wood patch box

[bob in the woods]

I'm working on a sliding wood patch box installation on a rifle which doesn't have a butt plate.  Any tips, or pointers re things to watch out for ?   Do I need to  install a brass or iron wear plate for the spring catch ? 

[P.Bigham]

 Its actually easier  without the butt plate since you don't  need a cap on the end of the patch box and yes you will need to inlet a metal piece for the spring to catch on. It can be a simple rectangle or something more creative.

[Curt Larsen]

There are a couple of good tutorials around.  I think Mike Brooks has something on this.  You can also find a nice discussion on Al Neubauer's Hoot Al website.  Just google Hoot Al and you'll find it.

[Stophel]

I've seen an old "barn gun" with a wood patchbox (missing lid) with no buttplate, and there was a piece of metal simply inlet into the stock about a half inch or so ahead of the end for the spring to catch on.  Nothing to it.

And yeah, the metal endcaps for patchbox lids are a big pain. I hate them.

[Frank]

I have seen several of Allen Martin's guns with a brass buttplate, wooden patch box and no metal end cap. Very nice.

[Stophel]

There are more than a few old longrifles with endcapless wood patchbox lids.  If I can get away with not putting an endcap on, I will!   

[bob in the woods]

I wasn't planning on a cap for the lid, but my main point was that there is no butt plate.   In looking at some originals [ photos ] some had a metal stop/ catch  for the spring , and some appear to just have the wood.

[Stophel]

Sorry, got sidetracked.

Just make a little strip of steel and inlet it edgewise (it ain't comin' back out) into the stock, and make your spring catch on that instead of a buttplate.  For that, I don't have  a photo.  I do believe that the "Edward Marshall" rifle has  a piece of metal like this, and the spring catch has two notches, so it catches both on the buttplate and the metal piece.