breech tang seating

[Sweeney]

When the barrel is simply placed in the channel, the tang  sits 1/16 above the wood. When the bolt is put through and tightened to trigger plate then the tang seats properly. Shouldn't it do so without the bolt? This photo shows it in proper place with the bolt. This is my fourth build in over 30 years - my first from a blank. Feel free to advise/critique. Thanks.

[EC121]

Probably a little drag on the inlet.  The inlet is tight.  That's a good thing.  File a bit of taper on the bottom corners of the tang.  The tang will still fit OK but won't chip the wood when removing the barrel.  Too tight a fit and square tang edges can cause cracks when the wood moves over the seasons.  It could also be a tight fit in the barrel channel.  Clean up the channel a little with a scraper or sandpaper.  Doesn't take much.  I have also beveled the bottom corners of the side flats to get some clearance.  Usually on barrels that I was already draw filing.

[kaintuck]

nope...looks crisp, and well inlet........as they say, bevel slightly the metal to keep from chipping your wood~

nice job on that wrist and comb!

marc n tomtom

[frogwalking]

There could be a very slight warp in the stock causing a small hump in the barrel channel right near the breach.  I have had this situation, and this was the cause.  It went away after the rifle was finished and left fully assembled for a few months.  I suspect cutting the wood away for the lock could acerbate this situation.  I don't know much, so listen to the others.

[flehto]

I agree w/ the wood warpage...my present build has your situation. Most of my builds don't have the fully inletted tang above the wood in the relaxed position...but some do. Doesn't seem to make a difference in the completed rifle.....Fred

[Sweeney]

Thank you all for the advice and encouragement. I feared my lack of skills may have resulted in a permanent barrel-torquing, accuracy-ruining blunder. I was determined to take my time with this one and 'do it right' but even patience can't offset lack of experience. I just learned I took too much wood off the forearm for my muzzle cap to fit properly. I have been banging, bending and filing but it may require fashioning my own - which would be a first. I will employ the suggestions on fixing the tang and let you know the results. Thanks again.

[Sweeney]

Here's the dastardly cap.

[PPatch]

Yeah, if its giving you that much trouble then make your own muzzle cap, those pre-cast ones that come in kits are the devil to deal with. Once you make one you will always make your own. Make your new one a bit longer than the one in the pix so you can inlet it fresh. Acer has two tutorials on the site here on the technique. Here is one, the two-piece style:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=24785.0

There is another tutorial of his showing the one-piece techinque.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=9.0

dave

And btw, keep the barrel pinned into the stock unless you have to remove it for something. In other words don't leave the barrel out of the stock for long periods.

[Tom Currie]

Personnally I'd smear lipstick, or whatever you use for inleting transfer color, on the tang and lower flats of that barrel and try to figure what it's hanging up on. The idea of needing the lock bolt to pull the barrel down would be an issue for me. Every time you shoot that bolt will be taking a hit as well as the side plate and lock itself. Not a great situation.

[Pete G.]

Actually the nose cap should be fabricated to fit the forestock anyway, not the other way around. As Patch says, once you start making your own you will probably never buy another.

[Joe S.]

I think I'm with Tom on this one you need to figure out why it doing what its doing.Read here many a time stuff should just drop in place and seat nicely with out being sloppy in the inlet.If nothing appears way out after you throw a little transfer color at it,then maybe go with wood warping.

[Sweeney]

Using lamp black I cleaned out the tang/breech and nearby barrel channel. The tang did lower some but not all the way in relaxed position. Then tightening tang bolt revealed I had deepened the inlet more than needed. I suspect my entire problem was a combo of stock warpage and wood blockage. Now, do I take more wood off around the lowered tang or will that adversely affect the line/arch in the wrist? And thanks again to all.
 

[Sweeney]

Yeah, if its giving you that much trouble then make your own muzzle cap, those pre-cast ones that come in kits are the devil to deal with. Once you make one you will always make your own. Make your new one a bit longer than the one in the pix so you can inlet it fresh. Acer has two tutorials on the site here on the technique. Here is one, the two-piece style:

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=24785.0

There is another tutorial of his showing the one-piece techinque.

http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=9.0

dave

And btw, keep the barrel pinned into the stock unless you have to remove it for something. In other words don't leave the barrel out of the stock for long periods.

Thanks PPatch. Very helpful. Hope to start on this soon.

[EC121]

I would put something on the tang and bolt for glue release and then put a drop or two of Gorilla Glue(or epoxy or wood glue mixed with sawdust) in the inlet and tighten it up to where I wanted it.  The glue will expand and set the depth to where you set it.  The glue takes about 24hrs. to fully set.  I wouldn't remove any more wood.

[Pete G.]

When you find yourself at the bottom of a hole, stop digging.

It seems to me that the tang is not bent to exactly the same curve as the wrist, and when the bolt is tightened that last little bit it draws them together. Double check the barrel inlet to make absolutely certain that you are good to go there and if so, do not concern yourself any more with the tang.
When you are working up loads for this rifle you may want to experiment with different tension on the tang bolt to see if it affects accuracy. If so you could perhaps add a shim or two, but I am betting that it won't make any discernible difference. All this assumes that the breech of the barrel is properly bedded.