Bucks County Toe Plate

[pushboater]

Is there any special way you have to temper or heat treat the traditional lolly-pop toe plate on a Bucks County rifle to make the brass more springy when using it as the pushbutton for the patchbox release?

Capt. David

[Dave B]

Most brass that is the thickness you need will need to be work hardened to make it springy. I used 30 ga. brass sheet from the Hobby store and used a hammer with a polished face and hammered the strip before cutting out my pattern. I didnt go crazy on it but tried to work the entire piece evenly took about 5 blows. I think this brass however could have been used with out having to work harden it but I didnt want it to get bent down the road. The work hardening keeps this from happening.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

I think I used .040" thick brass for this toe plate.  I did nothing to make it springy, but it has so little distance to travel, that it springs back perfectly every time.  BTW, this is from my Verner effort.

[Lucky R A]

    Taylor is dead on, there is no need to do anything special since the travel is probably less than .050.  I likewise use .040 brass for this application, but from the point where the edges of the brass leave the outside of the stock, I thin the brass to approximately .020.  I just grab the toe plate with a pair of vice grips and set it down on the end of my belt sander from where it curves inward and grind away about half the thickness.  It seems to make the mechanism easier to activate.  Ron

[pushboater]

So, if I understand you correctly Ron you only thin out the underside of the lolly-pop curved part and leave the straight sided part as is?  David

[Lucky R A]

     That is correct, David.  It may not be necessary, but makes it easier to open the patchbox.