Kentucky rifle build questions

[Loja man]

Good afternoon all,
I know there have been many posts on the Kentucky rifle kit. I’ve read through most of them multiple times and really appreciate the information that has been shared. I am working on putting parts on a kit I received several weeks back.
Somebody commented on one post that the drum needs to be supported by the lock. My drum is off center on the lock cut out. It is supported on the top right side of the lock cut out.
1: Is it supported enough?
Being off-center insults my eye for detail. Trying to weigh if it’s worth moving the lock forward a little and the barrel back a little. I believe both lock and barrel will have to go in opposite directions to get the drum centered.
Thoughts

??

 

[andy52]

To accomplish what you are saying would require re-inletting the barrel and the tang, that's certainly possible if you wish to do so. In my opinion, I see no offense in what I see in your photo it looks well fitted to me.

 

[billraby]

I would move the barrel down and back a little bit. Its a small amount of work to get it just perfect.

 

[kansas_volunteer]

The drum on rifles with back action locks is not supported and I've never heard anyone complain about it, although that may be due to back action lock being fairly uncommon.

 

[andy52]

I would move the barrel down and back a little bit. Its a small amount of work to get it just perfect.

You can't just move a barrel down and back a little bit, the full length of the barrel would need to be lowered or otherwise you would get a seesaw effect.

 

[deermanok]

One of my rifles was a kit gun and looks like what you have there. Maybe more so. I never bothered messin with it.

 

[Loja man]

You can't just move a barrel down and back a little bit, the full length of the barrel would need to be lowered or otherwise you would get a seesaw effect.

True on the lowering. I could move it back but that would lift the drum off the lock completely. I could move the lock slightly up....but not much. I feel like I am kind of tied to where things are at. Unless where it is at won’t work.

 

[hawkeye2]

The only way to move the lock would be to introduce a gap somewhere in the lock mortice. The barrel is your only option if you decide to do anything about it.

 

[appalichian hunter]

Really does not look too bad, If mine I would go with it the way it is, the fix may be worse than the current situation.

 

[billraby]

You can't just move a barrel down and back a little bit, the full length of the barrel would need to be lowered or otherwise you would get a seesaw effect.

Exactly. You move the whole barrel. Its just a bit of inletting. Not a big deal. It only has to move a tiny amount.

 

[Loja man]

When I originally installed the lock I had to tap it in place with a mallet. On some of the other build links I came across that the lock need to be able to come in and out with ease by hand. So using sand paper and files I remove just a tinny bit off the top edge of the wood inletting of the lock. Now it comes in and out nicely! It won’t just fall out but it lifts out easily. I also move the barrel back just a tinny bit. Both of these helped!!
My next question relates to this inner plate on the lock that sits up against the barrel. Can I sand it down flush to meet the inside wood channel of the barrel? You can see how the barrel holds the lock out away from the wood. As it is now the lock doesn’t sit flush up against the wood. The barrel kicks it out at an angle.

 

[hawkeye2]

The lock has to be installed so that the hammer strikes the nipple squarely and in the center of the hammer. That will determine the depth to which you inlet the lock. If the wood is above the lock plate you have to remove it (there's almost always far too much wood in a kit anyway).

BTW, you haven't mentioned what brand of kit you are working on, that might be a big help.

 

[Loja man]

So I am working on a Traditions Kentucky Rife kit.
Hawkeye2, right now as it sits the nipple is centered on the hammer. I know I will need to file and sand down the face so it’s flush with the lock. So if I file the the plate on the lock that sits up against the barrel than my nipple will move off center. The circled area is where I was thinking of thinning down this metal plate on the backside of the lock.

 

[hawkeye2]

Yes if you file that area down the hammer will move to the left by that amount.

 

[Loja man]

Yep. I will sleep on it. Not sure I want the hammer that off centered.

 

[mooman76]

I have a very old ML from the 1800s. The drum is not supported in any way and has survived all this time without support so I'm thinking yours will be fine.

 

[Loja man]

I have a very old ML from the 1800s. The drum is not supported in any way and has survived all this time without support so I'm thinking yours will be fine.

Thanks mooman76. It’s better now than before. I’m calling it good.

 

[Loja man]

Going back to filing down the plate on the inside of the lock. As long as the hammer clears a cap on the nipple am I fine to have it a little off center? Obviously not ideal. Just trying to find the balance.

 

[hawkeye2]

I do se the gap you are referring to and understand what you would like to do. Personally I would leave it as is. The gap is only visible from directly above and not many will notice it. It would be easy to glue a small piece of wood in there to seal the opening and that would really be invisible after staining. If you move the plate in you may run into the internals hitting the wood and have to deepen the mortice.

 

[billraby]

hawkeye2 is right. Glue a sliver wood in that gap and it will vanish. If the hammer is in the right position, leave it alone.