Question about cast off.

[Bill Ebner]

 I am building a Fowler with about 1/4 inch of Cast Off, that begins at the Comb. My problem is in positioning the trigger guard. It is an English Acorn style guard. With the front of the guard along the center line, the rear extension looks out of place because of the cast off angle. If I move the rear of the TG to the center line of that angle, it throws the front off and over the trigger plate.  How do I deal with this? Bending it slightly? And how does a slightly bent guard look? Split the difference?  I hope that I've explained this well enough.

Thanks,
Bill

[Ed Wenger]

Bill..., it’s probably a little too late now, but it’s usually best to start cast more forward of the comb, in the area of where the panels would end, or even before that, such as just behind the tang.  Also, 1/4” is pretty healthy cast.  I’m thinking you’ll probably have to work with what you have, and the only way I can see is to bend the guard.  You typically have to do that to some degree with a cast anyway, but it works a little easier with the cast more forward than what you have, and with a little less aggressive cast.


              Ed

[heinz]

This guard is bent for a 1/4 cast off starting at the lock panels

[smylee grouch]

Would 1/4 inch cast on top and 1/8 inch cast off at the toe work or help?

[jerrywh]

Every gun I built for the last 25 years has cast off and begins at the back of the lock panels. I always use 1/4" approx.and sometimes 3/8" . To each his own. Just bend the trigger guard. Guns with cast off are supposed to look like that.

[jerrywh]

Would 1/4 inch cast on top and 1/8 inch cast off at the toe work or help?

  There's a different name for that. I think it's called cant, But not for sure.

[smylee grouch]

Jerry I have heard that before and it sounds right. Might have been in Michele Yardly,s book.

[flehto]

I built only Lancasters and Bucks County LRs and used 3/16" castoff...but shaped the buttstock so the toeline showed very little if any castoff. The guns mounted well and the "tipped in " toe was never noticed. As was said....bend the TG....Fred

[smallpatch]

You are never going to notice that much cast off.  If you have a ¼" at the buttplate, the amount at the rear of the triggerguard is only doing to be a 1/16 to ⅛".
Bend the guard, you're the only one that will know.

[Pukka Bundook]

FWIW,
Some English guns have more cast at the toe than the heel. "Cant", I think Jerry calls it.
They are usually V comfortable to shoot.  Have made them that way, but you need to know who you are making them for.

Best,
Richard.

[Bill Raby]

More cast at the toe than the heel is "toe out". It works great for any gun with a crescent butt plate and makes them very comfortable to shoot.

[Mike Brooks]

If you'll notice, Chambers fowling gun kits are built  with cast off. The grip rail has a slight bow in it to compensate. That bow in the grip rail used to annoy the $#*! out of me until I figured out why it was bent....I was like "That Dad Gum Chambers and his bent bows" I could never quite figure out where  the cast off  starts on those kits. It appears to be a constant curved line that moves the comb over more rapidly than a straight line. I'm beginning to think these goofy Lehighs are done like that too.

[smallpatch]

Mine are Mike!