More Trigger Guard

[Red Owl]

Okay, I got the parts I ordered from TOW and on the trigger guard- I want to pin it in place front and back.  This is a sand cast piece and the posts are about 1/4" thick, that is- from side to side, and pretty rough.  I haven't done this job before- always used screws but I thought the posts would be rather thin.  I can obviously file them down to what ever shape is needed but I was wondering if- in the interest of strength- the posts should remain rather thick.
   The other issue is that the back post is at right angles to its base which means the two posts are at an angle from one another.  Should the rear post be filed so the two posts are parallel- meaning you can push the entire trigger guard straight up into the inlet areas, or should the inlet areas have enough space to wiggle in the trigger guard and the pins hold it tight.

[KLMoors]

Red, could you post a pic of the trigger guard? I'm not sure I understand the issue about the rear post. All of the ones I've seen are parallel to the length of the guard.

I file mine so they end up (I'm guessing here) about 5/16" wide by 3/8" tall and about 3/32" thick. After I cut them down to the 3/8" tall, the rest is basically the shape they end up after I've cleaned them up.

[rich pierce]

They also act as casting gates so I never expect them to be close to final shape.  I file them to the angles I need and then to the thickness of a drill bit in my box.

[Red Owl]

The 3/32" thickness- that was one of my questions, thanks.  On the other- maybe I am worried about nothing but if you are looking at the lock side of the gun, muzzle to your right.  The tab/post in the front will be sticking straight up, the rear post will be angled a bit to the left but could be filed to stick straight up. I was going to just clean up the post but then wondered if it should also stand straight up or be slightly angled- as cast. Probably doesn't make a difference.

[California Kid]

Doesn't matter. Bend or do what you have to do to get the tab square with the bottom of the stock width wise.

[Randy Hedden]

You should try to get the tab as straight/perpendicular as possible. The more it is angled the more likely that when you drill through the stock and the tab that you drill will go off course.

Randy Hedden

[KLMoors]

I understand now Red. I'd get it fairly square with the triggerguard.  Remember- The two tabs aren't parallel to each other in my experience and this means that the rear hole needs to be slightly elongated so the trigger guard can drop in. Also, beware that the tabs are often not centered on the bottom of the triggerguard so you need to cut your mortices accordingly.

[Don Getz]

I usually thin those tabs down to about 1/8" and square them up.   I try to keep the front one as long as I can get it so that I can hide the pin under the lock and side plate.    As for the rear tab, square it up and inlet a longer hole so that it
slips in and out easily.   I find that I usually have to insert the front one first, then the rear, also when you inlet the tang
itself, that keeps things from moving around............Don

[Red Owl]

Thanks everyone, I guess I didn't explain it too accurately but from what I can gather most of you inlet the front to fit tight and make the back inlet a little wider to get that tab started into the inlet and by the time the rear post is fully seated it is tight.

[Pete G.]

from what I can gather most of you inlet the front to fit tight and make the back inlet a little wider to get that tab started into the inlet and by the time the rear post is fully seated it is tight.

...If by "wider" you mean front to back,(which to my mind says "longer"), you will be fine. The inlet for the tangs on the guard are what locate the part and the tabs pinned in place hold the part in the inlets.

[Red Owl]

Yes- I meant from front to back, so the front inlet will be tight- or as tight as I can get it and on the back inlet I'll have that a little longer (front to back) at the bottom to get the post in to the inlet.

[Red Owl]

Okay, posts filed, mortise made, guard inlet.  Time to drill the hole and pin the tabs/posts. On the rear post I assume the hole goes all the way through the stock and you use a drift to remove the pin.  What about the front post? I am under the assumption a blind hole is drilled.  How to you remove the pin if a blind hole is used?  It seems you have to be able to remove the pin if for any reason you need in the future to pull out the trigger, etc.
You could leave the pin a little longer than the hole as long as it doesn't interfere the the lock operation and then use needle nosed pliers to pull it out.  You could bend the end of the pin to help grab it to pull it out. How do you handle this job? Thanks. 

[Tom Currie]

Drilling a hole all the way through would be historically accurateand acceptable. . If you are however covered by the lock plate you could certainly bent a smal 90 degree hook so you grab that pin if necessary, this allowing a blind whole.

[Red Owl]

Well I'm making sort of a generic plains rifle- a restock project and mostly an inexpensive learning experience, and there isn't a side plate to cover the far side so I think I'll opt for the blind hole and put a 90 degree bend in the pin.  I can make a loop of piano wire to slip under the pin if I need to pull the pin out.- will practice that first on some scrap wood.

[Simon]

I have a rifle that was made in the late 1970s (not sure exactly when) and the front pin for the trigger guard has a 90 deg. bend that has the end flattened.  The pin is in a blind hole and the flat end is just above the main spring. to get the pin out, it is pivoted out over the spring inlet and pulled out with the fingers.  Could use pliers if necessary. 

[T*O*F]

Well I'm making sort of a generic plains rifle- a restock project and mostly an inexpensive learning experience, and there isn't a side plate to cover the far side

Every rifle I ever saw had the pin drilled all the way thru the stock, and they don't need a sideplate to hide under.  They are visible.  Wherever your hole comes out, that's where it comes out.  I've never seen one other than a contemporary that had a bent pin.

[Long John]

I have always designed the rifle so the forward pin is covered by both the lock plate and side plate.  However, I used to put a right angle bent on the end of that pin and carve a little mortice beneath the side plate to allow extraction with a needle-nose plier.  I said "used to".  One fine day that right-angle bend broke off at the bend and now the ONLY option was to drive it out from the other side.

I have to agre with TOF.  Cut you pin so that it does not reach the finished surface of the stock and when don rub a little bee's wax into the hole.

Best Regards,

JMC

[Don Getz]

I would agree with TOF on this one.   Even on the barn guns that I make, which have no sideplates, I drill all the way thru
the stock.   That little hole doesn't hurt a thing.  Many times I play with the length of the pin so that the rounded end will
come out flush with the ouside of the hole...........Don

[Dphariss]

This is a pretty classy rifle by a talented friend, Don King.

See the pin hole for the TG pin.
Its "right".

Dan

[Red Owl]

Well I'm glad I asked.  If drilling through is the period correct way then that's what I'll do.  Isn't that the whole point?  Thanks everyone.