Barrel Pins

Does anyone know if there is material easily available in the correct gauge/thickness to make pins to retain the barrel with? I think I have seen that normally these are 1/16". Any tips on what I should look for at the hardware store later this afternoon? Would a wire coat hanger work (not sure of the thickness, but I'm sure I could stick it in my drill press and even it out or thin it down if to thick).

 

[jdkerstetter]

Don't overthink it! Why turn down a coat hanger when a hand full of finish nails will do and can be had in any diameter for penny's? :shake:

1/16" is a little big for your gun. I'd go a little under. :wink:

Enjoy, J.D.

 

[buford87]

Finishing nails , brazing rods , the wire rods used to keep insulation batts up in the overhead spaces. You can even buy pins from some place like Track of the Wolf..................watch yer top knot...............

 

The cheap & dumb Hungarian that I am, I'm trying to avoid buying anything. Okay, finishing nails... got a pant load of those at home...that should work. I'll mic them out to find their thickness and go from there. Obviously, I'll have to take the head off them and dress them up a bit.

As far as 1/16th, that's the hole diameter that I keep seeing, so I just assumed they would be about the same size. Dont want them too much smaller I would guess.

Thanks

The Dumb Hungarian

 

[Black Hand]

Music wire only costs a few $.

 

Music wire??? As is the stuff they use in piano's or is this like a bailing wire?

 

[jdkerstetter]

Yes, used in pianos but also available in hobby and some craft stores in shorter 3' lengths. Comes in different diameters. Good stuff....until you have to cut it....harder than the dickens and not necessary. Makes good stock for small chisels, trigger pins...where hardness is preferred....and springs.

No need to go out an try to find/buy it if you don't have it. Nails work fine as does any small diameter mild steel stuff...and it's easier to work.

Enjoy, J.D.

 

How long do you think the nail needs to be? 1-1/2"? I figure the barrel is 7/8", but I'm not certain about the stock (since I don't have it with me). I would think 1-1/2" should about do it.

 

[jdkerstetter]

1 1/2" will be fine. J.D.

 

[crockett]

Music wire is a name given to spring tempered wire and you can buy it in the hobby section at ACE Hardware. There are all sorts of diameters. It is rather difficult to cut because it is much harder than your typical soft wire. The teeth on a hacksaw blade are spaced too far apart so I use a needle file as a saw and cut the wire that way and then dress up the end.You don't want sharp, square ends because it can chip out wood- round the ends and have the pin slightly less in length than the width of the stock so there is a slight depression- then your punch wil stay on the pin when you need to remove it, otherwise the punch might slip off and damage the stock.
A lot of the professional builders use 1/16" wire and it really looks good but to drill accurately through a stock is a problem because the 1/16" drill bit is unsupported and if you push it too hard it can flex and wander off course- causing the exit hole to be off. Going to a slightly heavier diameter like a 5/64" (you can buy drills and music wire that size)pretty much eliminates the problem AND if you look at a lot of the original guns a lot of the pins are larger than 1/16".
One more thing, the barrel will expand as it heats up so the tenon that the pin fits through- you want that tight from top to bottom but make the hole a little long from front to back to account for the barrel expansion.

 

[crockett]

On the nose cap, you can use a tiny screw but another way is to use "rivets". From the outside it looks like a horizontal cross pin through the nose cap but it is two short wire "rivets", each of which is angled up at a 45 degree slope so as to end at the sloped barrel flat. The portion of the rivet in the barrel flat can be peened in a metal form and then put in place- the rivet end on the outside can also be peened but that really isn't necessary and trying to peen it can dent the nose cap. Just leave it be, once the barrel is in place the rivet is locked.
For this "rivet" use soft wire. Also at ACE Hardware. I think the 16 gauge is about 1/16" in diameter. The soft wire allows you to form a head on the inside end of the rivet.

 

[Vaino]

1/16" dia. music wire is all I ever use in my LRs...no other dia. or mat'l. A drillpress is used for the RR pipes, bbls lugs and trigger pivot and the 1/16 drill is run at 1325 rpm w/ a light touch and goes completely through in one pass. No drill deflection when picking up the center punch ensures correct location and very little drill runout. Have an old American made HD pliers which cuts the music wire...bought a new sidecutter and the first time I tried to cut the music wire, the cutting edge dented.....foreign made. Also use music wire for the straight hinges on side opening Bucks County Pboxes, but use 1/16 dia baling wire for the curved hinge Pboxes.....Fred

 

[Zonie]

For what it's worth, I use 5/64" dia music wire for the barrel underlug pins and 1/16" dia music wire for the thimbles and trigger guards (on Penn. rifles).

My logic in this is the 5/64" dia wire allows me to use a slightly larger drill bit that is both longer and more ridged than a 1/16" size would be.
That makes it less likely that the drill will "walk" when it hits the metal underlug as it's passing thru the stock.
It also allows the drill bit to completely pass thru the stock back where the width is slightly thicker than the forend.

It also allows the gun owner to use a 1/16" diameter pin to knock out the barrel underlug pins without scraping the inside of the hole thru the wood.

The 1/16" pins are in parts that will never be removed so the smaller hole doesn't present a wear problem like the barrel holes do and the shorter 1/16" drill bit is long enough to drill thru the wood in the areas where these smaller pins will be installed.

 

[Birddog6]

#3 finish nails. Leave the heads on til you are done, easier to grab with needlenose pliers.

Been using finishing nails for years, have never have a issue with them. Mic them & drill the correct sized holes. I slot my underlug pin hole fore & aft. Some do, some don't.

One the nose cap I have used brass flathead machine screws, countersink it from Inside, tap the hole, install, & file screw shaft off on the outside. Also sometimes use copper rivets that I make in a lil swedgeing block I made & use 12 ga copper wire for that.

Keith Lisle

 

[don hepler]

Most Radio Control hobby shops have music wire.

 

[fosters]

Birddog,
Really like the idea for the nose cap. Brass screw never thought of that. Thanks for the tip!

fosters

 

[geb324]

Like Birddog said buy a box of finishing nails
will last a life time I use #6

 

All great tips... thanks.

When slotting the lug for fore/aft movement, what is the easiest way to do that without breaking the drill bit?

 

[crockett]

Use a tiny needle file. I forget but it was either Radio Shack or Harbor Freight Tools that had some tiny needle files.BTW- only do this for the barrel. Also, if you want to use a screw on the nose cap, you go from inside out, pretty obvious but thought I'd mention.

 

Thanks Crockett... I'm having a hard time visualizing the nose cap screw/rivet, but then again, I really haven't studied that part of the rifle yet, so I'm sure it will be more obvious when I get there. Maybe you can post a picture if you have a chance.