Pinning the barrel

[Eric Smith]

I have the books, but when do you pin the barrel even temporarily.

[JDK]

First thing after the barrel and tang is inlet.

Enjoy, J.D.

[flintriflesmith]

Thats one step that can be done at a number of different times in the process. I often waited until the rifle was nearly finished and the forestock fully shaped. Up until that point I just tied the barrel in while I was working.
Why? I hated taking the pins in and out or dinking them with rasp or block plane AND when drilling by hand I lined up the drill by removing the barrel and looking down into the inlet for the lug. It is like instinct shooting and esentially eliminats the need for a lot of measuring.

More than one way to skin a cat.

Gary

[Long John]

I do it right after the barrel and tang are let in.  I find it easier to drill the holes for the pins while the stock forearm is still square.  The drill doesn't skid down the curved surface, layout lines are easier to keep lined-up proper.  I pin the barrel to the stock and install the tang screw, using a nut until the floor plate is installed, as soon as I can.  Once you start letting in the lock the barrel will support the stock and minimize flexure through the lock region.  I like that.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[Jim Kibler]

I've installed pins at various times in a build.  Sometimes it's one of the last things I do.  Oftentimes the forestock molding is in a position such that it allows for a good start of the drill.  If drilling on a curved surface without a molding groove to help, I'll sometimes start the hole with a 1/16" endmill in a drill press or mill.  With a little care though, a hand drill with a standard bit can work fine too.  A big advantage of waiting to drill pin holes in the forestock is that they don't interfere with a forestock scraper.  The bigger point of this is that as experience and understanding  is gained  the order of build can vary quite a bit without any problems.

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I like to pin the barrel right after the tang is inlet and the trigger plate is in and the tang screw is in but while the fore stock is still square to make drilling pin holes easier. I make temporary pins with a 90 degree bend at one end to make insert and removal easy.

Right or wrong that's the way I do it.

[Acer Saccharum]

I don't put them in until I have to. Ofttimes that's after the stock is shaped and the forestock is ready for the mouldings to be laid out. The gun should not be too finished before the pins get drilled, for I get concerned about breakout when the drill comes thru the other side.

[David Rase]

Once the barrel and tang are inlet, I install and inlet the tennons.  I thin the forestock sides down to somewhere between 1/8 and 3/16" before drilling the pin holes.  I like the stock square like Micah states, but that is because I use a drill fixture to align the holes.
Dave 

[Acer Saccharum]

I like the stock square .....

Is that why my little 1/16 drill goes skittering across the forend? I'm trying to drill on the side of a rounded surface!

I can get past that problem, but it takes more work. And that, my friends, is another illustration of doing specific tasks out of sequence... you pay for it by adding hours to the job.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I do it both ways, depending on how I'm feeling that day, or if I get excited about another aspect of the build in which case, the pins get left behind for a while.  Once the forearm is shaped, you can eliminate the wandering drill tip if you have driven a prick punch into the spot where the drill will go, and running the drill bit at high speed, introduce it very gently against the wood.  It will want to follow the punch mark, and once its started, away you go.  There is always a little more to take off the forearm after drilling, so the holes clean up very nicely.
On a longrifle that is getting moldings along the forearm, I sometimes use the pins left extended, to support the straight edge that I use to guide the scribe for the first cut for the moldings, going from the entry pipe to the muzzle.  I don't use one of those molding scrapers I've seen illustrated here, but I see they work really well too.

[Curtis]

I have done it both ways as many other have, but I really like the added support of a pinned barrel when shaping the forestock, it is more stable than tying or clamping in IMHO.  If the pins are in the way they can be moved, or removed completely and replaced when needed.

Curtis