Are these side plates suposed to be inlet?

[Rolf]

Made and installed the triggers and triggerplates. Got tangbolts installed. Used fillister heads. Going to counterbore the tangs. Got the lockbolts installed.
The side plates are to short for the locks. Going to lengthen the front ends with a piece of brass.

Is this type of sideplate supposed to be inlet or does just lay on top of the wood?







Best regards
Rolf

[Keb]

I just lay them on top but I'm lazy. I'd put money on them just being on top. They are widest at the base so you could never get a good inlet. But that's just my opinion of which I can not back up with anything but stubbornness.

[E.vonAschwege]

They are supposed to be inlet, but very shallow - somewhere around 1/16" or so.  Looking at a lot of fine European guns with extravagant sideplates, they are all very thin material, and inlet shallow. 
-Eric

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I'm not seeing any inletting 'draft' along the edges of those plate.  If you are to inlet them, you will have to file the edges to create a tiny taper 1/16" high.  Then, you can inlet them.  If they are flat backed, and with no taper, they were made to lay on the surface, but this may not be historically correct.

[smart dog]

Hi Rolf,
They should be inlet, absolutely!  It is not that hard to do with tiny chisels.

dave

[Acer Saccharum]

You do indeed have to file a draft to inlet the plates without gaps. This will keep you off the streets for a couple of nights, anyway.

[Hudnut]

As far as altering the length of the sideplates is concerned...
I converted a tradegun serpent sideplate for a flintlock gun to one for a percussion gun - the version which uses an Enfield rifled musket style lock.
Replace the front portion with the splice at the shoulder behind the hole.  Use silver braze.  The joint will disappear because of the step.

[Turtle]

 I use serpent side plates like these on some fowlers. I file a draft for a 16" inlet so the fit looks tight.
                                                           Turtle