I saw this question many years ago. It was said Some said 2 is stronger, Others said 1 is stronger. I am one not to accept the reasoning "jus cause someone else did it 40-11 yrs ago, it is best" To me, that doesn't mean it was the Best way in any way, it simply means it was done that way. They did what they did & they used what they had.
So I was building a rifle one time & broke the forestock. To me that stock is now scrap. (think what you want) I built another stock & this broken one sat in the corner for 2-3 yrs. Couple years later I am building another rifle & cut off about 24" of the forestock & made a halfstock out of it. Tossed the cutoff in the scrap maple.
This question came up again on another board & got me to thinking. Heck I will just test them & see what is stronger. I look & I have all kinds of walnut & maple forestock cutoffs in this big wood crate of pieces.
You would be quite surprised to see how strong a #4 finish nail is thru wood & thru a RR pipe. I weighed right at 200# and the time & that pipe in a forestock with 1 finish nail would hold me up. Oh yes I could yank on it & bend the nail & pull it it or split the wood, but still it held me @ over 200# ??
Anyway, in MY testing, I found 1 pin stronger in Walnut than 2 pins, because the walnut split out easier on 2 pins, as they are so close together.
In Maple I found 1 good inlet pipe with 1 pin extremely strong & 2 stronger, but possibly a overkill.
ALL tests bent my finish nail. Double nail bent the nails & then split the wood. Single nails bent the nail & just damaged the wood Inside the inlet, NOT on the outside, unless I REALLY yanked on it & it then split the wood as well. I tried a Drill Rod & it immediately spit the wood on every test. My conclusion was 1 nail was sufficient & the finish nail was more ? forgiving I guess you would say, than the drill rod.
That being said, one is NOT supposed to be yanking around with 180-300# of force on a RR pipe, but this inquiring mind of mine just had to know.
Testing: Nuthin fancy. Testing piece was 4" long. Forestock piece was already inlet for a 7/8" straight barrel. 2 bicycle hooks up into the 2x10" floor joyce in my basement. Inlet pipes tight & pin. Put in hooks. Took a 3/8" #8 grade bolt 6" long & bent it to a L shape & welded a 6" bolt across the head & now have a big T with a L on the end of it. Test piece in the hooks & L thru the RR pipe & I hung on it & yanked around til it broke. 2 tests on black walnut with 1 pin, & same with maple. RR pipe was iron & reusable.
Repeated on walnut, same pipe with 2 holes & then with 1 hole. First easing my weight & then yanking if it didn't bend or break. Then tested the same allover with drill rod 1 time on each with 1 hole. Note: in my testing, the Maple was considerably stronger.
Yes I know, not very scientific.
That was nothing to me bending a barrel over a tractor tire, but that is a whole dif can of worms.
) But this testing did answer what I wanted to know. Do I want 1 or 2 pins & what for pins.
Then I go to what Rifle I am building & build it how I want, normally with 1 pin, but if a certain builder used two pins, so did I sometimes.
In My mind, I was convinced that obviously 2 pins was stronger than one & They Definitely Are. With 2 pins I didn't bend them as much. The WOOD is what cannot take the weight. Thus 2 pins close together on a RR pipe broke out easier than 1 pin & they also did more wood damage than 1 pin
.
Then I am thinking, Ok, use the drill rod, pin won't bend, etc. Ok, now if you really hang it up in the seat belt putting it in the car or hang it on the grape vine from $#*!,
it is Definitely gonna break the RR, or rip the RR pipe wood out, rather than bend the nail & a easy repair.
I have used finish nails every since. Seems like they are .061 or 2". I usually use a 1/16" bit Others use 1/16" drill rods & they like those. Your choice.
Anyway, that is my scoop on it, for what it is worth.
Also note: I have been shooting ML's since 1978 & have build a few. Hunted with them for Hundreds of hunting excursions. I have broken 2 RR's in my life while hunting. Both were broken getting them hung in vines & where the RR had creeped out unknowing to me, & both of them broke at a Very Light Cut/Score Ring I had made around the RR to show me I was fully loaded or not. After the 2nd one happened, it hit me I don't need a @!*% ring, it is pretty obvious if it is fully loaded or not by how much RR I have hanging out of the barrel after loading.
But I was young at it & afraid I was going to dryball, etc. It also taught me to Never have a straight Ramrod. It can & will creep out on you. If it is straight I intentionally bow & temper the RR.