tang screw

[jasontn]

is a threaded tang screw a must on a longrifle? i have seen a few guns offered with just a large wood screw thru the tang? it is a small caliber lancaster styled rifle. wondering about this or if i should add the tang screw. the gun is a .40 caliber with a 13/16ths barrel
jason

 

[paulvallandigham]

Are you asking if you need a Tang Bolt, vs a tang screw? The screws are generally short wood screws, while the bolts are long enough to reach and screw into the trigger plate.

If the barrel is not of hooked breech design, then the tang screw has to be removed to do any thorough cleaning of the gun. That weakens the wood over time where the screw cuts threads into the wrist, and over the years, you get saw dust but no holding of the screw. For that reasons, bolts are often preferred, if the tang and trigger plate are designed to be long enough to connect together. You have the trigger, and trigger return springs attached to that trigger plate, and not all designs leave room for a bolt to be screwed into the trigger plate. When a bolt can be used, it is often smart to use some kind of washer, or spacer, or liner, between the two metal pieces so that you avoid crushing wood by tightening the bolt too much. I have seen liners made of brass tube, and plastic, and now aluminum to maintain the correct distance between the tang and the trigger plate. Glued into the wrist, these spacers add substantial strength to the weakest part of stocks, and the place where recoil may cause a split or crack to appear over time.

 

[frou frou]

Suppose a wood screw is used instead of a bolt, should I replace it with a bolt?

Was wood screws ever kosher?

 

[jasontn]

thanks paul thats what i was asking exactly. its offered on the kit im buying either way. i havent handled any custom or semi custom guns and all off the shelf ones have a tang screw going into the trigger plate that i have seen. the builder told me it was done to keep stress from the slender wrist of the gun. it was just an option he offered and im not questioning his skills or knowledge, just trying to make up my mind how to go with my gun. this being my first build i have been concerened about doing the drilling and tapping required with it.

 

[Jim-Iowa]

In most cases the tang bolt goes through the stock and is the front retaining bolt for the trigger plate. Since that really ties the whole unit together I would prefer the through bolt screwed into the trigger plate.

 

[George Holton]

There are many ways to repair a worn screw hole. anything from fill the hole with epoxy and lube the screw with parting material, screw it in , there you go new hole . invisible. or inlet a threaded metal tube and epoxy. use your imagination and todays wonderful adhesives, space age stuff. Bob :hmm:

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have a rifle with a wood screw through the tang. I do not like it. When that wood begins to crumble, I will change it to a bolt that mounts in the trigger guard. In the meanwhile, I have glass bedded the tang, and the back of the barrel so that there is no back and forth movement when the gun is fired.

I would recommend using the through bolt that screws into the trigger plate. It does add strength to the weakest area of the stock.

 

[Stophel]

Under normal circumstances, there will never be any reason to ever take the barrel out of the stock, so wearing out the screw hole is not a big issue.

I have a German rifle from about 1830, which was well-used (but well-loved :grin: ) that has a wood screw in the tang, and it is none the worse for wear. The Brass barrel rifle also has a wood screw and no triggerplate. Personally, I ain't crazy about them, but they're OK.

 

[jasontn]

appreciate it guys. i guess ill go with the wood screw for now i can always do as paul suggested and change it later. i do have flintlock cleaner that you can use to flush the barrel and not have to remove it.

 

[Stophel]

Take your barrel out (carefully), make sure the bottom is clean with no nasty rust, and put varnish on the bottom. It will do a good job of protecting the metal from rust and you won't have to worry about it.

Even without the neat little clamp on hose thingy, you can clean your flintlock without taking out the barrel. I prop the butt of the gun up on something with the touch hole pointing down, spit some water into the bore, and whoosh it out the hole. Repeat until clean. Any water that runs down the stock won't hurt it.

The little clamp on water whoosher sure is handy, though...

When I do a super plain rifle, I use a tang bolt, and just inlet a little square nut in the bottom of the stock for it to go into, rather than putting in a triggerplate...I hate triggerplates.

 

[jasontn]

we have these weld in bungs at work that are 1 inch long and are drilled and tapped for 8/32 second threads, how would one of those inlet under the tang work you think? your idea has me thinking dutchman

 

[Jim-Iowa]

That reminds me, do you finish the inside of the stock to protect it or leave bare wood?

 

[Stophel]

I do not finish the wood under the barrel. For two reasons. First, they just didn't really do so 250 years ago, and second, my thoughts are that should the gun get soaked, the water needs to get away from the barrel. With varnish on the wood under the barrel, it will tend to hold water standing, touching metal...causing rust.

There are two basic philosophically distinct groups in stock finishing. One is the camp that believes that wood should be sealed up as tightly as possible, to make it waterproof (which you can't do, short of totally impregnating it with polyurethane, and which you definitely cannot do while using period type finishes).

The other camp believes that wood should be protected, and "water resistant", but it needs to "breathe". I am of this second camp. I have been converted. :wink:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Alwys finish the stock mortises- barrel channel, tang mortise, triggerguard mortise, buttplate, patch box, and most of all the lock mortise with some kind of water proof finish. If you can, use a thin, epoxy resin in the lock mortise, carefully brushed on in a very thin layer on dried, clean, surfaces, and let it set up. It will strengthen this thin area of the stock. If there is any doubt about the stock inletting work at the breechplug, and tang, Glass bed those, too.

To protect the barrel in the stock, you can use a good synthetic grease, with a high melting point, and a low congealing temperture for all weather use, or a good water pump grease, or several coats of wax, of something like shellac, or lacquer on the bottom three flats of the barrel to protect it from rust. Some people like to do the side flats, too. I like to leave a bit of gap for stock movement as the wood expands and contracts, so that any sideways movement is not going to bend the barrel and affect my windage. Movement in the three bottom flats is all dependent on the proper design or construction of the barrel hangers, so that pin holes have slots in the hangers to allow some movement of the wood back and forth as the wood swells and shrinks through the seasons. Remember that the pins on the forestock simply Hang the forestock from the barrel. The forestock does not support the barrel.