Musket buttplate with no screw in top extension

[rich pierce]

Sometimes original muskets and fowling pieces have an elongated top extension but no screw holding it down. I have done this by pinning through the buttstock and through a tab on the underside of the top buttplate extension. On my current project, a Fainot fowling piece, I needed to use another technique because there is no sign of a through and through pin on Fainot fowling pieces. This technique can only work when the top extension can be slid forward. Not for complex shapes that do not taper forward.

Here is the Reeves Goehring buttplate with the tab cast in place already. You can see I filed a slot in the tab. This engages a square nail driven into the tab inlet in the top extension inlet. As the top extension is driven forward, the tab pulls the extension down because the slot is slanted.

This is the first time I've used this technique. Many of you may know it already. I will definitely use it again.

 

[LRB]

I used that method once years ago on an English style smoothie. Worked out very well. I just silver brazed a piece on underneath the extension, that went into an angled hole.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Rich,
That is the same plate I used on my recent fowler. Nice soft yellow brass. Easy to work. I like the peg idea but have not used it on anything yet. Nicely done.

dave

 

[Eric Krewson]

Will you be putting a screw in the buttplate where the return rolls over like this one or will there be two screws lower in the buttplate?

 

[rich pierce]

Just one lower down on the buttplate toward the toe. Odd but following Fainot's original work.