Underpin Drill Jig

[MikeChapin]

Years ago I picked up a jig for drilling barrel pins. This thing worked great for drilling holes for the pins with a hand drill. During the six moves I have had it seems to have disappeared along with the 3/8 ramrod drill bit it was taped to. Replacing the drill bit is easy enough, I have found a couple of places to get it. Replacing jig is something else. I don't remember where I got it twenty years ago and have seen nothing around that is anything like it.

The jig had a right angled piece of brass that snugged to the muzzel and the top flat of the bbl. To the side of this piece was a hole for a 1/4 or 3/8 steel rod that was held in place with an allen screw. On the rod was another piece of machined brass that could be moved along the rod and along the top flat to the place you wanted to drill your hole. You could lock this with another allen screw.

On the side of the sliding piece was a round piece of steel with an offset 1/16 or 3/32 hole through it. This piece could be rotated in the brass and locked in place with another allen screw.

It was a simple matter to move everything down to the underlug you wanted to drill, line up the hole and lock everything in place. You put the barrel back in the stock, put on the jig and then drill the hole.

Has anyone seen a jig like this or know where I can pick up another. It was the greatest thing since sliced bread for doing the job it was designed for.

 

[Hoyt]

Here's a couple that might work.. Jig 1 Jig No. 2

 

[CoyoteJoe]

I've seen some simple jigs for locating the hole but these are just a piece of angle stock. one side is clamped to the barrel top flat and the other leg has a series of holes corresponding to various barrel diameters. These jigs only locate the hole, they don't actually guide the drill to keep it straight. Not nearly so complex as what you describe.

 

[MikeChapin]

Here's a couple that might work.. Jig 1 Jig No. 2

I've seen both of these jigs. I'm going to pick up Jig #2. It looks like just the trick for tang bolts. It should also work for underlugs once you get the position marked on both sides.

:imo: Jig #1 looks like it doesn't buy you much. It seems you could get the same effect with about the same amount of work with a good T-Square.

I've got a bunch of old Muzzle Blasts and Muzzelloader from that time period. I'll look through there. Maybe I found it in there at that time. With luck the guy will still be alive and in business.

 

[Birddog6]

For some reason I don't see a picture of what you are describing. But if you look in Muzzleblasts you will see a Drilling Jig for doing the barrel/inderlug pins & etc. I always called it a drill point jig & don't remember what they call it. I made mine with a hand made "C" clamp years ago, but if I needed a new one for the hassle of making it I would buy the one from Cains Ourdoors or MSM in the Muzzleblast ad.

 

[MikeChapin]

For some reason I don't see a picture of what you are describing. But if you look in Muzzleblasts you will see a Drilling Jig for doing the barrel/inderlug pins & etc. I always called it a drill point jig & don't remember what they call it. I made mine with a hand made "C" clamp years ago, but if I needed a new one for the hassle of making it I would buy the one from Cains Ourdoors or MSM in the Muzzleblast ad.

Birddog: I've seen a few jigs homemade from a C clamp. Building one is a little beyond my metal working skill and tool set. I'm going to order one from Cains next week along with a ramrod drill.

The jig I described is not much more that a chunk of brass to fix the muzzle and a metal rod attached to it where another piece of brass can move along to spot the drill holes.

It is really simple but difficult to describe. If I had a milling machine it would not be difficult to make one. And if a frog had wings he wouldn't bust his butt everytime he jumps.

The maker probably went out of business. It looks like I was the only one who bought one of the things.

 

[Birddog6]

This is one I made years ago from an old homemade "C" clamp made out of a flat piece of plate steel. Crude but it has served me well for years.

 

OOH! This gave me an idea!

Could I possibly modify my Lyman Case trimmer and use it as a drilling jig? It looks almost exactly like what you just posted, Birddog.

 

[Birddog6]

If that is what it will take to make it work,it is yours to try. I just had this calmp & it was easy & that is what I used.
:thumbsup:

 

[MikeChapin]

Birddog: Your homemade jig looks like the one I'm going to order from Cain's - Nice.

I've been though "Muzzle Blasts" from 1979 to 1983 so far with no luck. I am going to look up though '85. I still have "Muzzleloader" and the "Buckskin Report" for the same period to go. Just like the old song - "Life gets tedious, don't it".