PATCH BOX RELEASE

[yip]

this topic was covered before but,,, trying to figure out how to do a release on a Lancaster daisy patch box is a little tricky. any ideas?

[Jerry V Lape]

What sort of release do you want, butt plate, toe plate, buttplate return, hidden in toe plate?  I suggest you go to the search function and try there.  Also if you have Dixon manuel for building or Gunsmiths of Grenville County or Recreating the Pennsylvania longrifle there are explanations there. 

[smylee grouch]

Yip, if its a end opening or side opening it wont be much different than one from a different school. Those books already mentioned give alot of info and will give you some ideas as to which device you can and want to use.

[Mark Elliott]

Most of them have some sort of push rod release from either the toe or the butt piece heel extension.  You need not get fancy.    You need a lid opener spring, a catch spring, a catch on the lid, and a push rod/button.   That is usually all I do.    Some of the very early guns have a one piece catch spring/release that sticks through the butt piece and is screwed or driven into the side of the patchbox cavity.   You should be working from a reference gun.   What type of release does it use?  The common references will show you a couple different options.  Sometimes, you have to get creative with little levers to put the buttons where you want.   

[JTR]

Here's a couple of pictures of how Jacob Dickert did it on this rifle.

John

[yip]

 thanks john; thanks for the reply, its simple and direct. I've watched Alexander tape, quit elaborate. thought there's a simpler way, Thanks, and thanks to Dickert........... yip

[Pete G.]

Be cautious. That spring type catch is not as simple as it seems. Adjustment is tricky at best. Notice also what seems to be a broken spring still remaining in the Dickert stock. That tells a story in itself.

I much prefer Alexander's approach of a separate catch and spring.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Here's what I see in that first picture above...one of two things has happened.  First, the spring may have been driven in to close to the edge of the stock the first time, and the catches didn't engage, so Dickert wiggled it back out and drove it in 1/16" over.  Or second, he made a bigger opening for the anchor than was necessary, and added another piece of metal to clamp it into the recess.

[yip]

   hmmmmmmmmmmmm......................  that maybe the case, but its simple and to the point and must have worked, for it still looks workable today...........yip,           

[JTR]

Yep, it still works today, just fine. Never pops open and always latches.

From what I've seen upon close inspection, Taylor is right in that the spring was driven in too close to the edge of the stock the first time. In fact there's a small crack on the surface of the stock. Now that must have ticked off ol' Dickert some! 

Pete, that's not a piece of broken spring you think your seeing, just a piece of the stock wood.

I had occasion to make a spring similar to this one once, and I simply cut and filed out a piece of steel, cold bent it to shape, and fitted and installed it. No heat treating at all, and it worked fine. After all, it only moves about 1/16 of an inch. Simple, easy, and reliable.

John

[yip]

   john; are you the owner of this fine rifle?  if so please if possible show a picture the toe plate. I'll try to copy that spring. thanks..................yip

[Acer Saccharum]

Personally, I'd not like to admit online of owning a valuable rifle, or any rifle, really, given the way things are. Sad fact, things aint like what they used ta be.

[yip]

  Amen to that! its sad but true

[JTR]

Sad but true, but luckily the rifle is shown here in the Library at; http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=22664.0

And there is a picture of the toe plate!

John

[yip]

 thanks John!

[sweed]

Could that extra space have been left there on purpose for fine adjustment of the depth of the catch?? Maybe?

sweed

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

I don't think it was an adjustment device, the notch in the latch pin is cut after the spring is in and located.

As Taylor said, the spring may have been mounted to low and moved and shimmed. Or, it may have broken and been replaced, I'm judging that on the fact that the PB Door is open roughly the same amount as the thickness or the spring. It's not a tight fit. But that could also be shrinkage. I guess we'll never exactly know.

I've done a couple of latches like that using a hacksaw blade for the spring. Sharpen the inside edge of the curled spring and just hammer it in. Keeping the spring narrow 1/8" or so, it knocks right in. just don't put it right on the edge of the stock and it shouldn't split.

[Acer Saccharum]

you can also burn an undersized groove with a heated blade, then tap the spring in with less danger of splitting.