Installing lock question

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So I have gotten my barrel and lock inlet IMG_5640.jpegIMG_5641.jpeg properly. I was looking at locations for the lock screws. For the rear screw I see no way to install it without drilling the breech plug. Since this is my first build I wanted check and see how normal this is. Both build books I have indicate this is sometimes necessary.
 
Yep, I had to drill through the tang on my Lancaster rifle. Make the hole big enough to allow for expansion and contraction of the stock.
 
It was pre-inlet. I believe the kit came from Pecatonica. I can see what you are saying about the gap. Not sure why it was squared off on the lock side. It wasn’t on the other side. Now this kit was given to me by my sister. Her husband passed last year. He may have done it. I don’t know. But it is what it is now.


IMG_5646.jpegIMG_5645.jpeg
 
It was pre-inlet. I believe the kit came from Pecatonica. I can see what you are saying about the gap. Not sure why it was squared off on the lock side. It wasn’t on the other side. Now this kit was given to me by my sister. Her husband passed last year. He may have done it. I don’t know. But it is what it is now.


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Understood, and in the course of your build you may be able to save a piece you can fill that gap with.

That lock may need to be inletted more, as there is a gap. That lock plate needs to be flush against the barrel.

Regards
 
Understood, and in the course of your build you may be able to save a piece you can fill that gap with.

That lock may need to be inletted more, as there is a gap. That lock plate needs to be flush against the barrel.

Regards
Not sure I had it completely seated when I took the pic. However I will check to ensure that it is flush. Thanks for pointing that one out to me.
 
It does look like you still have a gap between the side flat of your barrel and the lock bolster. They need to mate in order to keep fouling from going into the internals of your lock. This photo shows the fit you should have.

The wood on this rifle is taken back to the breech like yours. But, as you can see from the inletting black, the back of the locks fence mates to the wood. Your lock plate is pretty far forward, probably due to the location of the touch hole. It's not uncommon for the rear of the fence to be a little forward of the breech though... usually the wood is left as in Mulebrain's photo. You could carefully fit and glue a piece in. The two pieces will need to mate perfectly, and you should stain the surfaces before gluing. Then, if the finished rifle if stained a little dark, and that area is even a bit darker still... It's notice-ability will be at a minimum.
 

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It looks like the stop block on the side of the cock isn't inlet yet or the lock panel is still too wide to let the plate seat all the way.
 
Any piecing you do behind the fence will be hidden 99% of the time by the hammer so will not be too noticeable.
 
The photo was taken after inletting the lock plate alone; none of the internals had been inlet. I take it that you mean, by a "ledge", that you mean the edge of the inlet that the lock plate rests on after all of the internal parts have been inlet. I took the photo a few rifles ago, as an example of that particular step of the process.
 

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