Lining up the rear pipe!

[Roger Fisher]

Speaking here about an Octagon to round wedding banded 28 ga smoothy.

I see that I must cut back the rod groove towards the breech to line the frt end of the rear pipe with the break in the barrel. Meaning at the muzzle end of the Octagon section.  My 'other' 28 gauge I lined up that frt of the pipe exactly with said end of the Oct section and she looks as if to move the pipe frt or back a tad would really look screwy.  (The frt of the pipe would be 10 inches forward of the frt of the lock plate).   Is there a tradition that says that frt of the pipe has to line up with the frt of the Oct section of the barrel???  This one will line up; but I'm wondering if it really matters

Holy kats maybe the golden mean is coming in to play here and I'm too 'thick' to know it!!!

[B Shipman]

Roger, I don't think it matters.

[Dave B]

Roger,
I would agree with Bill. I went through several of my books looking at the oct-rd transitions and they were all over the place, behind, a head, Lined up perfect at the rod pipe. I did notice that the real long barrels tended to have the transiton further a head of the entry pipe. My Kentucy fowler has a 44" barrel and the transiton is at 15" and the entry pipe is at like 12'.  I have a nice original 1750's French fowler that has a 36" barrel and the transition is at the step of the entry pipe. I dont remember how far down it is from the breach, its out on loan currently.

[northmn]

As I understand the issue you are trying to position the rear pipe or forearm length according to barrel design.  I do not think they are connected.  The forearm length has a balance of its own.  Golden Mean not withstanding, most forearms are between 12-14 inches in length.  The extra long barreled originals I have seen pictures of still maintain this length.  I think it may have something to do with drilling the ramrod hole as I really would not care to drill an extra long one. 

DP 

[Lucky R A]

Roger,
        There is absolutely no reason to line up the entry pipe and the wedding band of the barrel---they have nothing to do with each other.   A fore end length around 12" is fine with a 44" barrel, gives that nice long slim look.  Roger doger you ole codger!   

Ron