Need help

[lonewolf172]

I need help with my Traditions Kentucky rifle build. I dry fitted all the parts when I came up with this issue/question. The barrel seemed to be completely in place but the tang 1/16-1/8" above the stock. Is the suppose to be completely straight or was it suppose to be bent down? If straight then does all the wood in the tang inlet need to be removed

 

[bang]

It seems there would be a gap to the wood.
If everything else lines up probably will have to do a bit of forming of the tang.

 

[Buckskinn]

Put the tang in a vise and bend it a little, might fit right in or maybe a little wood removed below.

 

[lonewolf172]

This build may be beyond my skill level and lack of tools. I have no way of bending the tang and the way everything was dry fitted removing wood from the tang inlet MAY through off the proper fitting of the barrel itself. When I dry fitted everything the bolster was almost touching that cutout on the lock.

 

[pilot]

No, it is not beyond your skill level, it is beyond your confidence level. Tools can be purchased. YouTube is your friend.

Go to Harbor Freight and buy a small vise that mounts with a screw type clamp. Mount it on a table. Go slow with the tang in the vise and bend it just a little. Try the fit and repeat as necessary.

 

[Buckskinn]

You could also file down the tang. Plenty there. I would both bend and file. I agree with pilot. If you can safely load and fire a muzzleloader you can complete this task...

 

[Eric Krewson]

Do you have a hammer and a block of wood? That is all I use to bend a tang. I am using a blacksmith hammer but any hammer will do just use some other piece of metal or hard wood dowel to make contact with the tang.

Filing some of the tang down to have a perfect fit to the wood is part of the process as well.

 

[ppb]

"Pilot's" advice to go slow is key to your project.
Please be mindful that even though the breech plug tang looks very stout it is most likely a cast part and will be weakest laterally through the bolt hole. It will have a tendency to want to kink or break at that point. Easy does it...

 

[Crow-Feather]

You can also call the maker and get his advice which will be about the same as what Pilot says. Do not put the vice on the bottom tip of the tang. Mark where the tang needs to bend and place that mark on the top edge of the vice.

 

[Phil Coffins]

I ran into the exact same thing on the same kit. I filed some of the metal off near the breech then bent it to a better shape.
IMG_0385 by Oliver Sudden, on Flickr

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

This build may be beyond my skill level and lack of tools. I have no way of bending the tang and the way everything was dry fitted removing wood from the tang inlet MAY through off the proper fitting of the barrel itself. When I dry fitted everything the bolster was almost touching that cutout on the lock.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Bend it using a vice or hammer tap to fit per Eric's photo. Stay slightly high because you want to fit right on the money by filing. Take care when filing to file only the tang, not the wood. Once the wood shape changes you have a can of worms.
Larry

 

[EC121]

The tang only needs to be about 1/8" thick. Enough to hold the tang screw head. You can file some off the bottom side or make some cross cuts for easier bending. Also you can undercut or saw off the radius in the corner of the tang lug. With the hole already drilled you have a weak spot. Leave the metal thicker there. Undercutting the tang prevents a humpbacked wrist by getting the bend started closer to the breech.

 

[bldtrailer]

I filed mine flush with the wood (flinter) and shaped it with the wood . Is the mortise in the stock straight ( no gap between the tang and stock) or will it take a bend as suggested above?

 

[lonewolf172]

I was told by Traditions NOT to bend tang just sand tang inlet

 

[Hatman/2nd line]

I've had a similar problem on past builds, you can bend the tang but do it as close to the barrel and then file it back once in the gun

 

[Buckskinn]

Just sanding tang inlet will probably not get you there unless you drop the entire barrel channel as well. Bend tang a bit and file what is left.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I need help with my Traditions Kentucky rifle build. I dry fitted all the parts when I came up with this issue/question. The barrel seemed to be completely in place but the tang 1/16-1/8" above the stock. Is the suppose to be completely straight or was it suppose to be bent down? If straight then does all the wood in the tang inlet need to be removedView attachment 110387View attachment 110388View attachment 110390

Get a candle. Hold the tang and the bottom 3 flats of the barrel for a couple inches over the flame. get an even coat of soot. now install the barrel and tap it lightly with a hammer. this will show you where you have metal touching wood for a possible high spot.