Do you hide trigger plate under fowler guard or cut it off?

[rich pierce]

I’m sure it makes little difference- in some cases a trigger plate is foregone completely and a nut is used, but in a New England fowler where a normal trigger plate is longer than the bow opening, do you have a preference for inletting it under the guard at the rear, versus cutting it short?  I’m talking about behind the trigger.

[Eric Kettenburg]

I've taken apart quite a few where the plate is hammered or filed down angularly and then the rear return is also filed somewhat angularly so the two mate together to an extent, allowing the rear return to be inlet over top of the angular portion of the plate. I've also worked on some German pieces done very similarly, except the trigger plate which is typically quite thin is just bent downward in curved fashion and inlet further into the wood, then (again) guard just inlet over top of it.

[Jim Kibler]

English guns often have a slot cut in the plate area overlapped by the guard extension to allow for a hook to retain the guard.  I'm guessing American stuff is all over the place, but I think guards overlapping the trigger plate is pretty much standard on English work.

Jim

[smart dog]

Hi Rich,
I believe it is best to leave it long.  The reverse curl on the trigger guard bow can press against it and keep the tail in place when the tang bolt is tightened.  Also, if you have a wrist plate that is anchored by a bolt through the wrist, as they are on most British guns,  The head of the bolt can be drilled and counter sunk through the tail of the trigger plate. The photos below show some examples. The first was not quite long enough to capture the wrist bolt but many were made that do. The second and third examples show the hook that Jim mentioned.
 








dave

[rich pierce]

Perfect! Thanks Dave.