Another pinning a nose cap question.

[billd]

Pinning nosecaps was recently discussed here at length, but I still have a question.  I'm putting a steel nose cap on a southern rifle. How do I go about browning it. If I brown it off the stock then pin it I have to file the pins flush and then ruin the browning. Even with the most careful filing there will still be the silver end of the pin showing.  I never tried browning anything already installed on the stock and don't feel comfortable trying it.   What's the correct way? And do you file it flush or leave it stand slightly proud?

Thanks,
Bill

[Jerry V Lape]

Brown it after it is installed.  Countersink the nose cap from the outside so the pins form heads when you rivet them - then file them  flush.  I assume you are not going to have the stock finish on before doing this so you can touch up the wood if needed.  Put a little blue masking tape up to the edge of the wood to help keep the splashes of browning solution back. You might have to whisker the wood a little after you neutralize the browning solution but that will just be the wood adjacent to the cap. 

[Pete G.]

I brown the cap off the rifle and pin with a copper rivit, which oxidizes to a brownish color anyway.

[Roger Fisher]

Brown it after it is installed.  Countersink the nose cap from the outside so the pins form heads when you rivet them - then file them  flush.  I assume you are not going to have the stock finish on before doing this so you can touch up the wood if needed.  Put a little blue masking tape up to the edge of the wood to help keep the splashes of browning solution back. You might have to whisker the wood a little after you neutralize the browning solution but that will just be the wood adjacent to the cap. 

I do 'em this way (on the stock) also-that blue mask tape is a good idea.

Be careful now!