OK, Have a Look! 2

[Acer Saccharum]

I thought I was indulging in a whim at the time I bought it, but it earned it's keep today.

Eric, there is no such thing, get that straight right now. Rifle building is not path you can go down by whim. All those tools are necessary, no matter what anyone says. Repeat that until you can say it without hesitation: "All those tools are necessary"

[Long John]

Acer has made a VERY GOOD point.  Often we correct an inletting mistake (gap) by swelling the metal to fill the gap with our trusty hammer.  If you flatten the metal it has to go some where!

From you earlier photo if the tang is to follow the curve of the wood then it seems to me that the tang should start bending down-ward closer to the breech than your does and bend less further aft.  It also appears that you have about 1/2 of the tang thickness down in the wood.  Is it firmly bottoming on the bottom of the inlet?  Is the barrel firmly bottoming on the bottom of its inlet?  I generally like a tang of at least 1/8 th inch thick but that is just a general rule I would not loose sleep if it were 3/32nds.

Best Regards,

John Cholin

[mountainman70]

Hi Eric,from the pics of your lock layout,as I have been taught,the pan seems a bit too far away from face of breechplug,if that is what is indicated on barrel.Most all my flintguns have touch hole just ahead of plug face-about 1/8"Maybee the guys will correct me on this,or at lest adress it further.Keep on going,mistakes are how we learn.Dave