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Lock Mortice. Mainspring getting into ram rod channel

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Sidney Smith

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I'm to the point in the inletting process of my lock, where the fat (the part that goes the deepest) part of the main spring is entering into the ramrod channel. Is this a problem? On my TVM Lancaster stock that I bought many years ago, that came with the lock mortice already partially inlet, and it had a similar situation. But since someone else had made that stock, I just thought it was how the lock was fit. I'm doing this one myself, and I've had to go pretty deep just to get the bolster to meet up with the barrel. Just wondering how common it is or isn't. I've still got to go probably another 1/8th inch deeper. Is it something to be concerned about?
 

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I'm to the point in the inletting process of my lock, where the fat (the part that goes the deepest) part of the main spring is entering into the ramrod channel. Is this a problem? On my TVM Lancaster stock that I bought many years ago, that came with the lock mortice already partially inlet, it had a similar situation. But since I'm doing this one myself, Just wondering how common it is or isn't. Is it something tio be concerned about?
It's only a problem if it interferes with the insertion of the rammer - In this case, if using a tapered rammer, it may make no difference. Get the lock seated properly and adjust afterwards...
 
I had thought of that. If that is the only issue it may cause, I can live with that. I t don't mind if the ramrod has to stick out from the muzzle a little. I normally leave them a tad long anyway. I'm more concerned with strength integrity being compromised on the stock in this area.
 
I had thought of that. If that is the only issue it may cause, I can live with that. I t don't mind if the ramrod has to stick out from the muzzle a little. I normally leave them a tad long anyway. I'm more concerned with strength integrity being compromised on the stock in this area.
Lots of stuff going on in the lock area, but a fragment of wood missing vs. left behind seems to matter little in the overall scheme of things. The area is also somewhat strengthened when the lock bolts sandwich the wood between the lock and the sideplate. The triggerguard below and the barrel above support the area in the other plane (bolt from the tang to the triggerplate or triggerguard) .
 
Depends on how much these things drive you crazy. If it doesn’t, just clean up the edges of the breakthrough so no stray splinters get in the lock mortise from putting the ramrod home.

Possibility #1 is the mortise is deeper than needed. Test by using inletting black on the lock and laying a piece of thin cardboard in the mortise. If you clear the cardboard, you can glue a piece of wood that thickness in the lock mortise. Win!

Possibility #2 is the ramrod hole drifted to the side. It’s not hard to enlarge the hole on the sideplate side. If it’s a 3/8” hole a 3/8” steel rod, even cold rolled, can be hammered on one edge of an end to create a lip sticking out. Then when the road is slipped in, it will scrape on one side. If you move the rod over 1/8” you could carefully cut into the ramrod hole, prep a piece of wood with a half round groove on the backside, slide a waxed steel rod home in the hole, and glue in your patch. Re-inlet the lock and you are good to go.
 
You're fine. If you're all freaked out abut it you can grind the mainspring back a little, but it shouldn't interfere with a tapered rod the way it is now. I usually bang into the barrel before I get into the RR hole, as was mentioned above, your RR hole may favor the lock side a little. No biggie.
 
My ramrod channel is drilled 5/16ths. Its for a .32 caliber squirrel rifle. On my Lancaster's stock, I wound up inlaying some fiberglass cloth soaked in epoxy just as a strengthener. I may do that just to fill in the hole. I'm just surprised how deep I've had to go into this stock to get the bolster of the lock onto the barrel. There is a lot of wood that needed to be taken down. I'm just happy to hear its not a real issue.
 
My ramrod channel is drilled 5/16ths. Its for a .32 caliber squirrel rifle. On my Lancaster's stock, I wound up inlaying some fiberglass cloth soaked in epoxy just as a strengthener. I may do that just to fill in the hole. I'm just surprised how deep I've had to go into this stock to get the bolster of the lock onto the barrel. There is a lot of wood that needed to be taken down. I'm just happy to hear its not a real issue.
Don't fix things that aren't a problem....
 
Could be a crooked ramrod hole, on my latest build from a precarve the ramrod hole made a turn toward the lock mortise. I made a scraper to go in from the lock mortise and turn the hole in the right direction.
 
Appears a number of preserves are cut too close to the final dimensions..the lock area needs to start out a little wider? ? ?

I had to ream out a rr hole on a pre carve that was too close to the spring. I drilled a couple small holes down in the bb channel, plugged in nails in to force the cutting rod over to slice on the side plate side. Ya, it was way over. 44" barrell.
 
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I had that problem on my TVM. About a dozen light strokes with a file on the spring a little cold blue and no more issue. ( it didn’t come from TVM with that issue, it happened when I converted percussion to flint.)
 
I measured the ram rod hole by sticking the end of a pointed file into the channel from the lock side until it touched the bottom (actually the side) of the channel. I marked the file with my fingers held against it and the side of the stock. I then moved the file (without taking fingers off the spot I marked) and laid it against the top of the stock and into the barrel channel. The ram rod channel is definitely favoring the lock side of the stock. I expected the file point to point slightly right of center of the barrel channel, which should have been a dead center ram rod channel. Instead the file pointed directly at the center of the barrel, which would indicate the ram rod channel is off by about 1/8th inch or so. I don't think this is going to be much of an issue, I plan to taper the rod, and if that doesn't work I'll just let it stick out of the muzzle a bit.

I do not plan to alter the lock in any way.
 
Sounds like you’re on good shape.

When I’m laying out a ramrod groove on a blank I spend a lot of time re-checking. It one of those pucker factor jobs.
 
I had the barrel channel and ramrod channel inlet by the stock maker. I don't have the skill or the tools, nor the desire to inlet those two areas......
 
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