Work In Progress

[Roger Fisher]

[Eric Smith]

Looks good to me. I'm just getting mine started. I'll probably catch up with you in a few years. What I don't know about building a longrifle would fill up an ocean.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Roger, it's good to see you still at it, and doing good work.  I like to see what you're up to.

If I may offer an idea, it may make one aspect of your building a little easier.  When pinning the front lug of the trigger guard into the stock, I make sure the lug is long enough so that the pin can go through the lock inlet, rather than through the molding.

Nice lock inletting.

[eddillon]

I certainly agree with Taylor.  I pinned through the molding once.  The hole limited hte width of the molding.  Didn't dare try to 'skinny" it up for fear of scaping into the pin hole

[Roger Fisher]

I certainly agree with Taylor.  I pinned through the molding once.  The hole limited hte width of the molding.  Didn't dare try to 'skinny" it up for fear of scaping into the pin hole

thanks - I had left this stocking job lay since last spring and I can't recall why I didn't pin her thru the mortice rather than on the 'molding"  I would have had enough room on the lug (barely) to do so.  I can and probably will, go thinner with said molding and enter the pin head deeper in the hole;  rather than add to the lug and repin. 
then again I better go with the molding width as she is...   Something tells me a pin in the mortise (with this one) was threatening to interfere with the main spring. Can't recall (I know, I know the mind is the first thing to go)  You boys just wait a few years.

[eddillon]

I counter bore the pin hole under the spring. Then push in the pin to clear the spring. The counter bore is just enough to pull the pin with needle nose pliers in the event it has to be removed.

[kutter]

I start the pin hole inside the lock inlet (at the bottom of the mainspring inlet usually) and angle it upwards if needed so that it comes out (hopefully) within the sideplate inlet.
Just takes some eyeball work though the drillpress center thing works too. I just have trouble holding everything in place to do that.
It hides the pin on both sides and makes removing it if ever necessary a little less tedious as you're not punching it through a finished wood surface.

 When drilling the pin at an angle, take it real easy when it first hits the guard lug.
A sharper angle on the drill bit helps also.
You don't want it to glance off & walk it's way up (or down) the side of the lug before the drill gets a bite and starts to cut the hole,,in the right place.

The pin itself will be shorter than if pinned outside the lock as it's only into the wood from behind the mainspring to the bottom of the sideplate inlet on the opposite side. The angled position adds a tiny bit of length, maybe some strength.
I've never had any problem with the method as far as strength is concerned, but I'm pretty easy on stuff anyway.

[eddillon]

With a short pin hole straight through or slightly downward, I don't worry about being in the sideplaet.  I don't drill all the way through.