Free floating nose cap ?

[kyron4]

On my Traditions Kentucky rifle kit, the brass nose cap screws to the barrel with to screws. This seems odd and unnecessary , plus it would cause stock binding do to heat and humidity would be an issue. My plan was to drill the back of the cap for two 3/32" pins and drill front face of stock and pin into place' also using the first screw to secure cap to the stock but not the barrel. That way only the tang screw and two barrel tennons (slotted) would be holding the barrel to the stock. Make sense ? Any thoughts , opinions, or suggestions ? -Thanks

 

[Kansas Kid]

Sounds like a good plan. Suppose you could always put the screws back in if needed.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Never worked on a Traditions rifle, is there any nose cap that you could replace the factory one with? Not knowing but just thinking, that sounds like a lot of screw holes and pins through the cap. If you could replace the cap you would only need one rivet to hold it in place.

I use a fake rivet on my nose caps that is actually a screw with the head in the barrel channel.

 

[Phil Coffins]

The traditions nose cap is a massive chuck of brass. I’d be concerned about it shaking loose under recoil, a normal cap is sheet metal or a modest casting that a rivet or screw holds fine. The two piece stock won’t have binding problems.

 

[kyron4]

Okay here are so visuals to make more sense of what I'm doing. I still need to drill the stock for the pins and seat the cap , then put a screw in the first hole threaded into the wood only, not the barrel. The other hole will have a dummy head installed. I can't see where this could ever work loose , but a little epoxy added to the cap would make it permanent if needed. This will secure the cap to the stock and not the barrel , as I believe original Kentucky rifle and higher end repros don't attach to the barrel either.

 

[rafterob]

Looks like you are doing fine.

 

[Eric Krewson]

Now that I can see it I think you have a good plan.

 

[deerstalkert]

how far rearward is the first barrel tenon? they may use that screwy setup to keep the front end of the forearm from warping away from the barrel.
i like your method though.

 

[2 shots]

as asked by deerstalkert above . yes they do . i have done this on a few cva rifles and handguns . i always added a pin and tenon up front .

 

[kyron4]

how far rearward is the first barrel tenon? they may use that screwy setup to keep the front end of the forearm from warping away from the barrel.
i like your method though.

The thought had occurred to me also. I plan to reverse engineer another tenon and cut a dovetail about an inch back from the cap.