Barrel Inletting Question

[Sheppsan]

Hi everyone,  building my first kit--from Pecatonica River--and have a quick question regarding barrel inlet.  I have inlet the breech tang and tidied up the barrel channel (barrel is a 15/16 straight from Rice) and am getting good contact at the muzzle and breech.  However, I have somewhere between 1/64-1/32 of spring in the middle of the forestock and am getting no contact there when I tap with a mallet.  It looks to me as if the stock is bowed down a little in the middle.  Question is, do I keep inletting at the muzzle and breech until I get contact all the way down, or can/should I just draw the middle up with a clamp when I pin the tennon.  All three tennons are inlet fully and are not causing the issue as I can see.  As always, any insight suggestions is much appreciated.



Thanks, Dale

[flinchrocket]

If it closes easy, I would just go with it. The channel was straight when it was cut so probably just bowed some. After the forend is thinned down there will be no pressure there.

[borderdogs]

What type of rifle is it?
Rob

[Sheppsan]

It is a Virginia from Pecatonica, but it has a shorter 36" rice barrel.  Wanted it for offhand target shooting.

[Tim Ault]

I'd clamp it snug and see if your getting bottom contact before you drill and pin it  and again clamp it up when do drill for the pins

[smylee grouch]

If and when you clamp the barrel into the stock you might check to see if the stock is consistently along the side barrel flat.

[moleeyes36]

Dale,

Do what both Tim and Smylee said.  You always want to get the barrel installed as soon as possible in a precarved stock to keep the stock from warping.  Put the barrel in the stock, draw the stock up snug to the barrel and pin it in place. 

Don Richards

[mgbruch]

When you clamp the barrel lightly, is your ramrod groove straight? or does it develop a bend?  If the barrel inlet was originally straight, then the ramrod groove should be straight with the barel clamped lightly in place.  I would check that before moving forward.

[oldhunter1954]

I am just curious if Pecatonica inlet the barrel for you. I don't suppose you can post a picture or two?