Question on inletting barrel channel

[Howie1968]

I have a TC hawken pre warning I picked up when I got back into traditional muzzleloading after a 35 year time out. the gun came in 50 caliber. I wanted a round ball barrel for it so I bought the green mountain 32 in 1-66 twist .54 caliber. the rifle when I first attempted to put it together it was in a bind around the patten breach area and along the sides. when I take the rifle out of the stock and put it back together its a pretty snug fit to where I have to squeeze it fairly to get it back together. My question is how tight or how loose is the barrel supposed to be in the stock? there are no cracks or spinters its just a snug fit the wedge key I have to use pretty good thumb pressure to get it seated. thanks for any help you all can give me

 

[Larry Akers]

It should be a "slip-fit" not an "interference-fit".

 

[bubba.50]

It should take just enough ”˜squeeze’ as you call it to snug the barrel solidly in it’s channel and to keep the wedge from fallin’ out.

Try loosenin’ the tang screws a few turns. Then when you put the barrel in tighten them to just a shade past snug. If the tang is loose after you remove the barrel, bed it with accra-glas or JBweld or some such.

 

[Vaino]

I agree....when the stock/bbl ass'y is turned upside down, the bbl should easily fall out. When the finish is applied to the bbl channel, the fit will become closer but should always be a slip fit....in fact who cares if there's a couple of .001s "slop" which nobody will ever see.....Fred

 

[Howie1968]

Thank you men

 

[Col. Batguano]

If it's somewhat snug, the way I get the barrel out is to turn the gun upside down, support the front end, and then tap upwardly on the butt stock near the comb or wrist. The tang generally comes loose then so the barrel can be extracted from back to front. If it's a swamped barrel then the barrel can be pushed forward some to loosen the fit. Boing. It's out with no forcing of things.

You don't want to try to pry the barrel out from the front. The wood is pretty thin up there and it would be easy to crack or break the stock.

 

[Pete G]

It is a hooked breach.

 

[Howie1968]

thanks to all, I got it fixed no more binding comes out of the stuck easy and goes in easy no binding pretty simple fix