Wedge pin problems

[AeroncaTAL]

I'm having some problems fitting the wedge pins and escutcheons on my Great Plains rifle. Other than the factory routing out a little deep for the escutcheons, they fit pretty good. However, the wedge pins are hanging up on the left side, hitting the bottom edge just enough to keep them from going through. Before I take file to the plates, and completely messing this up, I thought I'd ask for a bit of advise from other GPR builders. I bow to your expert advise. :bow:
Scott

 

[Birddog6]

One the one I have howned forever it seems, I bent the pins just enough to make them clear easily. I also ground a lil shallow groove where they rest thru the underlug so the pin stays kinda locked in on that lil groove, but yet I can push them out.. I didn't want to file on the plates & also didn't want too much stress on the pins.

:thumbsup:

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Birddog,
How's the clearance in the underlug? Is the pin real tight to the underlug, or is there a bit of play? The rear wedgepin seems to be loose.
Scott

 

[Zonie]

Several people have had to bow the pins just a little bit to make them fit.

This can be done with a hammer but be careful. They are fairly soft and bend easily.
If you use this method, you might want to put a mark on the upper side so you will install them "right side up" each time their removed.

zonie

 

[Vaino]

I take it that the wedges go thru the bbl lugs but hit the backside of the opposite escutcheon? I always champfer the backside of the escutcheon slot quite a bit so the wedge has a lead in. If you want the wedges to protrude for pushing them out, I'd also bevel the wedge leading edges....Fred

 

[Birddog6]

Scott, On mine the slots were plenty open but it was trying to force the barrel against the wood too tight. So the easiest solution was to put a very slight bow in the pins, rather than try to reinlet the breech & barrel another few thousands. Also the tips of my pins have a slight bevel so they will start in the plates. Now when they go in the are pretty snug & when they hit the relieved area they kinda pop in place. I just opened the vice & tapped them with a ballpeen hammer. But take care you don't mess the head on the pin up as you may flatten it if ya don't have it positioned correctly. Do ity a little, check it, try again, etc. til ya get the perfect fit.
To make the lil inclusion on the pins (grooves) I took the barrel out & put the pins in the stock, put the stock in a vice, put inletting black on the underlugs & started the barrel in, insuring it was straight, and marked the pin closest to the breech. Then took a scribe & made a mark on each side of the area to be relieved & took that pin out. Then I did the same with the front pin.
I also took a engraver & marked them 1 & 2, the 1 being the front pin toward the muzzle & 2 being the one toward the breech. I mark all my wedge pins & also my RR pipes after I inlet them as sometimes you will have them out a dozen times during building a rifle & it is easy to mix them up & the RR pin holes will not line up then. So if I have 4 RR pipes, they are marked 1,2,3,4, from muzzle back toward the breech.

:thumbsup:

 

[AeroncaTAL]

Good advise all, I thank you much. Birddog, a bit of clarification. Do you groove the underside of the wedge pin where it will ride over the lug, as in my crude sketch?

I'll see if I can get to working some more with it tomorrow. Then it will have to wait for four or five days. My daughter and I are heading over to Central Oregon for deer hunting. It will be her first hunt; see if she can put some meat in the freezer...
Scott

 

[Birddog6]

Good advise all, I thank you much. Birddog, a bit of clarification. Do you groove the of the wedge pin where it will ride over the lug, as in my crude sketch?

Scott, that all depends on how what is not in alignment on YOUR rifle. I was telling you how mine was but that doesn't mean yours is the same problem. However IF yours is the same problem, yes, your drawing is correct. :thumbsup: