How Should Plains Rifle Buttplate and Toeplate join?

[Mattole]

I am finally resuming work on my Lyman plains rifle rebuild and since I reworked the buttstock a good deal I need to refit the buttplate to the toeplate. Because of the amount of material I took off the buttstock I had to cut a bit off the buttplate, so I need to reshape it and the toeplate both in order for them to fit together again. Anyone have any good images they can post to show me how the two can / should join together?

Many thanks in advance.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's two images of the Hawken rifle I built for myself last spring.  The inside of the buttplate at the toe often has a concave shape on plains rifles, and obviously is at an acute angle to the toe plate.  So, file the aft' end of the toe plate to match both the curve of this concave, and the angle of the toe, so that the metal to metal fit satisfies you.  Then when you inlet the for'd end with its finial, you must take into account that as you inlet straight into the bottom of the butt stock, you get closer and closer to the butt plate because of that acute angle.  

I hope that explains it.

 

[hammer]

On my custom made 1970's copy of the Kit Carson S. Hawken the butt plate and toe plate are joined by a little half-dovetail across the width.   The downwards facing hook on the toe plate engages with the upwards facing and corresponding recess on the butt plate.   The ends of the two pieces are then locked together.  This is very fine work and almost invisible other than on very close inspection from the side, preferably with a glass.     

[Mattole]

Thanks gentlemen, being a visual person it is hard to understand exactly what you mean without seeing it close up in pictures but I will do my best.

Another question: Do I need to inlet the toeplate for its entire length or can I inlet the filial end taper the inlet to the opposite end where it meets the buttplate?

[FALout]

Considering that the hawkens have a fairly straight toe, you will more then likey have to inlet the whole plate.  Not that hard, if your worried about chipping out with curly wood, you can use a course file or sandpaper backed withsomething stiff like a piece of scrap wood.  Look at some pictures of original hawken rifles and you will get a good idea of what needs to be done.