lock mainspring is in ramrod hole

[bowkill]

Building a southern style squirrel rifle and was inleting the mainspring into the stock and busted into the ramrod hole. Does that happen often with a smaller gun? My barrel is a 13\16 getz barrel.

[rich pierce]

Makes me wonder where the ramrod hole is in relation to the barrel.  Have you figured that out?

[EC121]

It can happen with the smaller barrels.   I'm building a 3/4" barreled rifle with a small Siler.  It got so thin under the mainspring that the wood splintered.  So I just cut it out.   Not a big deal.   The bigger barrels can be just the opposite, and the spring hits the side flat of the barrel.  It is also more likely to happen with a stock that has the hole routed out.  Most of them are about 3/8" regardless of the barrel size.

[mikeyfirelock]

Had that happen also.   Took a piece of cold rolled rod: bent the end slightly: filed the end at an angle and sharpened it, and ran it back and forth in the ramrod hole ( oriented to shave the hole opposite the break thru) till the ram rod cleared. Took a while but worked.  I have since taken to drilling the hole with a bit and brace. Takes longer but I think it makes a better placed hole. 

[David R. Pennington]

I had that problem on a .40. Wasn't enough clearance for the ramrod. Here is how I fixed it. I ran the ramrod drill back in to where it was visible in the lock mortise. I made a little concave shoe out of brass to ride against the side of the drill bit. I put pressure on this shoe with a c-clamp while I worked the drill in and out. This forced the drill sideways away from the lock and opened up enough room for the rammer to clear the mainspring.

[rich pierce]

When I used to build rifles (busting on myself for not getting at it) I aimed the ramrod hole toward the sideplate some.  Set up the groove that way.  I know, it ain't symmetrical.

[bowkill]

The spring may not be sticking in far enough to hurt anything after i taper the ramrod. Will know more tomorrow...

[stuart cee dub]

I had the same problem too,made worse by the fact the hole wandered.13/16'' straight barrel 3/8'' ramrod on a semi precarve

I neatly cut through where the bottom flat of the barrel rests in barrel channel into the ramrod channel.
Then adjusted the course of the ramrod hole towards the side plate using gouges creating the needed clearance.Finally I fashioned a block of scrap maple with a bit extra plugging the hole where the spring had punched thru and glued that in making a new ramrod channel top half. A ramrod inserted temporarily helped during the fitting and gluing  establishing the fit. I used titebond II for the adhesive. The lock spring was re-inlet.Once stained the glue line is barely noticeable and only if the barrel is out.

The lock spring in the ramrod hole drives me nuts.The idea that water or crud could get into the lock mortice and attack the lock from the backside matters to me perhaps top much. When I have stocks milled and the ramrod hole drilled I always ask that the ramrod hole fudged to the side plate like Rich suggests. Sometimes the magic works and sometimes it doesn't.

[smart dog]

Hi Bowkill,
I little bit of pressure by the spring on the ramrod may not be a bad thing as long as it doesn't interfere with the action of the spring.  It may help hold the tapered rod in place during shooting.

dave

[FALout]

It's also happened to me.  I just scraped out the ram rod hole opposite of the lock to give some room.  Once the rifle is completed, only you will know.  Every rifle since, I place the lock up to the barrel to see how things look.  I've been building different styles so always using different locks.

[Mark Elliott]

This happens to me often enough.   As long as the mainspring doesn't interfere with the ramrod, it is fine.   You should see inside an original lock mortise and barrel channel; it is swiss cheese in there.