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Help !!! Removing barrel pins

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Once the pins are removed I invert the gun and tap the heel of the stock on my stool or something generally soft so the breech releases while holding the stock and barrel near the breech (so I catch it as it releases) with one hand and somewhere near the first pipe with the other hand. Then invert back and slowly and gently work the rest out with the muzzle braced on my bench, if tight. (Jim Kibler has an excellent video of this technique somewhere on his youtube.)
 
I have a rifle from the 70s that the builder used finishing nails for the pins, the problem was he left the heads on. I needed to do a trigger guard repair and had to remove the pins, each took a chunk of of wood out on their exit. I made the repair, patched the holes, installed proper pins and abandoned any future plans to pull the barrel or any other thing that was pinned.
 
I am always amazed that guys will spend close to $1000 for materials (wood, barrel, TG, BP) and then NOT spend $2 on a perfect piece of material (music wire) for their pins. I understand about using something makeshift (like a cut off paper clip) for a permanent piece like wedge capture pins, or stripped electrical wire for making muzzle cap rivets, but barrel pins are made to go in and out with some frequency.
 
Put a fine coating of gun grease on the part of the barrel that goes into the stock, and you'll never have issues with rust.
 
On removing a pinned barrel from a stock that required a major repair I noted a good deal of rust had formed between barrel and forestock. I refinished the barrel before reinstallation, including rubbing a heavy coat of beeswax into the warmed metal. Had to replace the vent liner about five years later, and found rust at all. I'm a real fan of beeswax rubbed in hard on metal heated with the wife's old hair dryer.
 
Someone told me once to coat the bottom of the barrel and barrel channel with wax from a toilet ring to help seal out water every time you remove a barrel. I almost never pull barrels but when I have I’ve never seen a problem; I’m not sure if the wax really helps, but it always made me feel better.
 
I also have heard of that, and I use the old bees wax toilet ring. just remember that they are not beeswax any more, they are silicone, or some other synthetic material.
 
I have a Chris Hirsch as well.....yes to the tapered pins, go into same holes and push lightly out from left to right, flint up, then reverse in right to left...every time. Never a problem.
 
On my full stock Hawken I pinned the barrel as I liked the look better than wedges. I remove the barrel for cleaning so I can place the butt in a bucket of water and plunge a patch back and forth until clean. I always remove and replace pins in same hole and same direction. I did inlet small oval inlays to prevent any wood chipping and it looks good (to me). I also use old bicycle spokes for pins, very hard.
 
I am always amazed that guys will spend close to $1000 for materials (wood, barrel, TG, BP) and then NOT spend $2 on a perfect piece of material (music wire) for their pins. I understand about using something makeshift (like a cut off paper clip) for a permanent piece like wedge capture pins, or stripped electrical wire for making muzzle cap rivets, but barrel pins are made to go in and out with some frequency.
Small dia. oxy welding rod has worked for me. It is strong and copper washed, doesn’t rust in a loop or hanger.
 
Most reamers are tapered😉
There are straight reamers (they will have a lead on them) that are the most common and would be used to cleanup a hole, thought I never heard of anyone using anything other than a drill for barrel pin holes. The hole in the under lug is then elongated with a small needle file to allow for expansion and contraction of the stock wood. Tapered reamers (the set I have are tapered 1/4” per foot) would typically be used to match a hole to tapered pin. Not aware of anyone using other than straight pins for barrel lug pins, but if someone is using tapered pins, would be interested learning about their source and how they install them. A one inch long pin is going to be just over .020” different in diameter from end to end.
 
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