Grease hole sizing

[G_T]

I've been wondering a bit about how one determines the size to make a grease hole. I may have missed it somewhere on this forum or some other source. So thinking about it, I thought perhaps the height of the hole should be about the diameter of a cut patch for the caliber? For a .40 ball, that would be essentially 1". For a .36 caliber ball, just over 0.9". For a .32 it would be a little under 7/8". I'm taking half the ball circumference and adding twice the ball diameter. That should be in the ballpark of the cut patch size.

Reasonable? Totally off base? Makers just used whatever they felt like using not paying attention to ball size?

Thanks,
Gerald

[Dennis Glazener]

I've been wondering a bit about how one determines the size to make a grease hole. I may have missed it somewhere on this forum or some other source. So thinking about it, I thought perhaps the height of the hole should be about the diameter of a cut patch for the caliber? For a .40 ball, that would be essentially 1". For a .36 caliber ball, just over 0.9". For a .32 it would be a little under 7/8". I'm taking half the ball circumference and adding twice the ball diameter. That should be in the ballpark of the cut patch size.

Reasonable? Totally off base? Makers just used whatever they felt like using not paying attention to ball size?

Thanks,
Gerald

I build mostly Gillespie family rifles and they used angled pear shaped grease holes. They appear to have been made to allow your thumb/patch to fit the hole. Most were close to the butt where you could easily grasp the butt while greasing the patch with your thumb.
Dennis

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I've never made a rifle with a grease hole, but I've studied a lot of contemporary ones.  It seems to me that the size of the hole should be proportional to the butt shape and size, not the bore.  What you don't want is one that is too small and therefore, ineffective for it's purpose.  For a circular hole, 1 1/8" strikes me as minimum.

[Cades Cove Fiddler]

  ... both above statements are true,... proportional to the stock is key to an accurate look,... I'm like Dennis in preference,... cannot beat the look of an egg-shaped Phillip Gillespie taller-hole,... I've put them on otherwise Tennessee styled rifles and look is great,... here is a photo of a "(P.G)" rifle from last years "Smoky Mountain Rifles" display,... shape and closeness to butt-plate are the key,... !!!... CCF,... 

[WKevinD]

I've always used and thought of a teaspoon as correct.

Kevin

[Dennis Glazener]

Here are a couple of Gillespie grease holes.