Underlug - Brass vs Steel?

[Greebe]

I have a bunch of parts on order for a build and it comes comes with staples instead of dovetailed underlugs. I am going to order some dovetail underlugs and noticed that TOTW carries both brass and steel.

Which is preferred and why?

Thanks

 

[galamb]

Either will work.

The lugs are there to fasten the stock to the barrel not the barrel to the stock so the brass is more than strong enough to do that.

Curious though, why not use the staples. They are HC, work fine, are somewhat easier to install (although the first time the "fear factor" of accidentally drilling into the bore is way up there - although no worse than buggering up a dovetail - going too wide or too deep).

The only place I use "lugs" is on swamped barrels because you can't drill into the waist - in fact you can't dovetail either so they have to be soldered on. And I won't mix lugs and staples.

If using lugs I generally go with steel - just because - never really sat down and thought about "why". I don't see an "advantage" to using one over another.

On a probably "doesn't matter" note - dis-similar metals can react to each other under some circumstances. Boat builders know this and wouldn't mix brass and steel due to the possibility of "galvanic corrosion" where one metal starts "eating" the other (not really, but best way to explain the result).

Don't know if this would apply to a rifle barrel, but given there are some "brass" barrels out there, I might tend to use a lug of the same material as the barrel :idunno:

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
Are you going to pin your barrel or use barrel keys?

dave

 

[Stophel]

I've never been a fan of the "staples". Doesn't look like a very solid system to me AT ALL.

And I don't know if they're "Historically Correct" either.... Never seen nor heard of an 18th century gun with anything like them. I have seen a 19th century barrel with something that only vaguely resembles the staples (they were FAR more solid in appearance, and obviously cut in and pressed into place with specialized machinery). I would be interested in seeing old examples.

I have used brass barrel tenons on one gun years ago. I'd prefer the steel ones. The brass is pretty soft and I just feel better with steel tenons. Of course, I dovetail AND solder them in place... :grin:

 

[Vaino]

I make the bbl lugs using .040 thick brass sheet. They are made by folding the brass and then are soft soldered. I like brass because it's easier to elongate the pin holes. Never had any trouble using brass....the forestock is pretty flimsy and it doesn't take much to hold it to the bbl......Fred

 

[galamb]

The underlug or staple is barely holding "anything", they don't have to be tough.

And here's a pic of a barrel on a Dickert rifle, which is perhaps the "definition" of an Early Lancaster.

I will give you it looks like it has more "meat" than the staples that Track sells (it is probably hammer forged iron), but it is certainly "not" dovetailed in there.

 

[kaintuck]

Brass +1! :bow:
Easy to work with and dress with a file to match the barrel etc....like Fred says, you can make them easy and quick...and, the contrast to the steel on the barrel has a cool factor too....but you only see them with the barrel outta the stock~but still nice......

Round those edges IMMEDIATELY!!!!

Marc