Toe plate, to do or not to do.

[Kmcmichael]

I am nearing the completion of my Kibler Southern Mountain rifle. It seems everyone adds a toe plate. I am on the fence. I guess I should have ordered one. I want to shoot the gun but have enjoyed the project and would like it to last a little longer. I want something rather simple. I have read that the TOW plates are a little too narrow?

What say ye?

[Dennis Glazener]

I purposely did not put them on the 3 Kibler Moiuntain rifle kits I did but if you want one by all means put one on. I would just find a small piece of mild steel and make one to suit your taste. If you have to, go to Lowes or Home Depot and get a short piece of mild steel, probably the thinnest they have.
Dennis

[Bob McBride]

I completely agree with Dennis. Find a pic of an original or contemporary of the appropriate style that you like and make it from mild steel stock from Lowe’s. Easy peasy and will be much nicer and more enjoyable than a premade piece that still has to be custom fit and is no easier than a handmade one.

[flehto]

Sheet steel 1/16" thick would be fine for your toeplate. Simplest would be approx. 4 " long and just a simple rectangle w/ 2 scews ......Fred

[Spalding]

Here’s the plate I made for my Kibler, 1/16” steel. Just wanted to protect that area of the stock.

[Eric Krewson]

I put this one on my SMR for a little bling;

[Pete G.]

If you do not do it you'll always wish that you had 

[duca]

If you do not do it you'll always wish that you had 

Lol, Agreed!!

Anthony

[Yazel.xring]

I think the rifle is pretty fragile at that area. I added one to mine.

The shape is modeled after my dog, will add engraving this summer.

[Clear Spring Armory]

Maybe a piece of bone or horn. A little different and add a bit of color

[Bob Gerard]

I purchased a plain flat-ended, steel  toe plate from Muzzleloader Builder's Supply  (or Track maybe?). It takes little work but adds a lot of strength and gives the rifle a more finished look I think.

[MuskratMike]

Not that it makes it any more correct but as long as we are talking about a Kibler kit, here is the toe plate Jim installed on the rifle he built for me.

[hanshi]

Those sharp, fragile stock toes make me nervous when they're bareback.  They seem to conciously seek out things to break a chip off them.

[Not English]

Fred's got the right idea. If 1/16" makes it hard to find. It is the same measurement as 16 ga sheet steel.

[TDW]

I decided to make my SMR kit as a close copy of the Whitson rifle in Randal Pierce's "Kentucky Rifles of the Great Smokey Mountains". I couldn't find a toeplate that was the exact shape I needed, so I fabricated one from an old piece of strap hinge!





It turned out pretty well.
Tom

[joshbruce128]

Question for the experienced folks...

Say a fella wanted to add a toe plate to a finished rifle, would that be something possible or since the wood had been stained and sealed, would it not match up?

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You can do it but it is far far easier to do before the stain and finish go on.  If you put one on a finished rifle, you cannot file the steel down with the wood, otherwise you'll end up re-finishing the stock.  Just removing the wood where the toe plate will be cuts through the finish on the4 sides of the stock, but that isn't as problematic as dressing down steel and wood together.

[joshbruce128]

You can do it but it is far far easier to do before the stain and finish go on.  If you put one on a finished rifle, you cannot file the steel down with the wood, otherwise you'll end up re-finishing the stock.  Just removing the wood where the toe plate will be cuts through the finish on the4 sides of the stock, but that isn't as problematic as dressing down steel and wood together.

And you would have to refinish the whole stock, or just touch up the area you cut through the finish? Thanks for the advice, newbie here

[Fly Navy]

I like toe plates and was going to add one to my 40 cal SMR. However after looking at the stock I really liked how the woods grain wrapped around that area and decided not to cover it up.

[Birddog6]

I am nearing the completion of my Kibler Southern Mountain rifle. It seems everyone adds a toe plate. I am on the fence. I guess I should have ordered one. I want to shoot the gun but have enjoyed the project and would like it to last a little longer. I want something rather simple. I have read that the TOW plates are a little too narrow?
What say ye?

Do both. Shoot the rifle while you are waiting for the toe plate from Jim Kibler.  Or make a plate from a piece of metal.  One thing I will mention, don't make it thicker than the edge of the buttplate. If you do it draws attention from the rest of the rifle & looks awkward, IMHO.  I have built dozens of rifles & every one I have ever built I shot it before it was finished.  I have killed several deer with rifles in the white.  I have a .54 cal Lehigh smoothbore I killed 2 deer with it in the white, in two dif seasons. It got set aside for other builds. Next thing I know a year has passed & it's deer season again so I took it again. The rifle don't know the  difference.     

Another thing I will mention, when ya load a Tenn style or Mtn rifle with a long toe, rest the buttplate on the arch of your foot, or make a rounded & carpeted loading block to rest the buttplate on while loading. (Piece of 4x4 works good)
If you load it allot while resting the buttplate on concrete & forget to Lean it Over on the heel of the buttplate, or if it hits a large stone you can't see in the dirt &  don't have that toe off the ground, you will most likely be repairing the toe wood, toeplate or not.

I know a guy that broke his 4 times before he figured out it was from loading it at the gun club & the shooting places are all under a long covered concrete slabs.

I may as well add, most shoot that style rifle off their Biceps, not their shoulder. You don't pull it in tight into your shoulder, like you do a big bore rifle to handle the recoil.  If ya do that long toe will be jabbing ya all the time. 

[Jim Kibler]

I don't think that a toe plate really helps the durability in this region much, if any.  As long the buttplate is inlet well, you shouldn't have any problem.  Toe plates can look cool, though.  Another note...  1/16" is very thick.  Most original mountain rifles I've seen were made of much thinner material.  I would say 1/32" tops.  If you start with something like 1/16" and then bevel it off flush with the stock on an angle it even looks thicker.  Just some things to consider.

Jim

[Jim Kibler]

Fitting metal parts to a finished stock or vice versa is difficult.  It can be done, but in order to have good success, you need to have skill and patience. 

This is one thing that drives me crazy... For some reason, some people will finish their metal parts before assembling a rifle.  A really bad idea.

Jim

[flehto]

On my Hawken, I used 1/8" thick steel for the toeplate because the sling swivel is riveted  to  the toeplate which has 3 long screws attaching it. While elk hunting a sling is used a lot and my Hawken weighs 9 lbs  and this sling/toeplate arrangement has worked fine.....Fred

[msw]

i ordered a TotW blank to try on my new .4 SMR.  My last SMR is wearing a bloodwood insert with some horn on the side... looks cool, but probably way too much 'bling' for an SMR.

I, too, am on the fence, leaning toward the 'not' side, but we'll see as the build progresses.

[mgbruch]

If you wanr a toe plate, for whatever reasons, then add a toe plate.