front bolt / barrel clearance??

[Bigmon]

Working on a project that's giving me fits.  I have it all working, I think, but want to run this past you guys.
I purposly placed my front bolt high of center to be sure and keep it from the RR channel.  But I might have it a little too high.  I always intended to file a little groove in the underside of the barrel, but I am having to maybe take a little too much?
At the point of the groove the barrel mics at 1.099.  It is a .62 cal Colerain barrel. So not counting the riling that would give me .479  divided by two would be about .24 each side there. 
So how deep I dare go with my groove.  I am using #8 x 32 bolts.
I hope the attached pic might help?

[Eric Kettenburg]

That groove is just groovy.  I've seen originals a lot deeper than that with a lot less remaining barrel wall.  You're fine.

If it's still a bit too tight, taper down the body of the bolt a bit short of the threads.  Then open up the hole in the wood for a bit of clearance.  Then you can kind of 'jiggle' the bolt into place and once the threads clear the groove the slightly tapered shank (don;t go crazy wth it) will clear the groove wth some leeway and allow the threads to still engage the lockplate with no issue.  Hope this makes sense - I have seen this on a LOT of antiques.  It's always a "thread the needle" game with the front lock bolt.

[Bigmon]

Thanks for the input.  Since I posted this I made a little gauge that measures how far the lock bolt comes up in the bottom of the barrel channel.  I then campare that at the end of the muzzle which is quite a bit smaller than where this groove is, at 1.038".  And when compared I am fairlyconfident the groove will be ok.
I could fill the holes in the stock and lock plate and re-drill, but this looks ok to me??

[Eric Kettenburg]

It's fine.  Don't overthink it.

[Chocktaw Brave]

I was a little worried about doing it to my barrel, but after seeing many original completed guns with the notch I did not sweat it.

[Bigmon]

Since I had a pilot hole in my lock plate that was smaler than I needed for the tapped 8X32 I was able to use a needle file and lower that hole somewhat in the plate.  Then I filed the hole lower thru the stock, lined everything up and tapped it, and was able to move it all a little lower and away from the bore.
I feel purty good how it is now.  I was at it till midnite.
It is a 62 cal and I would not want someone overloading it.  The notch is not allot forward of the chamber area.
Thanks again to all, Merry Christmas

[smylee grouch]

Nice recovery Bigmon for your peace of mind. What you did was called Gunsmithing.  Happy Holidays

[flehto]

I always used a #6-32 for the front lock bolt because of the thin web.....Fred

[smart dog]

Hi Bigmon,
I actually want the lock bolt to partially break into the ramrod hole. I taper my rods and set them up so the bolt puts a little pressure on the rod when it is fully in place.  That keeps it snug and prevents sliding out during recoil plus it is not something sensitive to humidity.

dave

[Bob Roller]

Are there NO 6x32 cross bolts for this job? They are not hard to make and decades of experiencei not needed.
Bob Rpller

[Bigmon]

Actually I did see 6 x32 bolts for sale somewhere for this purpose.  I just always used #8's, never really had a problem.  Until this and that is because I have the darned lock a little too high.  About one more complication and I am about to smash this pc and start over!!
Problem is I am about out of wood from this tree, and the whole project rests on using wood from the same tree as the other two.
Thanks guys for all the in-put!

[bama]

One of the greatest rifles ever made, the famous Rifle No. 42 has a grove in the bottom of the barrel for the front lock bolt. When you get everything slimmed up and aligned properly this is the only way to place the front lock bolt and not have it interfere with the ram rod. So, good job. 

[rsells]

I use 6x32 lock screws that I get from Track of the Wolf.  Check their web page to verify the number, but I think it is Bolt-L-6-F.  It is a 6x32 shaft and 3/8 head.   They give me a bit of more clearance on the front bolt location.
                                                                      Roger

[Bigmon]

Around 1994 I bought a Issac Haines kit and had a friend, who had built many rifles from scratch, put it in the white for me, as I had never built one at that time, and was afraid of making a costly mistake that in those days would have been disatrous!!
When I got it from him to finish it had a short RR.  This was driving me nuts, all that $$ and the RR is messed up.
But I got a brainstorm, and put that #8 front bolt in my electric drill and using a half round file I "hour glassed" that bolt right where the RR was.  Still using it today.  The clearance is so close that you cannot remove the bolt with RR in the gun.
That bolt is pretty thin there in the middle but has never twisted off or broke, and that old gun is still my favorite go to gun when it's venison time.  It just never fails.
Thanks again you all!!