Barrel Channel Issue on a New Stock

Gentlemen, I picked up a partially inlet stock for cheap at a flea market. The stock is maple, barrel inlet, lock has not been inlet and the stock is shaped (1/2 stock). It is clean and has a decent grain to it.

I'm hesitant to ask the question as I keep reminding myself of the old saying "it it better to remain silent and be thought a fool that open ones mouth and remove all doubt"...with that said...I have to ask the question; what is the best way to finish the inlet on the barrel? I have books to describe how to inlet a barrel from a stock blank, but have not found too much information on how to open up the barrel channel on an octagon barrel. The barrel is inlet and the stock is marked for a 1" barrel, but my 1" Green Mountain barrel will not drop into the inlet. I need to widen the inlet just a little so the stock will accept the barrel, obviously I do not want it to look like manure so I ask for your expert advice. How do you do this task? What tools do you use? Please don't think I'm totally unskilled, I'm just not a stock builder or at least not yet. I can rebuild engines, transmissions, gear boxes and axles on horseless carriages. I have build garages, home additions, pored concrete, lay blocks, put on roofs and run various farm, construction and industrial equipment. I know I could dive right into the stock hacking away at the wood like a mad beaver and get the barrel to fall into place, but I don't want to end up with gaps or worse a chunk of firewood when I'm finished. Your suggestions please...

Watch a few YouTube videos. The here are several , Raby started with a blank board. Most use inletting black and a very sharp wood chisel

sportster73hp said:

Watch a few YouTube videos. The here are several , Raby started with a blank board. Most use inletting black and a very sharp wood chisel

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I had a 15/16" channel, 1" barrel. Used the barrel itself to scrap the sides to the correct diameter. Did not have the breech plug installed and the breech end is SHARP on the edges and just cuts little slivers as you work the barrel edges in the channel. You need to take off 1/32" off each side. Not much. Just my method. The pro builders will have better ideas i am sure. I was slow and careful amd it seemed to work ok. Took 1/2 hour or so.

I made a tool out of a chisel the shape of the barrel. Basically ground down the chisel to fit three flats, sharpened it and used it to scrape the barrel channel. The only problem is I made it to fit a 54 caliber and then had to make is smaller to fit the 40 that I'm working on now. No bid deal though.

If you use the breach end of the barrel as your scraper you will have a significant gap in the center if your barrel is swamped.

!!

Maybe I should have explained my self better. I have read of people using rasps (seem too aggressive to me), chisels and knives to open the last little bit of a barrel channel. I have a couple of ideas rattling around in my head about how to accomplish it, but before a simpler way passes me by...I thought I would ask what folks here are using and why.

sportster73hp said:

Watch a few YouTube videos. The here are several , Raby started with a blank board. Most use inletting black and a very sharp wood chisel

Click to expand...

I have watched some of Mr Raby's videos and he does an great job!

Buckskinn said:

I made a tool out of a chisel the shape of the barrel. Basically ground down the chisel to fit three flats, sharpened it and used it to scrape the barrel channel. The only problem is I made it to fit a 54 caliber and then had to make is smaller to fit the 40 that I'm working on now. No bid deal though.

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I made a similar device from an old Stanley screwdriver to scrape the inside of powder horns. Heated it up, flattened it out, bent it 90 degrees, rounded it off on the bottom and re-hardened it. Worked like a charm for the horn. I like what you've done for a tool for the barrel channel, I will certainly consider it!

Buckskinn said:

If you use the breach end of the barrel as your scraper you will have a significant gap in the center if your barrel is swamped.

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That would certainly be problematic. Lucky for me my barrel is straight.

If your barrel isn’t finished on the out side the first step is to draw file the machine marks off. Then sand the flats smooth and sharp. If you did this after you inlet the barrel you get a loose fit.

Take a short piece of 15/16ths barrel wrapped with emery or red oxide paper?

Phil Coffins said:

If your barrel isn’t finished on the out side the first step is to draw file the machine marks off. Then sand the flats smooth and sharp. If you did this after you inlet the barrel you get a loose fit.

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Very good point! The barrel I plan to use is finished.

bubba.50 said:

Take a short piece of 15/16ths barrel wrapped with emery or red oxide paper?

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That was one of the ideas rattling around in my head. I have done something similar with a dowel rod for a round barrel on a modern rifle with good results.

There is no secret trick to it. Inletting black and an extremely sharp chisel does the job.

bubba.50 said:

Take a short piece of 15/16ths barrel wrapped with emery or red oxide paper?

Click to expand...

Got to be real careful with sand paper on a to size backer or you will quickly have a sloppy oversized barrel channel.

If you want a good job there is no quick/easy way to do it. As pointed out sharp chisels and scrapers used carefully with a minimal inletting black is the way.

You don't need to remove much. A scraper and/or sandpaper wrapped around a file for the sides.

I use sandpaper backed up with a short piece of a 1 X 2 inch board to open up the width of a barrel channel in a pre-inlet stock.
As most of you know, a 1 X 2 board is actually 3/4 X 1 3/4 in size so it fits in the channel without problems.

My reason for using this to finish the size of the channel is because long ago I learned that going slow and sneaking up on the final size is a lot safer than charging ahead with some aggressive tool and ending up by going too far.

Yah, it takes a lot of sanding but it works for me.

A piece of wood, 1/32 smaller in width than the barrel channel, 10" long x 3/4". Attach 220 grit paper to the sides only with spray adhesive. Slide the block up and down the barrel channel a couple of times and check the fit. Repeat while keeping the block pressed down and riding square to the bottom.
You don't need to remove much.
I think Zonie and I were typing at the same time.

With out using inletting black to know what spot and what side to work on the spots that don’t need opened up will be as well as the tight spots. A barrel inlet is rarely straight so focusing on the right spot to remove wood makes the difference between a clean nice job and the common home made look.

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...ols/octagon-barrel-bedding-tool-prod6777.aspx I used this on my last "SWAMPED BARREL" project....WORKED PERFECTLY!

Inletting black and a scraper for me.

Stink koat: I'd be interested in how you do a swamped barrel channel with a tool that is set at one fixed width for straight inlets??? I guess you get a width for the narrowest point and then only scrape on one side at a time like a normal scraper?

Thanks all for the advise! Chisels, Scrapers and Sandpaper backed by a flat edge or wooden block, exactly the variety of answers I was hopeful to get. You've all given me options and something think about. I'm certain with a little elbow grease and the correct application of tools, the barrel will soon fit the channel.

Scrape, scrape, scrape....check fit with inletting black. Scrape some more....