Fowler butt plate screws

[Eric Krewson]

I pulled out Grinslade's book to see if I was wrong about screw placement, but alas, there isn't the first butt plate screw location shown in the book, the butt plate shots are all taken from the side.

 

[Pete G]

I pulled out Grinslade's book to see if I was wrong about screw placement, but alas, there isn't the first butt plate screw location shown in the book, the butt plate shots are all taken from the side.

Listen to Mike…you won’t go wrong.

 

[Onojutta]

I pulled out Grinslade's book to see if I was wrong about screw placement, but alas, there isn't the first butt plate screw location shown in the book, the butt plate shots are all taken from the side.

I've looked at a few gun shows over the past couple weeks and they seem to vary. Some guns with the screw practically in the middle, others towards the bottom. Best I can tell, there's no right or wrong.

 

[Rudyard]

I've looked at a few gun shows over the past couple weeks and they seem to vary. Some guns with the screw practically in the middle, others towards the bottom. Best I can tell, there's no right or wrong.

Most modern screws are useless , but the old ones are about, like the old furniture plan .Whatever you do if your going to call it an' English gun ' .NO' cockeye 'slots they should line up 'North & South 'IE in line NOT bloody cockeye! and yes the front should have hook or a tang & pin . Pins usually earlier that the hook which is mostly later styles ..Ide dress off the screw so it wont catch by protruding . Don't go by what factory guns do . Better to look at original English guns. If there cockeye that's not to plan just age or abuse . I never made any nations screw slots cockeyed . force of habit .
Rudyard defender of the Screw heads of the World !

 

[Notchy Bob]

I'm not a builder, but I putter around some with my muzzleloaders and also do some other odd jobs around the place that require slotted wood screws and machine screws. I'm a big fan of Blacksmith Bolt & Rivet Supply. They have an extraordinary variety of unplated, slotted screws, including oval heads. I've been working on an old Navy Arms M1863 repro that had been "reenactored." I don't know if it was the maker or some previous owner who did it, but the mountings were all installed with undersized flathead wood screws. I was able to replace them with properly sized, unplated, slotted oval-head screws from Blacksmith Bolt & Rivet. They even had #14's for the buttplate (military guns took big screws).

With a nod to Mike Brooks, I also recently salvaged a handful of wood screws from an old wooden chair that collapsed under a rather heavy friend. He offered to glue it back together, but I figured that old chair's time had come. I've used bits and pieces of the wood for small projects. I believe the screws were unplated steel flathead #12 x 1-3/4". I have them in a jar out in the shed.

I think the most recent issue of Muzzle Blasts had an article about gun screws by the late Fred Stutzenberger. It was informative.

I'm glad we have @Rudyard on our side...

Notchy Bob

 

[Rudyard]

I'm not a builder, but I putter around some with my muzzleloaders and also do some other odd jobs around the place that require slotted wood screws and machine screws. I'm a big fan of Blacksmith Bolt & Rivet Supply. They have an extraordinary variety of unplated, slotted screws, including oval heads. I've been working on an old Navy Arms M1863 repro that had been "reenactored." I don't know if it was the maker or some previous owner who did it, but the mountings were all installed with undersized flathead wood screws. I was able to replace them with properly sized, unplated, slotted oval-head screws from Blacksmith Bolt & Rivet. They even had #14's for the buttplate (military guns took big screws).

With a nod to Mike Brooks, I also recently salvaged a handful of wood screws from an old wooden chair that collapsed under a rather heavy friend. He offered to glue it back together, but I figured that old chair's time had come. I've used bits and pieces of the wood for small projects. I believe the screws were unplated steel flathead #12 x 1-3/4". I have them in a jar out in the shed.

I think the most recent issue of Muzzle Blasts had an article about gun screws by the late Fred Stutzenberger. It was informative.

I'm glad we have @Rudyard on our side...

Notchy Bob

Dear Bob .You had me laughing till it acked .
Thank you .Rudyard