Inletting a pointed trigger plate

[Eric Smith]

Anyone have any tips for inletting a pointed trigger plate under the wood?

[Acer Saccharum]

Make an undercut with a small chisel. Inlet the tail first, and start by laying the plate down, inletting as you go forward toward the bolt hole. I like to file a slight taper on the edges of the plate, so the inlet gets tighter as the plate goes in deeper(or my gaps close up!).

I assume it's this kind of plate you mean?


Slot is crowded toward the lock for a right handed shooter, and parallel with the lockplate for less friction on the pull. Anal, I know.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's a before and after pair of images of such an inlet.  Rifles from Northhampton Co. and some from Bucks Co. like this A. Verner attempt, have a point in the aft' end of the plate.  As Acer has pointed out, a spike is filed  into the point and a corresponding slot is chiseled out to receive it, and the plate is inlet for'd from that point.  I reiterate his words:  file draft along the sides of the steel plate so that as you inlet it, it gets tighter, and hides all of the gaps.

[Eric Smith]

Thanks Tom, Taylor, you guys always have good advice. The pics help out a lot.

[Lucky R A]

Some of the pointed end trigger plates had a step down filed into the trigger plate back at the point,  These are the ones that present as squared off at the back end.  They actually extend back into a point, which is driven into the chisle cut inlet.  The plate is then rotated down into the inlet at the front.  There are some fowler butt plates that are put into the wood the same way.  This method gives a bit more stability to the end in the wood.   

Ron

[Acer Saccharum]

You can see the tail of the plate has a chisel edge to it. The inlet gets undercut to receive that.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I found a pic of the plate before I inlet it.  It is prepared as Tom and Ron have said, and the result is a slightly squared off end.