Seating the Lock, Hammer rub & lock to barrel fit

[rootnuke]

I know I have the answer to this in my books but I wanted to ask anyway. I just got my large Siler lock in and decided it was time to get it seated into the stock.

The stock was pre inlet and ready to go for a Siler from TOW with only minor trimming.

After a little trimming I get the lock seated but I discover that the lock stands off from the barrel about 1/16" on one side. I came to the conclusion after eliminating the debth of the inlet as the problem that the hammer was making the lock stand out.

The next photo illustrates a tiny rub just forward of the hammer.

I removed the spring from the back side of the lock which allowed free movement of the hammer. As a result of the free movement of the hammer I could see the gap change as the hammer moved forward and back. Also as stated above the marks began to apear where the hammer was rubbing the stock.

Long story short here is the question(s)

The lock assembly should butt flush like a glove to the side of the barrel?

In order to acheive the flush fit with the lock to the side of the barrel light trimming of the stock is needed?

I know the is a really basic question but the lock area is not easy to hide if I make a stock to lock ****oo.

So do I just ever so slightly remove material to gradually seat the lock and acheive a lock to barrel glove fit?

 

[Birddog6]

Well, first thing I do is get the barrel in & pinned in so I know it is not moving & the tang is down in place. Next I strip the lock of all hardware & I fit the lock to the inlet & get the barrel/flashpan fit. When the lock is in properly & the fit is correct & no wobblesof the plate & etc., then I lower the lock panels to the place I want them to be. Then I drill the lock & sideplate bolts & insure the lock is in, flush & correct. Then I put the cock back on & I rub it back & forth & see if it is rubbing the wood & remove ONLY the wood in the area rubbing, so you may end up with a lil recess groove there, sometimes not, all depends on the style of lock, rifle, etc.

DO NOT grind off on the inside of the cock where it is rubbing, as the part that is usually draggin is to stop the cock when it is in the down position. When you have all clear, then install the remaining parts of the lock one at a time & remove wood as only necessary to make the lock function as required. Every part ya put on, insure you have maintained the lock fit in the inlet & the pan/barrel fit is staying true.

Probably 100 dif ways of doing this, this is how I do it usually..

 

[Zonie]

"...So do I just ever so slightly remove material to gradually seat the lock and acheive a lock to barrel glove fit? "

Yup.

Ideally, when the lock is tightened, the lock will be just touching the barrel. There shouldn't be over about .003 maximum clearance between the lockplate and the barrel when you finished. That's about the thickness of one piece of paper.
If the lock interferes with the barrel just a mite, that, IMO is better than having a gap bigger than .003.

Aside from the picky gunmakers who look for stuff like this on other peoples guns, the best reason you don't want a gap between the lock and the barrel is because a gap will let loose powder from the pan fall down into the lock cavity.
When a Flintlock fires, there's a possibility that it could touch off this powder.
It might be kinda embarrassing to have to walk down 2 benches and ask for your lock back. Sometimes the guy on the next bench won't have a good sense of humor either. ::

Anyway, when you get the lock depth down real close, techniques like glueing sandpaper to thin pieces of wood or a small stick can work to remove the last little bit of wood that needs removing.
If you have a GOOD Woodworking Store around, look for a Sanding Stick. These have little abrasive "belts" which can easily be replaced. They are Great for getting down into little places where you want to sand but your finger is too large. Here is a place to look at what I'm talking about:
SANDING STICK

If your REAL good with a razor sharp chisel that too can work if you remember the thickness of the chip meeds to be so thin you can almost see right thru it.

Although this kind of fitting is tedious, it is exactly the thing that makes your gun 100 times better than anything you can buy from a factory.
Happy Building! ::

 

.The lock assembly should butt flush like a glove to the side of the barrel?

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yes
if you have to much of a gap you will find bowder down in your lock when you clean it .

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In order to acheive the flush fit with the lock to the side of the barrel light trimming of the stock is needed?
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Finishing the stock along the cock fall on a flint or the hammer on a cap lock is done while seating the lock and usually is not done for you.
Seat your lock lightly in place at full cock. Now make a light mark on you stock along the hammer stop "mark along were you show in the pic and also on the left side of the cock . The stop is the flat side on the back of the cock , if you lower the cock to its full forward position you will see it as it is what stops the cock from hitting the pan its that notch that sitting ontop of the lock plate ot fence if you have one..
Take just a 1/16 off at a time tells you can fully seat your lock by just sitting it in place and the cock has full travil without rubbing .

 

[Darkhorse]

Before you finish seating the pan against the barrel, check the end of the pan for burrs, mismatches or rough finish marks that may cause small gaps. If you find any, and even if you don't, hone the end of the pan perfectly flat and smooth. Now when you fit it flush against the barrel there should be a perfect flush fit with no where for the prime to work into the lock.
You will appreciate taking the extra time later on when you pull the lock for cleaning and there is NO powder or residue inside.