Pinning a trigger guard?

[Tennessee.45]

I have my trigger guard in on my "Early Virginia" rifle and Im trying to pin it the only problem is the front pinning lug is too short and I can't hide the pin behind the lockplate, any suggestions? I'm using some Winchester schools to base my rifle on although it's not a copy of any one rifle or builder.

[mark esterly]

solder or pin a piece to the lug (i"m thinking tongue and groove joint for strength) or cut that lug off and solder on a whole new lug

[smylee grouch]

Hi Tennessee, I have done what Mark suggested and it worked great and was easy to do.

[Eric Krewson]

Been there done that;

[Scota4570]

I have cut a notch in the trigger guard tab that receives the trigger plate.  The trigger plate is held in place by the tang screw.  Thus no front pin is needed to retain the trigger guard. 

[rsells]

I nearly always lengthen the lug that holds the front of the trigger guard on to get it higher so the pin is located behind the side plate.  Just one of those things that bugs me.  I have accomplished this in three different ways.  Sometimes I silver solder the extension to the original lug, weld an extension to the lug on iron mounted rifles, and cut the short lug off and replaced it with one that meets my needs.
                                                                                        Roger Sells

[davec2]

Personal preference - I don't like pins for trigger guards much at all.  This method may not be historically correct, but I sometimes use an internal screw on the front end of the guard and a hook on the rear end.  Just aft of the end of the ram rod hole I drill a hole through the stock from inside the barrel channel and into the trigger guard front inlet.  I silver solder a bolster onto the trigger guard into which the screw passes holding the front end of the guard in place with no visible fasteners.   The rear end of the guard gets a soldered hook that fits into a recess in the wood.  No visible attachments at the rear end of the guard either.  No stuck pins, no damaged wood pushing pins in or out.  No wood screws.

[Scota4570]

In the previous post, 3rd to the last picture...... 

If you had left the trigger plate long.  Then cut a step in it that fit under the trigger guard.  The hook in the trigger guard catches the trigger plate.  That is what I do.  No extra screw needed.  Less wood is removed too.   

[davec2]

Got it !  Good idea....thanks

[Hungry Horse]

 I often use a staple in the front inlet on a triggerguard, and file a hook on the tab.

  Hungry Horse

[David R. Pennington]

Iron or brass furniture? If it's iron I would saw off the short lug, drill two small holes where it was. Open the holes out to a rectangle with needle files. File a chamfer in the rectangular hole toward the outside. Make a new lug as long as you like. File a tennon on it to fir your slot. Leave the tennon a little long and pein it over on the outside, then file it flush. If done well it is almost impossible to see.
If brass I would saw of the short lug and solder on a new one.

[Tennessee.45]

Iron or brass furniture? If it's iron I would saw off the short lug, drill two small holes where it was. Open the holes out to a rectangle with needle files. File a chamfer in the rectangular hole toward the outside. Make a new lug as long as you like. File a tennon on it to fir your slot. Leave the tennon a little long and pein it over on the outside, then file it flush. If done well it is almost impossible to see.
If brass I would saw of the short lug and solder on a new one.

I'm using Iron, pics would be nice as I'm a visual learner...

[Ed Wenger]

This might be of some help...   http://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=34172.0     You could also silver solder an extension onto the existing lug, but the method shown is probably a better fix.  Hope that helps.


       Ed

[Lucky R A]

     Why the obsession with hiding the pins to hold on the trigger guard?  If you study originals the vast majority were pinned, and of those that were pinned the pin was often through the lock molding at the bottom of the lock plate.   It is then easy to push the pins out to adjust DS triggers or remove the trigger plate if it needs adjustment without partially disassembling the gun.  It worked for the old guys and it works for me.  I detect a little over engineering in some of the methods, but then I have a lot of O.C. friends so I understand.....

Just stirring the pot a bit   Ron

[David R. Pennington]

There, the link Ed posted has the pictures.

[Scota4570]

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/b3q2e1stjjsv6kh/AACfGPWS6Tqld4PxqMOEAmbba?dl=0

I think this is a pretty good system.  No metal needs to be added.  It is secure.  And, there are no pins in my lock molding.  I would be surprised if somebody did not do it like this. It seems like very obvious system. 

I have always been an outside the box thinker.  Maybe I am reinventing the wheel.  I am not sure.  If I were making an exact copy using period materials and tools I would not do this.  Today, most rifles are replicas.