Trouble with inletting lock-what's wrong?

[Dithsoer]

First, I would like to say how appreciative I am of this site and would like to thank everyone on it for all of the help that I have received. I would recommend this site to anyone new to muzzle loading/building as being as helpful and as necessary as any book on the subject.
I’m putting together an Armstrong kit from Track of the Wolf , Armstrong stock pre-inletted for a large Siler lock and a 7/8 Green Mountain .40 caliber barrel. My problem is with the inletting of the lock, since of course there is still some fitting to be done, even with a pre-inlet stock. In order to have the side of the pan flush against the side flat of the barrel, I have to inlet the lock so deep that it’s now about an eighth of an inch below the surface of the lock panel moulding and the pan is still at least an eighth of an inch away from the barrel, I. E. there is a gap yet between the barrel and the pan. I haven’t experienced this with the other kits that I’ve put together. I have to inlet the lock deeper until it touched the barrel, but by then the lock will be so far under the surface or level of the wood that if I removed wood from the lock panel (and side-plate panel for symmetry) I’ll just about have no panel/moulding left at all. Part of the area in the stock for the mainspring is already through to the ramrod channel. What gives? I can’t post pictures so I hope that my explanation is plain enough.

 

[Stophel]

Very common to see this. The lock inlets are usually not deep enough. They have a set pattern to fit various sizes of barrels (efficient, I suppose, but not the best way to do things). Your barrel is pretty small at the breech, so the lock is going to have to go in quite a bit over where they have it (for the largest size barrel they put in this pattern). Set the lock down to where the pan bolster presses against the barrel, then cut off all the excess wood around the lockplate.

The gun is going to end up MUCH narrower than it is now! Prepare your mind for it! :grin: Especially since that is a pretty small barrel coupled with a pretty thin lock bolster. Also be prepared to see the mainspring possibly break into the rod channel.

 

[Black Hand]

...then shape the wood to make new molding around the lock.

 

[rafterob]

Ditto to the other posters. Don't get stuck too much on what the stock looks like in its virgin form. Fit the barrel, fit the lock, fit the trigger etc.. Then shape the stock to the hardware.

 

[Vaino]

An experienced builder will allow for just enough wood on the lock panel { +1/32"} and remove the rest. No use inletting a lock through all that wood when you can just scale the dimension from the bolster to the lockplate chamfer and add 1/32" for the thickness of wood at the breech. W/ a staight bbl it's pretty straight forward and w/ a swamped bbl, the lock panel increases in thickness towards the wrist but the 1/32" is still maintained. Have you read any of the "how to" books....the photos and drawings help a lot..Good luck.....Fred

 

[Dithsoer]

Thanks guys, I feel much better about it now. I was afraid that someone was going to say something like "you mean you didn't. . ." or "you forgot to...". It's already starting to break into the ramrod channel, though. It sounds like everyone has a pretty good grasp of what's going on with it. Glad to hear that I didn't mess up. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Zonie]

Glad we could help you.

As several of us have mentioned before, all of the parts in the typical kits that are supplied by most of the vendors are just rough, semi finished pieces.

One has to look at them like they are the "raw materials". A starting place, so to speak.