Leave the Hammer Alone When Fitting Iron Buttplate, Yes?

[Mattole]

I am nearing the end of the process of mounting the buttplate on my Lyman Great Plains rifle. I had changed the angle of the plate in order to make it look a bit 'more better', which required that I reshape the butt of the stock. I'm still having a hard time getting an exact fit between the buttplate and the stock at the curve where the top of the stock and the butt meet.

I know that there is some hammer pounding involved in the final marriage between a brass buttplate and the butt of the stock on those fancy eastern longrifles, but I am assuming that doing this with an iron buttplate would probably damage the stock, correct?

Just wanted to check with the experts first..

[Roger Fisher]

I am nearing the end of the process of mounting the buttplate on my Lyman Great Plains rifle. I had changed the angle of the plate in order to make it look a bit 'more better', which required that I reshape the butt of the stock. I'm still having a hard time getting an exact fit between the buttplate and the stock at the curve where the top of the stock and the butt meet.

I know that there is some hammer pounding involved in the final marriage between a brass buttplate and the butt of the stock on those fancy eastern longrifles, but I am assuming that doing this with an iron buttplate would probably damage the stock, correct?

Just wanted to check with the experts first..

Far from an expert here; but I'll respond anyway.  I suggest you best move her forward a hair using the ol standby, black, lipstick, smoke or whatever and carefully remove only the high spots indicated by the black, til she tightens up w/no gaps.  That's one of the drawbacks of iron parts, then yank them off to brown unless you leave them bright....

[kutter]

Assuming you're using the original Lyman ButtPlate and not knowing what steel it's made of or how malleable it is, I'd probably just continue spotting it in.

I did fit one of the wax-cast steel butt plates (from TOTW) to a repro Musket for a friend. It scrunched down just fine like a brass one with a small hammer along the side edges. Pretty soft stuff to work with.

[Waksupi]

I anneal them dead soft, then get out the hammer.

[Dennis Glazener]

I suggest you best move her forward a hair using the ol standby, black, lipstick, smoke or whatever and carefully remove only the high spots indicated by the black, til she tightens up w/no gaps.

I agree with Roger. It shouldn't take that long and you will certainly like the end result better. I just use an old 1/4 flat chisel like a scraper to remove the high spots in the wood, then re-black the buttplate, fit it and keep repeating until it fits with no gaps. Using a hammer to close up the gaps never turned out looking right for me.
Dennis

[David R. Pennington]

Had the same problem and used both methods and ended up with really good fit. Is your buttplate cast or forged? I forged mine and it was a little heavier stock than usual so to persuade it with the hammer I first marked the exact locations I wanted to move it and took it off the rifle and worked carefully on the anvil cold with alot of tap and try. I did a little wood removal too with the candle soot and eventually got it where I wanted it. With the soft brass it's a lot easier, huh?

[Mattole]

David, I believe that it is a cast buttplate.

Time to get out the candle soot and resume removing material, bit by little bit..

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I sometimes use a ball peen hammer on brass or thin iron butt plates, but not up in the corner of the return, or at the toe.  This has to be done very selectively, or the hammering will be obvious, and not complimentary to the rifle.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

...and I use a good big mallet on the heel to set the plate to the wood, and leave the marks from the inletting black.  Remember that you WANT the black everywhere, which indicates a perfect mate.

[B.Habermehl]

Mallet is Ok. just beware of false indications from the vibration caused br striking the butplate. This happens because the fit has high spots wich allow the part to rock. Peening on steel butplates at least for me is a waste of time better spent on carefull fitting and initial part prep. BJH

[Long John]

You have to be real careful with hammering on a butt-plate. Other wise you could end up trying to glue the toe of the butt back on.

I use soot from an oil lamp on the butt plate and a light tap with a mallet to mark the high spots.  I start with a rasp to work down the high spots but once I get close to finished fit I switch over to scrapers.  Soot the metal, hold the butt-plate in position, tap with mallet, remove butt-plate, scrape off the soot, repeat.....

Once I have a good fit I might have to tighten-up the fit in a few spots.  That's where the hammer comes in.  You can close up a gap of 5 or 10 thandths of an inch, maybe a 64th, but any more than that is just not quality work in my opinion.  Remember that you are NOT hammering on the butt-plate in the direction parallel to the barrel  - at least I don't.  I hammer on the edge of the plate, perpendicular to the long axis of the gun to fatten the edge of the plate a little.  Often when doing this I don't even rest the stock on a hard surface - just hold it in the palm of my hand.  Hammering is for squeezing out a hairline gap - not for anything more.

Best Regards,

JMC

[Mattole]

Thank you gentlemen - your detailed clarification has given me a good idea of how to proceed in a way that minimizes the chance of getting myself into trouble. Since I don't have an oil lamp available I am using a soft oil pastel crayon to show where the high points are.

Taking it slowly, slowly..

[Acer Saccharum]

I never seem to get black on all the surfaces. When I get really close, I end up chasing spots all over the place. But I think I'm being more anal than necessary. A few little gaps here and there ain't so bad, unless you're doing a high grade piece where the customer is expecting perfection in everything.

Did I say that? tsk, tsk.

Realistically, a gun is a tool, and it should function perfectly, it should look great(note that I did not say perfect), and just like me, it has flaws, but nothing that gets in the way of function.

Tom

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

usually if the edges of the buttplate fit the wood perfectly, I sure don't worry about whther the plate turns the entire butt black..and If the steel is thin enuough at the edges ..and annealed, the hammer works well too...... just my experience, but now... the gun I am building will not have a metal buttplate. It will be carved to look like one...with perfect fit!!