Barrel pins that can't be removed

[Old Salt]

I think the problem can probably be summed up in one word, "Accuglass".

This would be my concern based on this thread.

My suspicion is the barrel pins have a glob of accuglass firmly bedded to the pin or the pins have accuglass bedded on each side of the barrel lug. In that case you might be able to drive the glob through the lug but I suspect the glob on the other side will tear the wood as it exits.

It seems like a real puzzle to remedy.

 

[Robby]

Eric, can you see the barrel lugs in the ramrod channel? If so, and you suspect accuglass is holding the pins, a soldering iron or a woodburning tool should heat them enough to free them up. If its rust, you could get in there with a little anti-seize of some sort. Even if they are not visible, a little probing with an ice pick to locate them, and some judicious chisel work should open them enough to do a little work on them. Good luck, I'd want to get the barrel out to, as you describe it.
Robby

 

[Captjoel]

Had a friend that glass bedded a pistol barrel into a stock and pinned it before the acra glass cured. He somehow carefully managed to finish the pistol with the barrel permantly installed and has been shooting it for over 35 years. I would leave the barrel alone in this piece unless you don't mind restocking it.

 

[Eric Krewson]

I got the pin close to the nose cap to move. Turned out it appears to be a finishing nail complete with the head. I didn't knock it all the way out but can.

There are several extra drilled pin holes on the sides of the stock, underlug misses I suspect. I was surprised when the pin head popped out down near the ramrod channel in what I thought was a mis-drilled hole instead of mid stock where the pin entry hole was.

My small punch bends when I tap the pins, my next size up in a little big(these pins are tiny). I am going to pick up a 1/16" punch today.

I think my friend was missing the pins when he tried to tap them out. I found the holes wallowed out below the surface of the wood with it pretty difficult to get a punch on the actual pin without sliding the punch along side it. The pins are about 1/4" deeper than the stock surface on the exit side.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

Nice,

For all intensive purposes its a tapered pin, interesting.

Slow an steady will win the day, no hurries.

With that forward pin removed you should be able to tell if the barrel is in fact glued to the stock by applying a bit of downward pressure at the nose cap to see if it pulls away from the barrel.

Those pin holes can easily be repaired, I would then use hobby grade music wire of the next larger size to re-pin the barrel.

Good Job.

 

[JOHN ZUREKI]

Eric this suggestion may cause an uproar, but if you are now able to move the pins try spraying a little Wd-40 into the pin holes. Use the straw that comes with the can and don't flood the area. I use finish nails but I fire blue them and coat them with a little bee's wax before I set them. I found that my pins would rust sometimes If I did not treat them. Rust may be another reason that the pins are hard to remove. Always something, JZ

 

[roundball]

Sounds like you're making progress and if I'm understanding it correctly, you may not be dealing with an Accuglass issue after all...suspect you'll get them out OK with a better punch...if the head on the finish nail went in, it should be able to come back out, etc.
:thumbsup:

 

[Eric Krewson]

The barrel is not stuck, at least in the front part. I was surprised how much the barrel moved into the inlet with a little C-clamp pressure.

Picked up a 1/16" punch this morning,the saga continues.

I use music wire for pins on my builds and will replace the nails once I get them out, after re-drilling the pin holes correctly of course.

I am pretty good at hiding errant, miss-drilled holes as well, had a little experience in this area in the past unfortuanetly......

 

[roundball]

"...after re-drilling the pin holes correctly..."

When you redrill for piano wire, is that the size of larger size pins...like 3/32"?

My first pinned barrel long gun that I bought already finished had a 42" barrel with small size pins...small finish nails actually.

For some new ones I had built since then I specified larger 3/32" pins to minimize problems removing the barrel.

Have toyed with the idea of redrilling the smaller ones 3/32"...have to think through the risk vs. "if it ain't broke don't fix it" thing.

 

[verbrugen]

I find this all very interesting because I gave my dad an excellent 1970's vintage rifle (purchased from and estate) that I wanted the percussion lock & drum removed and a touch hole liner and flint style lock put back. The gent that originally owned the rifle also silver soldered mounting lugs on the barrel for peep & globe sights. After removing the silver inlays on the sides of rifle where barrel pins or keys should be located the same problem as noted above was encountered. After trying to knock out with punch and also drilling out the pins I have come to the conclusion that the original barrel used (Douglas) has a portion of a metal under rib attached. Whoever built the rifle inlet the rib into the forestock and expoxied the barrel & rib in-place. After considerable screwing around including cracking the stock my dad is still working on getting everything restored. Bottom line is I wish I had left well enough alone and kept the rifle as it was.