Barrel Fitting Question

[Haulroad]

Hi,
 I am a new builder. Can someone tell me what this long cut is for on my CNC cut stock?



I am starting the barrel fitting to the stock as seen below. I've carefully removed the wood that had transfer color on it but am still having trouble getting the  the gap between the rear of the barrel and the stock to close.

[JH Ehlers]

That cut is where the main spring of the lock comes close to the barrel, its normal to have it there when things are close fitting.
go slow with the fitting, dont use too much colour.

[FlintFan]

The breakthrough in the barrel channel is common, not ideal, but common.

I wouldn't worry too much about the gap at the rear of the tang. Having a slight gap there is actually preferable.  Once the stock is finished, it will be less noticeable.  More importantly if there is not a slight gap there, there is a high risk of wood chipping out behind the tang due to the recoil of the rifle. The thickness of a couple sheets of paper worth of gap is enough. 

[Haulroad]

Thanks all! Excited to get started but I am a total newb.

[JPK]

Make some wooden jaw pads for your vice, you are making more work for yourself. With the barrel in place tap the muzzle with a wood or leather mallet to seat it back. It appears to be a Woods Runner and no inletting of the barrel should be needed.

[Stoner creek]

Go to Jim’s tutorial. He will show you how to make it work. I would not be satisfied with the gap at the end of the tang. Is the breech of the barrel snug up with the stock? Sometimes it takes a very small amount of wood removal where the breech plug and breech of the barrel are fitted.

[Haulroad]

Should have mentioned this is a Colonial build.

I'll add the wood jaws and try and bring the tang closer to the end of the wood. Buttplate and patchbox is so far installed.

The youtube videos are great, but mine is requiring more work to get it into place re: buttplate and box.

[Stoner creek]

This is all a part of the “process”. Take your time and don’t settle for less than perfect. There is very little wood to remove there. Get some inletting black or use the soot from a candle on you metal parts then simply remove the wood that’s blackened up a bunch. I’m experienced and the process takes 20 minutes. No experience and you can still do it in an hour. Make sure that your tools are dangerously sharp too.
You’ve got this.

[Stoner creek]

Another thing, if the breech is not fitted correctly the lock bolt probably will not move freely into the female threads on the lock.

[Jim Kibler]

You’ve received some great advice.  That breakthrough of the mainspring is perfectly fine and part of every kit we ship.  I can’t tell you the number of people that have questioned this…  it’s often part of a 20k longrifle as well.  Absolutely no issue.  Tell everyone else you know so I’ll have to answer this question a little less😉

[Haulroad]

Jim,
 The kit is fantastic, and the wood is truly beautiful. Please don't take me asking these questions as anything than a commentary on my own ignorance. Your YT videos have been very helpful.

I am attaching pictures from night one.

A question for those that have done this. When I fit the lock, I'm not seeing anything hardly on the transfer color. There is still a small gap between the pan and the barrel. Should I focus on fitting the lock deeper, or go back and try and get the barrel deeper towards the rear/remove wood that will bring the barrel closer to the lock side?






Looking forward to joining the ranks of successful Kibler builders soon.

[2 shots]

 if that is a gap between rear of breech plug and the stock you cannot have that. rear of barrel needs to be tight up against solid wood

[J. Talbert]

Work on moving the barrel to the rear and close that gap behind the breech.

Next inlet the lock deeper so that the pan and bolster are flush against the barrel.

Don’t try to shift the barrel side to side.

Good luck,
Jeff

[Dennis Glazener]

The breakthrough in the barrel channel is common, not ideal, but common.

I wouldn't worry too much about the gap at the rear of the tang. Having a slight gap there is actually preferable.  Once the stock is finished, it will be less noticeable.  More importantly if there is not a slight gap there, there is a high risk of wood chipping out behind the tang due to the recoil of the rifle. The thickness of a couple sheets of paper worth of gap is enough.

Yes that is correct but AFTER the barrel breech is tight to the recoil area of the stock. It looks to me like the wood under the tang needs to be removed to allow the barrel to fit tightly to the recoil area of the stock. Most likely the curved area under the tang, lightly put color and fit the barrel/tang and see where its contacting the wood.
Dennis

[bama]

Jim has done a fabulous job with the pre inletting of the barrel in these kits but as close as they are there’s still a small amount of wood that has to be removed to get a correct and final fit. There should be no gap at the end of the tang. If a barrel is fit properly there will be no movement at the breach, no movement equals no chips and no cracks. The colonial is a great kit but it is not a pull out of the box assemble and finish, close but not quite. You still have to do a little fitting before finishing this kit. Jim has put together some really good videos on how to do the fitting that is required, do yourself a favor and watch the videos. They will answer your questions.

[Bob Roller]

Hard rubber mallets and wider vise jaws,great inletting tools or so it would seem.
Bob Roller

[Eric Krewson]

Here are some easy to make padded vice jaws, easy to take off and put on, I cover the contact surfaces with leather that I put on with contact cement.

I made these out of scrap poplar, they didn't last long. I made my next set out of 3/4" plywood, this newer set will outlast me.

[Carl Young]

FWIW I think Dennis's advice re: the tang is the first step I would take.

"It looks to me like the wood under the tang needs to be removed to allow the barrel to fit tightly to the recoil area of the stock. Most likely the curved area under the tang, lightly put color and fit the barrel/tang and see where its contacting the wood.
Dennis"

I hope you are enjoying your build. One other piece of advice is to look and THINK about what comes next, in other words actions have consequences...consider all your options...make no final decisions before necessary. I spend more time thinking about what I want for an outcome that I do accomplishing the outcome.

Best of luck!
Carl

[Haulroad]

Carl and everyone thank you for the good advice. I think I'm getting closer.

Hope everyone had a happy fathers day.

[Stoner creek]

Bingo!! Keep a rocking!!