Staked or Dovetailed?

[Old40Rod]

What are everyone's suggestions on staked v. dovetailed underlugs on a GM 38" .50 GM swamped octagon "B" profile barrel? How much does the "swamp" angle affect either one?

I have never worked on a swamped barrel before, and I am getting close to ordering parts for my winter project.
[url] http://www.longrifles-pr.com/gmswampedoctbarrels.shtml[/url]

 

[Zonie]

I use the staked underlugs but they did get me into trouble on one swamped barrel.
I forgot that the swamped area was thinner so I accidently drilled thru the barrel wall.
If you use these swaged underlugs be real careful.

I have never heard of one pulling out, but just to make sure I degrease the parts before swaging them and then I use low temperature silver solder to make sure they will stay put.
zonie

 

[Birddog6]

I normally use dovetailed underlugs. Have not done one on a GM that size but have done Lots of Colerain & Rice barrels in B-50 x 38" swamped & have never had a problem. I use a thin dovetail in the middle, about .040 on the base & never had a need to solder one there.

I did use staples on one rifle but just never did feel comfortable drilling towards the bore so that was the only one I did.

:grin:

 

[MikeChapin]

I have used both. Staples go in easy enough but doing the drilling for it will pucker the spincter. I always worry about breaking through.

A couple of years ago I built a .50 rifle with a tappered barrel. It went from 15/16" at the breech to 3/4" at the muzzle. I soldered the muzzle end lug but it would not stay. When I had to unbreech the barrel due to a dryball setting on the breechplug face I put in dovetailed lugs. I used the slim ones from TOW (UL-TC-1). These take a minimum depth dovetail and worked great, even out towards the muzzle where there was not a lot of metal to work with. It would be about the same amount that you have on the waist of the swamped barrel.

Just install the lugs flush with the barrel at the the particular point you are placing them. The pins won't care what angle the underlugs are at.

 

[Jim-Iowa]

First off, I'll admit I have never used a swamped barrel yet. I like the staked staples.
But heres a thought, why not either use the Staked or dovetailed on the front and rear where the barrel is thicker and solder the one where the barrel is thin? I would think the two end ones would have to fail before you could put stress on the soldered joint.

 

[bioprof]

The dovetails seem less risky to me. They aren't really that hard to do.

 

[Old40Rod]

I have used dovetails on straight octagons, so I'm comfortable with that. I just wasn't sure how difficult it would be dealing with the slight angle of the swamp. Maybe its over short enough distance to not be a worry.

Thanks for the info!

 

Dovetailed underlugs for me. The staked staples is asking for trouble on the swamped barrels. Make your own lugs by folding the .040 brass. No need to drill and the dovetails are not very deep nor do they need to be. Look at as many originals as possible. The dovetails on rifles today are cut much to deep.

 

[Old40Rod]

I ended up making my own on my pistol build after cutting the front underlug too wide... making your own actually makes things much easier.

 

[bioprof]

Old40rod,

The slight angle caused by the swamp won't cause any problems. Just cut the bottom of your dovetail parallel to the surface. I just dovetailed the barrel lugs on my first swamped barrel this year and soldered the one lug onto the thin part of the barrel. I could have probably just dovetailed it in like the rest, but didn't want to risk ruining a $200 barrel.

 

[Old40Rod]

after cutting the front underlug too wide

Sorry, I meant cutting the dovetail too wide for my store bought underlugs.

Thank you for the info. I am getting organized to start ordering, and hopefully will get things documented better for this build.

 

[Old40Rod]

DO NOT:
Cut dovetails or drill for barrel pin loops in the "waist" or smallest part of the barrel. Dovetails should not exceed .050 in depth.

From Buckeye Barrel's website....

 

[Vaino]

I make the lugs from .040 brass, file the square sided groove and start the dovetail w/ a safe sided triangular file and then use an upsetting chisel to fully form the dovetails. The upset is then pounded down to yield a very tight fit w/ the lug.......Fred

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I have 2 rifles with the barrels you describe and dove tailed both in the waist, as was stated above no deeper than .040. I also solder mine with Brownells Hi Force 44 soft solder.

 

Bingo!!! That's my method as well. No need for solder. They ain't gonna move or fall out.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

I use the solder more to make the dove tail whole again, not worried about movement.

Figure I just cut a slot in a skinny barrel :shocked2: and would rather go the extra step to make it solid material again :hmm: