removing problem barrel pin

[tnlonghunter]

When I built my dad's Chamber's York rifle, I made a mistake on the rear-most barrel pin that has now come back to haunt us. What happened was that when I drilled the pin hole, it was at the vise-block on the stock. I didn't have a drill bit to get all the way through that portion of the stock, but it wasn't a big deal because I kept a long portion of the pin so I could remove it during construction.

Well, fast forward to completion. I assumed when it came time to file down the vise-block, it would reveal the other side of the pin hole. I kinda forgot to check for it, though. When I did the final assembly, I inserted the pin, cut it off and tapped it into the stock with a nail set. Only then did I realize that I hadn't drilled the pin hole all the way through, which means that I couldn't tap out the pin later :shocked2: :shocked2:

Now, the barrel needs to come out. During the storms in Nashville, the rifle got exposed to the rain for about 8 hours, and so we need to get the barrel out to clean any remaining rust from under the barrel. Of course, the problem is that I don't know how to get the pin out. Any suggestions would be most helpful.

 

[roundball]

I'm sure more knowledgeable people will offer a workable suggestion. For a similar sounding situation, one tip I was given on another site was to tightly clamp a piece of soft wood on the far side of the stock to cover the area where the pin should be coming out.....to keep the stock wood from splitting when the pin pokes through it.....then gently tap the pin that you already seated on through and out the other side.

 

[mazo kid]

If your rifle doesn't have pin escutcheons you may have to put them on. About the only thing I can think of is to carefully cut around the pin deep enough to grasp it with some small needle nose pliers and pull it out. Then finish drilling the hole through. You could then inlet a piece into the hole and drill it through from the opposite side.

 

[Vaino]

If the pin isn't real tight, I'd go at it inside the bbl inlet, so chisel down from the bottom flat, elongate the hole enough to grip the pin w/ long nosed pliers and push it out so it can be grabbed from the outside. If the chiseled hole bothers you, patch w/ epoxy and when hard, redrill the hole. Trying to find the blind end of the pin is hit or miss and could damage the stock....Fred

 

[D. Bowman]

If the pin isn't real tight, I'd go at it inside the bbl inlet, so chisel down from the bottom flat, elongate the hole enough to grip the pin w/ long nosed pliers and push it out so it can be grabbed from the outside. If the chiseled hole bothers you, patch w/ epoxy and when hard, redrill the hole. Trying to find the blind end of the pin is hit or miss and could damage the stock....Fred

How is he going to do that with the barrel in the stock?????

 

[tnlonghunter]

Roundball, that sounds like what I thought of.

Fleto, the only problem there is that it sounds like you're saying to get to the pin from the bottom flat of the barrel channel, which requires removing the barrel - which I can't do because I can't get out the last pin, if you follow. If I could get the barrel out, we wouldn't have the problem :rotf:

 

[Vaino]

You're right....lost it on that one....Fred

 

[Bruce Bogart]

And please if you are going to tap it thru use an appropriate sized PIN PUNCH! The nail set will open your pin hole up too big because it is tapered. Small firm taps, may take a bunch. Be patient. Been there done that!

 

[vikingsword]

I actually had that happen to me once and I got lucky with a capital L when it came time to getting it out and here's what I did. I first took the rifle and stored about four days in the dryest spot I could find, which helped shrink down the stock as much as possible, I then( and don't laugh now)took a section of pin stock and put a drop of quality super glue on the end of the pin and stuck it to the end of the barrel pin and let it set up. When I felt the glue had hardened I slowly twisted the pin back and forth and out slowly and it worked for me. Sounds rediculous I know but I used to be able to do this with a cloths hanger to help folks get back into their cars when they locked themselves out. It may not work for you the first time, but a couple tries will let you know for sure if it's possible on your gun. Wes

 

[Bill Hall]

If you think it's fairly close to the other side, I'm thinking tapping it through would be your best bet. If it's not very close, tapping it could bend it a little and get it jammed in there.

If you decide to push it out the other side, I would get something soft, like a piece of lead or even wood, and back up the exit hole so you don't get much splintering. Cover the backing material with soft cloth to protect the gunstock, lay it flat on a solid table, then lay the rifle on top and tap (following Bogies instructions) until the pin starts to enter the backing material. See if that's enough to grab with needlenose or vicegrips. If not, give it another go. Like I said, I would only try this if I thought it's already close to the other side. Bill

 

[Capt. Jas.]

If it's almost to the other side Maybe you could back the side with a piece of wood and try use a correct sized punch to send it thru just enough to dimple the area and show where it is. Then I would punch it out the other way that the pin originally went in the wood. Many light taps as opposed to heavy as the pin does not have a point.

 

[tnlonghunter]

Thanks guys. I think we'll see about giving Vikingsword's idea a try, since it seems to require the least potential violence to the stock. If that doesn't work, then we'll go with the center-punch and driving it through the other side very slowly.

 

[brubincam]

-----just clean your gun the normal way and use it--a little rust at bottom of barrel won't hurt anything-----old timers were in rain sleet snow and didn't take barrels off-----

 

[Birddog6]

What kind of steel is the pin ? And what is the diameter of the pin ?

 

[Blackfoot]

I would use JB Weld instead of super glue.
JB will work for you, it's tuff stuff.

 

[tnlonghunter]

I actually ended up using finish nails with the heads and points clipped off. There wasn't enough pin stock in the kit and I had a big box of the same diameter nails. They' just a breath under 1/16".

 

[roundball]

heads and points clipped off

By the way, if you didn't then touch the ends of those clipped off pins to a grinding wheel or something, you might be surprised to find that they each have a sharp raised line on them like a mini plow blade, where the cutters actually pinched then off...could work in your favor if you go the route of tapping it through.

 

[Birddog6]

I was hoping it was larger. If it were larger, possibly a jeweler could drill & tap the pi, screw in a lil a screw & then pull it out. You might call on & ask. Take a real jeweler, not one of these battery changers that can't do that well. :hmm:

I really don't think you will drive it thru, as you have a blunt end on the other end, & you will have to stay Directly centered on the pin or it will slip off & not drive it. Unless you KNOW it is real close to the surface. You might put a magnet to the wood there & see if it will stick to it, as if it does, it is fairly close.

If you did a lousy dovetail you may pull the barrel out &/or rip underlug off or bend the pin out, but that is pretty chancy....... :shake:

My opt. would be dig it enough to get a hold on it & pull it out. Then drill the hole thru, put in 2 escutcheon plates & go on.

Keith Lisle

 

[Capt. Fred]

Crazy idea here but I'm bored so here goes. What if you had a welder touch a wire electrode to the pin and as soon as it arcs remove the other clamp from the barrel. Now pull the pin out with the welding wire.

I'm just crazy enough to try the above technique with a 12 volt battery. Have somebody take a wire form the ground and touch it to the barrel, take a wire from the + and clamp it to another pin with vice grips and touch the "electrode" to the pin in the stock. As soon as it sparks have your buddy remove the ground wire from the barrel. Should only take a split second to melt the two together. :shocked2:

 

[Birddog6]

That could very well work. May want to practice on some scrap wood first. :hmm: In fact, you may be able to turn a wire welder down real low, expose the wire, stick it in the hole, turn the welder on & off with the trigger depressed & do just enough arc to weld the wire to the pin.

In fact, I just happen to have just finished welding. I am going to go try it just for the fun of it, give me something to do.

keith Lisle