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Iv'e got a wedge pin prob. Need Help!

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WildBillJr

32 Cal.
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I am trying to install the barrel on my Deerstalker for the first time and I ran into a problem. The barrel seems to fit ok, but the wedge pin will not go all the way through to the other side. It gets hung up on the top of the left side escutcheon. I am new to this and need some advice. Thank you for any help in advance.

wbj
 
Often, the simplest thing to do is put it in from the other side. Or-file the top edge of the left side escutcheon,or-peen the wedge between two bolts in order to bend it in the middle slightly and insert so the bend is up. That will make the nose of the wedge point slightly downward and hopefully not catch on the escutcheon.
 
Could it be the stock?

Probably not.

As said above, try bending the key just a bit and put it in bow side up. Before you do that, try flipping it over and putting the other side up.

This is a common problem with mass produced rifles that have keys. One that just lines right up is less common than your problem.
 
Thanks marmotslayer, I appreciate the info. I am new to this and I am not used to having to do anything to a new gun. Thanks again.

wbj
 
Don't hesitate to take a file to that key, or those escutcheons. It may only be a bit of a burr on the edge of some metal that needs to be removed to get everything working correct. Just go slow, and do lots of fitting, and less filing. Use some kind of marking dye on the key to tell you where its rubbing, or stopping. Lipstick works, and even a flow pen will do the job on metal surfaces. When its done, clean it off with a bit of alcohol.

Remove the barrel from the stock, and test the key to see of its running through and across to the other side escutcheon without the barrel in the mortise. If the key works properly, That will often tell you if you need to be checking the key, or the barrel hanger. :thumbsup:
 
WildBillJr said:
I am trying to install the barrel on my Deerstalker for the first time and I ran into a problem. The barrel seems to fit ok, but the wedge pin will not go all the way through to the other side. It gets hung up on the top of the left side escutcheon. I am new to this and need some advice. Thank you for any help in advance.

wbj


Make sure that you try the key all four ways FIRST...try it, turn it over, do same/both from other side. At least it will help you see where the "bind" is and then you can file or fix that.
 
Well, thanks for the help guys. I appreciate it. I have tried all the advice I have been given, minus any modifications, to no avail. I am not sure what to try first, filing the escutcheon or putting a slight bend in the wedge. Decisions, decisions.

wbj
 
If you took your wedge plates off and put the barrel back in the stock and insert the wedge and the wedge go's all the way thru and fastens the barrel to the stock without the plates, then file the one plate it's hanging up on!
 
I have had three Lymans (a deerstalker and two GPR's) and had the same situation with each of them. I just squeeze the barrel and stock together with enough hand pressure to tap the keys that last little bit with a small hammer. I know the manual says not to apply too much pressure to avoid cracking the stock, but I don't have to apply a great deal of pressure and haven't had any problems.
 
BV said:
I have had three Lymans (a deerstalker and two GPR's) and had the same situation with each of them. I just squeeze the barrel and stock together with enough hand pressure to tap the keys that last little bit with a small hammer. I know the manual says not to apply too much pressure to avoid cracking the stock, but I don't have to apply a great deal of pressure and haven't had any problems.

+1, the wedge is supose to be a little snug/tough to push in. At least I prefer a tight fit. that's why T/C makes this handy tool.
https://secure.tcarms.com/store/wedge-pin-puller-cat-no-7062.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If the key goes into both escutcheons easily when the barrel is out of the stock, then the problem is NOT the key, or the escutcheons. Its the Stock( warped) or the barrel and hangers. You should not have to press down hard on the barrel to get the key to go in. That "warps" the barrel, and gives very poor accuracy as the barrel heats up. Since the barrel is made of steel, its usually going to be the stock that is warped. SEND THE GUN BACK!

Sometimes, its just a burr on the slot in the hanger under the barrel that is moving the key out of alignment. That is why you take a look at that part, using marking dye on the key to show where its rubbing. What its rubbing against can be determined by looking at where on the key the dye is being rubbed off! If its a burr, then a fine file will remove it in short order and you are good to go.

Keys should fit tight enough so that they don't come loose in recoil. You don't want to lose one in the field. But, they should not require a Hammer to put them in, nor a gorilla-sized Grip around the wood and barrel squeezing the two together to get the key into its place.

More than 30 years ago, I was at a club range when a friend was shooting a CVA rifle. He is a very fine rifle shooter, but after his first shot he could not put the ball on the paper at 50 yds. He let the gun cool down, and fired a shot over a rest, and it hit the target, but was well away from where the sights were zeroed the year before.

He checked the sights. He had put witness marks on the bases of both the front and rear sights when he zeroed them the last Fall, and the sights had not moved.

So, he decided to take the keys out of the gun to remove the barrel. He got one key out easily, but the second one required the use of a claw hammer( mine) to pull it out. That T/C tool is a mini-claw hammer, BTW. When we got the key out, he could not put it back in the stock. After looking through the key hole, and using his huge hands to squeeze the barrel and stock together to try to put the key back( almost did so) I urged him to just shoot the gun that day without the key to see if that was the problem he was having with accuracy.

So, he shot the gun with just the one key in the stock, and the gun shot right to POA, and put 3 balls in the target touching, shot OFF-Hand, at 50 yds. He was ecstatic. His accuracy problem was solved.

The stock had warped as it dried out over our very dry winters here in Central Illinois. He took the stock back home, moved the escutcheon, and refiled the slot for the key, and the gun has shot just fine ever since.

Warping of the stock wood is becoming a common problem with production guns as they cut corners on production costs by using wood that are not well seasoned( dried- either air dried over a couple of years, or kiln dried) before the Barrel mortises are cut, unfortunately.

Part of the problem is that the kiln operators are used to drying construction lumber, that rarely are more than 1 inch thick. Blanks for stocks are necessarily more than 2 inches thick. It takes more time, and if the kiln operator doesn't know that(he should) or has failed to calculate the additional cost of keeping the wood in his kilns longer, you get wood that does not meet specifications.

Now the stockmaker is sitting with a truckload of wood, and demands to get the stocks made and out the door. He can't afford to ship the wood back to the kiln operator, and if he orders more wood, there is no guarantee that the new order will be any better than the last. Finding sources of kiln dried wood for this business is difficult, as there is not much of a market to support much competition. So, he runs the wood through his operations, and Hopes that most of the wood does not warp Too Badly so that the Company begins to complain about it too much.

Make the Company Complain! :cursing: :thumbsup:
 
After the keys are installed and removed a time or two, they go in easy enough by hand. I have not had any accuracy problems with any of the rifles.

I understand this is only recent experience with the same model rifle, but I believe your rifle will turn out fine with no headaches or problems whatsoever as did all of mine.
 
Well, I called Lyman this morning just to see what they would say. They were very nice and told me to file the top of the left plate, and that if I wasnt comfortable with that, they would make other arrangements. I told them I would try but I didnt want to void the warranty, they said it would not. The guns fit and finish I am happy with and dont want to send it anywhere and it get damaged. I filed the left plate and the pin still would not go in. So I put a slight bend in the pin,(those pins are hard to bend), and tried again. It still didnt fit, but with a slight tap with the handle of my hammer, it went through! What a nice looking and feeling gun when its all together! I want to thank everyone for the help and advice, I appreciate it.

wbj :hatsoff:
 
Now is the time to learn what was wrong. Take the key out of the gun, and look to find where it was Rubbing. The Tight spot will be rubbed Bright. Then you can decide whether a few strokes with a fine file at that spot is needed so that you can put the key back in without the hammer. :barf: :shocked2: I know you will hate taking that key out now that its In, but please, you need to be able to disassemble the rifle in the field without the use of a hammer or Rock, and then put it back together again. :thumbsup:
 
Good advice Paul. I hated taking a file and hammer to it, but once I got it together, boy was I happy! What a sharp looking and good feeling gun! I will take it apart this evening and see what the problem is. Thanks again.

wbj
 
has anyone ever heard of or tried to steam or somehow wet their forestock, reassemble a tight barrel and let dry with any corrective results? My lyman trade rifle is a tight fit, requires a large amount of force to put wedge in or out.
 

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