Pistol trigger guard inlet

[Noeyebrows]

I am starting a Ketland trade pistol from MBS. The original pistols I have researched generally don’t have any visible screws in the trigger guard. I wanted some input on how this is done. My plan would be to file a bevel on the bottom front of the grip strap and undercut the inlet to hold it in place, inletting the grip first, then the front strap and lug in a way that holds everything in place with a bit of spring tension and then pinning the front in place through the lug. Let me know if I’m on the right track. Thanks everyone!

[Mike Brooks]

Hook in the grip and a standard pin in the front finial lug

[Noeyebrows]

Thanks Mike, I’ve seen some cast grips with hooked lugs on the grip strap, but I’m not sure how/what they hook to.

[Mike Brooks]

Run a wood screw or L shaped nail into the grip to hook the grip tab under. If that makes sense

[Noeyebrows]

Yep, makes perfect sense. Thanks.

[Clark Badgett]

Here’s an original Ketland

Photo courtesy of Steve Collward.

[Bob Gerard]

Interesting. I will be building the same pistol from MBS soon.
I had learned from Dave Person’s tutorials to inlet the front of the guard first and work my way back. which has always worked well. If there is a tab on the rear trigger guard strap, I would pin it, otherwise use a screw. 
I don’t quite understand the suggestions here yet but might when I have the thing on my bench.
I hope the OP keeps us updated on this build.

[Mike Brooks]

inlet the front of the guard first and work my way back.

I inlet the grip rail first then the front finial last.

[Bob Gerard]

Let’s not confuse the new guy (me!) 😳

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

On my attempt at a A. Verner styled pistol, I inlet the trigger guard spur with a bevel on the end of the rear tang, and it worked well, until the piece of maple holding the spur in its inlet popped out.  Now the wood is missing and I need to install a wood screw through the tang ... should have done it that way in the first place.  The spur on the end of a entry thimble tail, or on a trigger plate, where that is no tension, works perfectly.  But where that is tension, as in the trigger guard tang,, some other kind of fastener is better.  The grain flow in the grip at the end of the tang is literally cross-grained...not a good candidate for a retaining spur.