Patch Box Questions

[JCurtiss]

1)   Is it considered cheating to use the spring-loaded detent system that comes with a patch box kit instead of making some sort of latch system?  Yes, I realize that the kit itself is cheating, but I’m asking about just the latch mechanism.
2)   Should the butt plate be cut out such that the patch box can overlap it, or should the patch box butt-up against the butt plate?   

Thanks!

Jason

[Pete G.]

1. There were some rifles that used the cam over spring system, but most used some sort of a latch, which is a much better system. For the cam system to be secure you must fabricate a much stronger spring than is supplied in the kits, and then that makes for difficulty in opening. There are way better methods of securing your patchbox lids. Do a little research for the style rifle you are building and build an appropriate latch. You will be happier with the result rather than trying the short cut.

2. As a general rule the box lid overlaps a recess in the buttplate and the sideplates are fit to the inside edge of the buttplate. There are exceptions, but they are few. Again, do some research. The ALR virtual museum is an excellent source.

[flehto]

My first LR has a Pbpx w/ just a cam over lid....if the toggle point is optimum, a weaker  spring can be used.  This lid isn't hard to open and definitely stays shut. Even then, all my later LRs have  catches and button releases.. As was said, the lid has a recess in the Bplate and the sideplates are inside the Bplate.....Fred

[JCurtiss]

Thanks for the feedback and thanks for correcting my description of the mechanism. Indeed it is a "cam" mechanism rather than a "detent".  And the books I have on the American Long Rifle confirm what you have said: the side plates stop short of the butt plate and the door overlaps it.  For some reason I just hate the thought of cutting a relief in my butt plate.

What's more I worked hard to get a tight joint between butt plate and  stock and the patch box side plates and lid will cover up much of my hard work on one side of my stock. So a part of me wants to leave off the patch box, but most York-school rifles appear to have them.

Jason

[bob in the woods]

Why not use a sliding wood patchbox ?  See Jim Chambers site for a photo of an early York rifle.

[Herb]

If you cut the notch in the buttplate for the lid to fit into, the first thing that people do who pick up that rifle is put their fingernails under the end of the lid and pry it up, likely damaging the latch.  That galls me.  I always fit the end of the patch box lid inside the buttplate so they can't get their durned fingernails under it.

[smylee grouch]

The issue of notching the butt for the patchbox lid has been brought up here before and after that I went through all of my Longrifle books to view the photo's that I could to see if any originals had cut the lids on the inside edge of the butt. IIRC there were close to 500 different photo's and I did find two guns with the lid cut on the inside, all the others had the butt plate notched for the lid. So yes it was done both ways but over 99%  of those looked at by me were with notched butt plates.