need underlug help!

[curly]

I have a 42", 50 cal. Colraine tapered barrel. It only measures out to 3/4" at the muzzle across the flats. Whats the best way to install the underlugs.

[David Rase]

Dovetails.  They only need to be about .030" deep.  Should not be a problem if they are fitted properly.
DMR

[Bill of the 45th]

Irish, Welcome to the ALR.  What Dave says, and if you need the most perfect barrel inlet west of the Mississippi, and maybe East also, contact Dave.   Unsolicited endorsement.   You can pay me latter Dave.

Bill

[Pete G.]

The lugs are really just hanging the stock underneath the barrel. Not a lot of stress there really, so it's not the obstacle that it first seems.

[Birddog6]

Most underlugs are made too thick on the base for my use. I grind/sand them down on a belt sander to about .030 & install them & they are flush then & more than adequate to hold the wood to the barrel. 

Keith Lisle

[Dennis Glazener]

I make mine out of sheet metal from my 57 Chevy qtr panel replacement. I think it mic's .035 or a little less. Fold them, put them in a vise and use a tri-angular file that has had the teeth removed one one side (let the safe side ride on the vise jaws and the angled sides will cut the proper angle for the dovetail). You can soft solder the folds if you want to, sometimes I do and other times I don't. If you put them into .035 deep dovetails they will holding strength is far more than needed for normal use. Beats buying them and having to pay shipping at today's rates!
Dennis
 

[bgf]

If you don't have an old Ford or Chevy, you can get 22g steel sheet at Tractor Supply or Lowe's.  It is roughly .03" or so (an online chart says 0.029 +/-?), comes in 24x6 or 24x8 sheets for a few dollars (less than 5 if I remember correctly), and easy to make the underlugs with using the method Dennis describes.

[caliber45]

Irish -- I second the vote on soldering vs. dovetailing. Why weaken the barrel? I recommend Brownells SWIF paste solder: very strong, ultimately simple to use. No tinning. Sheet metal peened over in the vise jaws to 45 degrees. Solder to the right-side angled flat of the barrel. That puts your underlug to the right side of the bottom flat. Simple, strong, less labor-intensive. -- paulallen, tucson az

[Acer Saccharum]

Did you see the underlug tutorial? By Taylor the Moosewrestler. Lots of good info.  http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=10152.0

Tom

[curly]

Thanks guys, I found out exactly what I needed to know . This was my first post, and it certainly won't be my last!! . You guys are great!!

[Dennis Glazener]

Irish -- I second the vote on soldering vs. dovetailing. Why weaken the barrel? I recommend Brownells SWIF paste solder: very strong, ultimately simple to use. No tinning. Sheet metal peened over in the vise jaws to 45 degrees. Solder to the right-side angled flat of the barrel. That puts your underlug to the right side of the bottom flat. Simple, strong, less labor-intensive. -- paulallen, tucson az
   

There are times you have to solder but if the web between the barrel/rr channel is thin (as it should be) the .035" of the hanger being inlet into the web makes for a tight squeeze to put in your cross pins. Pretty much insures you will break through into the rr channel.
Dennis