ramrod hole

[hortonstn]

well, ive just drilled a ram rod hole, this is not my first rifle, all was great until the last 1.5 inches, guess what.... out the botton, not completely out but enough i can see, i think i can get lucky and hide 90 percent with the trigger guard but i still need that 1.5 depth for the rod, i think i can repair it and from the barrel channel
i would appreciate any ideas
thanks
paul

[rich pierce]

Open a groove in the bottom of the barrel channel extending from the breech about 4-6" toward the muzzle, deep enough to reach the bottom of the ramrod hole.  Square up that mortise and glue in a tapered strip of stock wood to form the floor of the ramrod hole.   You can also use a special scraper to reach toward the entry thimble and open up the top of the ramrod hole to allow the ramrod to deflect upwards. Then cut a piece of stock wood with a half round groove, to fit into the mortise in the barrel channel.  Insert the ramrod drill or another steel rod of the same  or slightly smaller diameter to see that it will "go".  wax the ramrod drill or steel rod.  Then glue in the barrel channel floorpiece.  After a couple hours give the rod a twist.

[Chris Treichel]

I have noticed that quie a few origional guns have very ornamental inlays over that very section of stock... I wonder how many of them also had drill protrusions there.

[David Price]

Paul,
The next time you drill a ram rod hole, only drill about four or five inches and stop.  Drill a small hole about 1/16 of an inch, down through the bottom of the barrel channel which will break into the ram rod hole that you just drilled.  Now you can measure weather your hole is going up hill or down.  If it looks good you can continue another three or four inches and check again.  This way you  will know where the drill is going for the whole length of the hole.   If it isn't going right you can shim the  drill one way or the other and make a correction.

[Danny H.]

I'm no expert but, I have seen photo's of a lot of originals that either were worn thin over time or were patched with a decorative brass plate to cover these. I watched the Mark Silver DVD before I started my chunk gun. He points out that if you put to much downward pressure on the drill, forward of the entry pipe, the tip deflects upward. It seemed helpful to me. I'm sure a lot of you already knew that. Just my two cents, best of luck.

[Curtis]

Paul,

I am in the process of fixing one with a similar problem, only the hole is too close to the barrel instead of the bottom of the stock.  (Someone else drilled the ramrod hole, but the end results are the same, it needs fixing).  I will post some pictures when I get it completed.   If you have some scraps from your blank from near the same area, or with similar grain structure you can inlay a wood patch.

Curtis

[b bogart]

Well Bucks Co rifles are supposed to have long entry pipe skirts, right?? That's my story !!!!

[SuperCracker]

I have not had to try this before so if there's a reason why this won't work that escapes me please throw it out.

How about getting a Maple (or whatever you're using) dowel of the same diameter as your RR drill, gluing it in and then trying again the next day after adjusting how you're bracing the drill?  The only glue line would be hidden under the entry thimble and ther'ed be no voids or cavities left in the stock.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

SC that does work. 

[hortonstn]

thanks for your thoughts these are all good ideas, i'll let you know what i decide
paul