TOW precarved

[bdixon]

I have set he barrel in my TOW precarved and found the touch hole position relative to the lock to be a bit ahead of the pan, is this common to have to move the barrel rearward to align without drilling into the tang plug?  Lock is pre inlet as is the side plate so moving the lock is limited in my case.

Thanks Brett.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

not unusual. Given the architecture of the gun, can you inlet the breech back so that the touch hole will just clear the front of the plug??  I have had to do that on every precarve..at least a little.   Its easier than inletting the whole thing!!   I think...... 

[Jim Filipski]

Brett,
On a pre-carved and inletted stock where the lock has been pre-inlet as well as the barrel..... the lock determines where the barrel will go ( which is just the opposite when building a gun from from scratch)  On these pre-inlets stocks you can't really move the lock around, you need to determine where the pan will lay by estimating it in its mortice then move your barrel back ( & sometimes down) accordingly . Never assume the barrel inlet is in the correct place. Don't worry about having your rear lockbolt go through the tang bolster. That is common but you don't want it going thru the barrel
Jim

[coutios]

    Great advise so far... A straight barrel is not a problem to slide back. However if it's a swamped go slow... You can slide them back a hair but not much before gaps begin to show....

Regards
Dave

[Birddog6]

Every precarve I ever built I had to move the barrel back. Inlet the lock 75% so you know it is where ya need it, take the barrel back to where you have the clearance you need for the vent liner. Personally, I don't like the breechplug & the vent liner threads to intersect, thus I set them with about 1/32 to 1/16" space between them.
 

[Don Getz]

Hey 66, don't worry about the loose fit, it'll tighten up as you finish it.  If it's too loose, make it wet and wrap with some
twine or rubber tubing (without the barrel in the inlet) around it, then let it day....this should tighen it up....Don

[Pete G.]

take the barrel back to where you have the clearance you need for the vent liner. Personally, I don't like the breechplug & the vent liner threads to intersect, thus I set them with about 1/32 to 1/16" space between them.
 

Does this mean that the vent is about 3/16" ahead of the plug face ?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Something to keep in mind when thinking about the breech plug face and the vent, is how thick is the barrel at the face, and how long is the threaded part of the liner?  In my Virginia from Chambers' Flintlocks, I was working with a 1 1/8" .50 cal barrel, so there was lots of steel in the wall to take the entire vent liner without interfering with the plug threads.  Therefore, I was able to install the liner with the vent right at the face of the plug.  Ignition is fabulous, and that Rice barrel sure does shoot.  The rifle is one of my favourites.

[billd]

I like 3/16th in front of the facem
Bill

[Birddog6]

take the barrel back to where you have the clearance you need for the vent liner. Personally, I don't like the breechplug & the vent liner threads to intersect, thus I set them with about 1/32 to 1/16" space between them.
 

Does this mean that the vent is about 3/16" ahead of the plug face ?

That depends on the dia. of the vent liner you use.  I put the breechplug along the outside of the barrel & scribe a line across the flat where the vent liner will go. Then lay the vent liner on the flat in the position it would screw in & space it out just off the breechface line, scribe a line where the center of the vent liner is. Then I take a auto centerpunch & I make a punch mark in the center of the flat on this vent liner center line.
This dot is my reference mark to align to the flashpan & now I can see how far I need to move the barrel back.

This is LH but give you an idea of recommended vent alignment position on the barrel.  You want the vent liner centered in the barrel flat if at all possible. The distance between the breechface & the vent liner center changes when you use dif. dia vent liners, so you will need to decide what vent liner size & use it, so you know for sure where to make the centerpunch mark.

[Don Getz]

66.....Glad you are coming to the show, I know you will like it.   You'll also get to met a bunch of us that show there.....be
sure to introduce yourself.    Photo's can be taken, at least in the Contemporary rooms, while over in the Hotel where the
antique stuff is I would ask before I took any photo's, some may not want it done.   Look forward to seeing you there.....
Don