier way;  maybe a large finishing nail that has had most of the head ground off?   

[Robert Wolfe]

I use copper roofing nails.

[deepcreekdale]

I use copper carpet tacks. You can find them at any big box store, easy to file round (they are cut nails so the shank is square). I file the head into a slight cone shape to fit into a slight countersink. They are dead soft so very easy to peen over on both ends. I like copper because it is HC and just the slight color difference between brass and copper shows you are not using epoxy or some other modern concoction. Even if you do!

[Joe Schell]

I've been using some scrap electrical wire, dont remember if its number 10 or 12, its about 1/16" diameter.

[Mr. Bubbles]

I used # 8 or # 10 gauge bare wire.  I heated and annealed it, but don't think you need to do that.  Ever so slightly chamfer the MC, and chamfer the wood next to the barrel.  Yo udon't need a huge head on the rivet.  Cut it just slightly longer than you need.  Then your hard center punch in the middle of the wire to start the copper to flaring outwards.   Then hammer it until it fills the chamfer, and stop, or else you'll create a dimple in the MC.  Now you can file it flush on both sides.  A dab of thin super glue on the wood side will help hold it too.

[louieparker]

Mark you probably wouldn't want to do this. But its something to remember... The Phillip Creamer rifle nose cap was attached with a screw. I thought maybe it was threaded into the barrel,, But I pulled down on it and it moved.. So he had inlet a small piece of metal in the barrel channel and threaded for the screw.....LP

[Eric Kettenburg]

I've done a lot with copper but switched over to soft brass rod upset in a swage (to make a head) as once it's filed all out, you really can't even see it.  There are certainly a lot of original pieces done this way, of all eras and areas.

The wrap around open ended pieces are pretty much all done with brass rivets.

If a specific style calls for copper I'd certainly go wth that - about as easy to use as can be.  Or a screw, into a barrel stud.  The screw into an inlet piece like louie mentions above sounds pretty darned cool - have not seen that on anything I've taken apart.

[Mike Brooks]

I use stripped copper electric wire. Peen a head on it and counter sink inside the stock and on the outside if the muzzle cap. I have used mild steel wire the same way. As well as brass rod.

[Terry Reynolds]

Mark, I used copper wire. Made a jig to make small rivets.














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[Frank]

I use a brass 4-40 screw countersunk into the wood in the barrel channel. I was always afraid of doing damage trying to peen the ends of a river.

[bama]

I mainly use 1/16" dia. copper wire to make a rivet but I have used a small finishing nail to do the job. The copper is easier to use.

[Stophel]

Digger, I love that jig for peening out rivet heads!  It's way better than mine, which is a hole in a plate with a countersink.  With the copper bottomed out on my vise, it can kinda scrunch up and get itself pretty lodged in the hole.  I'll have to copy yours!   

Some original rivets were copper, some brass, and some iron... depends on the type of gun you are doing.

[BOB HILL]

Rivets made from electric wire scraps.
Bob

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I like copper harness rivets and brass cutler's rivets.  I like the very shallow head which does not diminish too much the integrity of the thin wood of the forestock.  Like Mark, I file them square so they are smaller than the barrel channel bottom flat.

[Ed Wenger]

I’ve used the copper rivets lots, recently switched to solid brass tacks / brads about 1/8” diameter with a slightly rounded head.  Very easy and don’t have to mess around with reshaping the large head like a copper rivet.


          Ed

[Terry Reynolds]

Stophel,

Certainly easy to make (I'm all about easy ) and I believe if I had annealed the wire the rivet would have been easier to make and install also.

[Mark Elliott]

Thanks for all the ideas.   They gave me an idea that solves my problem.   I have a box of copper harness rivets that I would like to use up.   What I decided to do to make them easier to install for a nose piece is make a heading plate for them with a standard countersink.    I just hammer the rivet head into the heading plate and then file away the part of the head I don't want.   It takes just a couple of minutes with a heavy hammer and a sharp file and I have a rivet that is simple to install.   I don't know why I never thought of it before.    It took five minutes (maybe less) to make a heading plate from a piece of scrap steel.   It was Ed's use of brass escutcheon pins (at least that is what I think he was talking about)  that gave me the  breakthrough idea.   I may try the same thing with them.

[Curtis]

Mark, I used copper wire. Made a jig to make small rivets.

Digger658, I love that simple jig you made, I think I will make one for myself this afternoon!  Thanks for sharing it! 

Curtis

[Jim Kibler]

With kit work, It's necessary to make processes as efficient as possible.  For pinning a nose cap I buy solid brass escutcheon pins.  These are 16 guage x 3/4" though shorter would be fine.  They have a little rounded head.  Drill a sixteenth hole, counter sink for the head a touch, insert the pin, cut to lenght and peen in place.

I prefer to use two on the 45 degree flats of the barrel channel. 

These pins are sold under the name of National Hardware.  Can be found on Amazon I'm pretty sure.

Jim

[SingleMalt]

Copper harness rivets.  I cut the head square, drill, lightly countersink, and peen.

[Mark Elliott]

I think that I will try the escutcheon pins on brass mounted guns. 

[stubshaft]

Copper wire scraps.