Barrel inletting

[FALout]

I'm considering having someone inlet a blank stock, question I have is that I like to use a flared breech plug that I shape, do the barrels get inletted only or will they also inlet the shaped breach plug?  I've never used a service to inlet barrels, either do it myself or use a pre-carved with no lock mortice.  For years I've heard of certain guys doing this service and thought I would give it a try on a up-coming project.  Another question comes to mind, do you have to mark out your blank for the location, or are these guys good about it?

[Dennis Glazener]

Mark Weader, Jack's Mountain Stocks does my stock work and he will inlet the barrel only, swamped or straight, also will drill the ram rod hole. He also squares up the forearm and leaves as much wood for the butt as you would like. I suspect others would do the same for you.
Dennis

[rich pierce]

Usually the barrel only is inlet when sending someone a blank.  Send them a profile of the gun you plan to build, along with buttplate width, any info on castoff, etc all helps them but if the blank is thick enough, that makes it easier.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Usually just the barrel and the RR groove/hole..... be sure to tell him the size RR hole you want...

[James Rogers]

The tang can be inlet with the barrel except for maybe a little chisel work to do on a fancy shape. A few minutes more on making the profile form is all that is needed and the tang needs to already be shaped to final profile.  I don't know if any in the business of offering inletting offer that service though. All I have seen were barrel only.

[Acer Saccharum]

The tang is a personal matter.

If you don't have it bent to just the right curvature, it will be inlet wrong. If you bend it after it's inlet, then it can come up short.

So get the top profile of the stock to the curvature you like, THEN bend the tang to match that curve, THEN inlet it.

Generally speaking, the modern tangs are way too thick, which leave plenty of material to file. Most original tangs are 3/32 to 1/8 thick at the very end.

[Don Getz]

I would recommend that you remove the breech plug and just send the barrel with your stock blank.  It would also be
helpful if you would lay out your stock pattern on the side of your blank, and indicate exactly where you want the breech
of the barrel to fall.  If you don't have a bandsaw, you cold also have him saw the stock out in profile.  You could also take
it one step further and talk to him about shaping the buttstock to one of his patterns.....could save you a lot of work.
Don

[Acer Saccharum]

Before I send out the wood and barrel, I drawfile the barrel side flats that will be inlet, making a very slight taper to them. If you wait until AFTER the barrel is inlet to drawfile the sideflats,  you will be opening gaps in the channel.


I also fit the plug to my liking before inletting the tang.

[David Rase]

When I inlet a barrel for a customer, I do not inlet the breech plug.  I do square up the breech area inlet with chisles so I can fit the barrel in the inlet.  This helps support the forestock during shipping.  If the barrel is sent to me with a plug in it, I have to remove it. 
I ask as a minimum that the customer layout the top and side center lines of the barrel and the back of the breech.  I also need to know the web thickness, ramrod diameter and length of the lower forestock e.g. where the ramrod drill enters the stock.  If the stock profile is drawn on the side of the stock along with the top barrel centerline that works also.
Dave 

[FALout]

Thanks for the insight.  I just wasn't thinking when I posted the question, it was like D'oh when I got home and read the posts.  I wasn't even considering the curve of the tang.  Inletting isn't really a problem except for swamped or tapered barrels, just not the fun part of the build for me so thought I might shop that out for the next build.  I really would like to be able to handle originals both in parts and as whole, but originals around here are usually high priced and not allowed to be handled.  So hearing that original tangs were as thin as a 1/8" is interesting since most of the ones you can buy are 1/4"+.