first time pinning a barrel

[flintbuilder]

Ok, so Ive used wedge keys a couple of times but I am working on two rifles that I will be pinning. Can anyone give me pointers, advice and your experience with pinning. how do I make sure they don't come loose when the wood swlels then shrinks? Do I use the same size drill bit as the pin? If so, It would seem that it would come loose too easily? :idunno: what do you recommend I do to keep the opposite side from blowing out while drilling? any advice will be valued, thanks in advance.

 

[Vaino]

I use 1/16" dia, music wire for pins and drill w/ a 1/16" dia. bit. After drilling the pins are a "push fit". I pin the bbl when there's plenty of wood so if the drill splinters the wood on exiting, it doesn't make any difference...normlly the wood doesn't splinter. After applying stain and finish, I clean the holes out using a !/16" drill in a hand vise. The pins are a push fit....don't like tight fitting pins......Fred

 

[Zonie]

I use two different sized pins in the guns I've built.

For the thimbles and trigger guard I use a piece of 1/16" music wire for the pins and a 1/16" drill bit to drill the holes.

For the barrel underlugs I use a 5/64" diameter piece of music wire along with a 5/64" drill bit to drill the holes.

The reason I like the slightly larger 5/64" pins is that the drill bit is a bit stronger and longer. Also, when I want to remove the barrel from the stock I can use a piece of 1/16" music wire to drive the pins out without fear of messing up the slightly larger holes.

If your like me you will find that you will remove and reinstall the barrel several times before the gun is finished and it's nice to be able to use the 1/16" wire to drive out the barrel pins.

 

[flintbuilder]

Perfect, I will try again. What can I do if the whole is already just a bit too big and the pin slips in and out with no resistance. It will just slip right through if I hold it up on its side. I figure I'll try the next size up in pin. Also, do you use anything besides just a hunk of wood on the opposite side to prevent blowout? Thanks guys

 

[crockett]

Music wire has a memory, you can flex it a little.
Do any of you slightly slot the hole in the tenon to account for barrel expansion?

 

[Black Hand]

Perfect, I will try again. What can I do if the whole is already just a bit too big and the pin slips in and out with no resistance. It will just slip right through if I hold it up on its side. I figure I'll try the next size up in pin.

Don't forget that you will be applying finish in the pin-holes....

 

[Black Hand]

A little dribble of Superglue will also "shrink" the holes. You may need to run the pin-sized drill bit through to clear the extra for a snug fit.

 

[mikemeteor]

1). Get the next biggest size music wire.
Or
2) Beeswax in hole
Or
3) Both.
/mm

 

[nchawkeye]

I used finishing nails and cut the head and point off...I also bent them just a tad to keep them tight...

 

[jimmy82]

I don't put a slot in the lugs and didn't have any trouble with expansion going out and shooting 50 rounds on a hot NC day in the summer. You're not shooting 700 rpm so your barrel won't get hot like a machine gun. There probably is some expansion but the time between shots plus running a wet patch now and then will keep the barrel from getting to hot to touch. Plus, my guns have gone from 100% humidity of NC to 10% in the high desert of El Paso, and back to near 100% humidity of upstate NY over a 2 year span with no damage to the stocks.

I do however like to bevel the edges of the holes in the lugs to ease the pin going through.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Stock swelling, and shrinkage is a function of a lot of different factors, including how dry the wood was BEFORE it became a gunstock, the amount of TIME the stock is sited in a very low Relative humidity, then High Relative Humidity location, The type of wood, the Grain of the wood, and how well the wood-particularly the end grain-- is sealed against moisture.

I think its foolish to risk a good piece of wood splitting because I didn't take the time to elongate the pin holes in my hangers to allow for the unexpected. However, if you live and shoot in a Middle climate- where it neither gets too hot, nor too cold for very long, so that the extremes of Relative humidity visit the wood for long periods of time, I doubt you will have a problem.

Elongating pin holes has NOTHING to do with barrels heating up during shooting- particularly with MLers. Recoil is taken by the Rear of the stock at the back of the barrel mortise, and, occasionally, by the tang in a poorly bedded stock.

Paul

 

[crockett]

I use wedges but have always allowed a little play at either end. It would seem wise to elongate the pin hole in the tenon just a tad. And- I think you are correct about wood drying out or recoil- probably more of an issue than the barrel expansion.

 

[jimmy82]

I did apply liberal amounts of finish to the end grain. But my guns are 4 years old now and exposed to several different levels of humidity and no trouble. If it ain't broke...