Trigger guard front screw, Update!

[Chocktaw Brave]

Working on cleaning up my Hawken trigger guard. It is a steel cast part and the threads for the front screw were cast in as well( wish they weren’t). The alignment from the two halves is far enough off that the groove from one half lines up with the thread on the other half.
What’s the best way to fix this? Thread file? Die? Cut it off and use a real screw through the trigger as in the rear, Or grind it down and make it a smaller thread?
Your thoughts?

[Scota4570]

Pictures? 

[Steeltrap]

I just used a small three corner file. (Jewelers file) I carefully filed the casting marks off and tested it every so often. Takes a bit of time, but I didn't want to buy a die for the job.

[Chocktaw Brave]

Here’s a picture, I’m guessing it’s supposed to be 1/4-28 NF?

[45-110]

Take a small 3 corner needle file, one edge safe, and blend the mismatched threads edges enough to get a die stated. 2-3 cleaned up threads will get the die going.  A split die is a good choice to also.
kw

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Yup, you need a 1/4" x 28 tpi tap and die for this job.  The end of the journal is cast without threads, to the die will slip down easily, and clean up those threads.  In one of my Hawken tutorials, I have described with pictures how I go about this simple but important job.  The first task is to ensure that the guard at the base of the thread journal is square with the trigger plate into which you will thread it.  You can do this with files or make a milling tool out of a steel rod which works really well.  See if you can find the tutorial under the title "Hawken Stuff".

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/index.php?topic=37886.25

Here's the link to the thread to which I referred.

[Chocktaw Brave]

Very good info from all! Thank you!
I think that most pieces should be finished before inletting, otherwise it could throw off your fit, correct?

[borderdogs]

A lot of people finish the hardware first, take a look at Taylors link to Hawken Stuff its well worth the time to read it. I have been stuck on the plains rifles and Taylor work is inspirational. I made a hollow end mill type tool to mill a flat around the 1/4-28 stud on the trigger guard and it works great. Herb is another one on this forum who is known for the Hawken rifles he has built look at his posts too.

I am a novice but I like to finish the hardware first but generally don't do anything to the barrel until I am closer to finishing the build. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
Rob

[kutter]

File off the lopsided 1/4-28 thread. Then run a standard #12-24 thread die over the stud
D&T the trigger plate for the same.

[P.W.Berkuta]

If it were mine I would first try a die on it of the proper thread pitch and if that did not work then I would saw off the offending threaded stud and drill and tap the trigger guard for stud of the correct thread pitch and braze the threaded stud in - done.

[Bob Roller]

If it were mine I would first try a die on it of the proper thread pitch and if that did not work then I would saw off the offending threaded stud and drill and tap the trigger guard for stud of the correct thread pitch and braze the threaded stud in - done.

A few months ago just for hoots and giggles I put a guard on a set of Hawken triggers and I cleaned up the 1/4x28 threads by simply
turning the guard into die and that was after I ran a 1/4" hollow mill over the cast thread to give a flat base to sit on the plate.
Be SURE to set the trigger before drilling and tapping to eliminate the possibility of the rear trigger getting jammed against the guard.
On the ONLY Hawken representation I made was in 1967 and I used a nice guard from Harold Robbins that had no stud but a goodflat
area to do what P.W.Bekuta did and that was to simply drill and rap the flat ares and secure the guard from the top.
Bob Roller

[Chocktaw Brave]

Well, I got it together, a lot of work for just a trigger guard!
Thank you to Taylor for the pictorial “How to“ from a few years back!
I still have to drill the rear screw,and of course some fine sanding. Real hard to get it perfect in alignment with the trigger bar. The casting was really tweaked all over the place. My only concern is once it’s on the stock(which I still don’t have), is that it will look crooked down the centerline of the rifle.
Here are some pics;





It looks off in this pic;

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

You've done a good job of connecting these parts.  You may run into a small issue when you get your wood and are inletting the trigger plate.  Often these plates do not have the same bend as the precarved stock will have, and will either need to be bent to conform to the wood, or the wood needs to be carved exactly like the curve of the plate.  Don't attach your back machine screw until you have the stock in hand, and the plate4 inlet.  Inlet the plate without the guard in place, without the triggers and springs in place as well.  My tutorial goes over this aspect of the build.  You should have no difficulty inletting the plate exactly down the centre line of the stock, if you have already drawn that onto the wood.