Fitting a buttplate to a pre-carved stock & other problems

[Hessian]

I have a .36 Douglas straight barrel partially inletted into a precarved Virginia style walnut stock. I think I did a fair job of inletting the tang but it looks as if the rear section of the barrel needs to be lowered by about 1/8 inch to be level. The barrel sits well in the channel and I don't want to "mess it up." Is this a major problem? Will this "make it shoot low?" I think I will take this to Friendship and have someone look at it. I might put it in the car and tote it up to Martens Station and ask Andy or Mike if they are there. I've been dinking around with this for a few years off & on.
Anyway I am about to fit a buttplate on this gun and there is a lot of wood left in the buttstock(which I am told is a good thing) and I want to slim it down to fit the buttplate. My main problem is I want to make sure I orient the buttplate correctly so the lines flow right. The buttplate is a iron pre-rev war lancaster like casting. Any tricks, suggestions, advice? I realize without pictures it is all speculation but maybe I just need a kick in the pants.
Hessian 

[Cory Joe Stewart]

If the breech is standing up 1/8 to high then you need to remove more material from under the tang to drop it down. 

Have you inlet the lock yet?  you may want to do that before fitting the buttplate.  That way you have an idea of what the trigger pull needs to be. 

[oldtravler61]

  Hessian not sure what is happening. But check your tang an breech plug. See if the bottom of the breach plug hangs down past the bottom of the barrel. If so you might want to level it to match the bottom of your barrel. Sometimes the little obvious things are the hardest to spot. Just my to cents. Oldtravler

[smylee grouch]

You might want to take note of where your lock is going to go. If you lower the back of the barrel that will change where the touch hole will end up. Is there room on the lock panel to lower the lock and thus the pan? Don't do the butt plate until you get the barrel/lock in place and trigger also. That's how I would do it anyway.

[rich pierce]

Agree 100% with above. First we need to know if there is a lock inlet on this precarve. Then why you think the barrel needs to go lower. And the relationship between the barrel and the ramrod hole. This is the critical dimension - the web that your front lock screw passes through.


The barrel bottom should seat 1/8" to 3/16" above the ramrod hole.
Of course the lock pan must align with the touch hole.
The sear of the lock determines where the trigger goes.
The trigger helps you locate the buttplate due to length of pull (along with drop at heel and comb).

Many stockers fit the buttplate on a completely unshaped oversize butt stock. Then do the shaping.

[Hessian]

Thanks Fellas!
First off, a little more information.
There is no lock mortice and the panels are good sized and parallel/flat.
The bottom of the breach plug/tang is filed even with the bottom flat of the barrel.
The top of the barrel/breach is fully inletted to the top of the precarved stock and the barrel is inletted to the middle of the side flat of the barrel.(+/- 1/8 inch see below)
There is about 1/8 inch difference tapering from the breach to the muzzle looking at the side flat of the barrel.
It is a straight barrel (I believe it is 15/16s) with dove tails cut in the bottom to attach lugs. No touch hole is drilled.

If I drop the barrel in deeper in the breach area I may reduce the web area too thin between the ramrod hole and the barrel. I'll take some measurements to check that. (So the barrel should be 1/8-3/16 above the ramrod hole.) I may call it good if the geometry in the breach/ramrod/lock panels is good. I'll stick it in the car and ask Miller or Thomas to look at it this weekend at MS.
Roger on not messing with the buttplate till after the lock and triggers are done.
I have several locks but I think I'll go with either a Chambers Queen Anne or I have a Ketland I've been saving.
I'd like to go with iron mounts if I ever get to that point.
I'm beginning to see why some builders don't like precarves.
Hessian


 

[rich pierce]

You're on track. I drill holes with a 1/16 bit in the bottom of the barrel channel into the ramrod hole at the breech and where the lockbolt will pass. Then stick a ramrod in there and measure the web thickness that way.

[T*O*F]

There is about 1/8 inch difference tapering from the breach to the muzzle looking at the side flat of the barrel.

I don't see your problem.  If your barrel and tang are inlet flush with the stock, then inlet your lock.  Once that's done, you will have to true both sides up anyway.  Those are all adjustments that are made later.  Forget about all that 1/16th" $#@* for the web.  You aren't ready for that yet.  And quit blaming the precarve.  It's just something that puts you ahead of what you would have to do anyhow.

What nosecap are you using....premade or custom?  That will determine the thickness of the web between the ramrod hole and the barrel.  You can scrape the ramrod groove deeper, but can't add wood back if it is too deep.

[Hessian]

"and quit blaming the precarve."

Dang brother! I've got to blame something! After all, It can't be my (lack of) skills! 

Not sure yet about the nosecap, but I might try my hand a casting one. One baby step at a time.
Thanks for all the help though. I tend to over think things and get ahead of myself.
Hessian

[rich pierce]

Think about making a one piece nosecap from sheet stock. There's a good tutorial. I only ruined a few small pieces of sheet brass before I had success. But they are authentic and look and work great.

[frogwalking]

I am just an amateur in rifle building, but if you have a Virginia stock, you will normally use two lock bolts.  The front must miss the ramrod hole, and at least almost miss the barrel.  The thinner the web between the barrel and ramrod hole, the harder this is to accomplish.  This is a round-a-bout way of saying not to attempt to make the web too small at this stage of experience.