Barrel pins: I cut mine from either 1/16" welding rod or from finishing nails that are just over 1/16". I cut them off about 1/8" - 1/4" short of the width of the forestock where they will go, so that when tapping them into the gun they cannot push wood out the far side. I always have them enter the wood from the same side as do the lock bolts. As the lock bolts come out of the stock from the left hand side of the rifle on a right handed rifle, so too do the pins. That way one avoids making the pin's holes wallooned from both sides. I rub the pins with bees wax prior to inserting them...serves two purposes: protects the pins somewhat from rust, and makes them sticky in the holes. Another benefit is the wax seals the small diameter hole that stock finish is unlikely to get down into.
I grind a gentle champher on the edges of the pins to help them enter the wood but don't deliberately round them over. I push them out with a pin punch that is the same diameter or just a few thou smaller.
Sometimes, I will cut a little divot in the ends of the pins with a 1/16" centre drill in the lathe. This helps the punch find the centre of the pin when pushing it out and helps prevent the punch from slipping off the pin into the wood along side.
