Twisted tang

[mahkagari]

My tang has been inlet and one side sticks up about 1/8" more than the other. When I lipsticked it, only the tip of the tang makes contact with the stock. The lower side is nearly flush with the stock. Once the tang bolts are in, I don't think it will make any difference structurally. So, it's an aesthetic question of whether to file that 1/8" flush.

Thoughts?

Right side sticking up:


Right side full:



Left side:

 

[Len Graves]

Here is my long range answer. Bear in mind the best way to determine what is your best solution would be to see the project directly. I have found the most likely problem is the wood being carved not exactly on center. Remove the barrel and look down it to check if there truly is a twist in the tang. If so bend it straight. If not I would fully inlet the tang to the bottom of its slot and check again. If still off (1/8" is a lot) file the tang to match the wood. I don't know if I am conveying exactly what I mean, but I have encountered the same problem and corrected it quite easily. Good luck.

 

[54ball]

My tang has been inlet and one side sticks up about 1/8" more than the other. When I lipsticked it, only the tip of the tang makes contact with the stock. This "tip" of contact is likely whays holding the whole tang and breech proud of the stock. It needs to be inlet. That whole assembly needs to come down. It's not down until it's flush with the stock wood at the breech. To me this is more of a concern now than the twist. The lower side is nearly flush with the stock. Once the tang bolts are in, I don't think it will make any difference structurally. Incorrect! You never trust screws or bolts to force fit fitment. The part needs to be inlet and fit correctly. So, it's an aesthetic question of whether to file that 1/8" flush.
With it not in hand it's difficult to see the degree of twist. It could simply be filed or you may need to tweak the twist or slightly adjust the bend. For definite you need to bring that whole assembly down.
Thoughts?
Building these with proper fit is more work, tedious work than a first time builder can imagine. That and the learning curve takes time time time on the first few rifles. Simply put though...It must be done and done right and that takes time. If it was easy, everyone have have a Hawken.

Right side sticking up:


Right side full:


It's hard to tell...near impossible with out being in hand but is the tang assembly square with the top flat of the barrel? If not it needs to be pretty close. A file can only do so much. Do you have the barrel and tang glued together, going down as a unit?
Left side:

 

[Davemuzz]

It would seem to me that since you have that tang already screwed on an octagon barrel, then you should be able to just lay that flat of the barrel on a flat surface (the barrel flat that you will ultimately have your sight(s) installed on) and then simply measure each side of the tang from the same flat surface. The measurement should be exactly the same. If it's not, then you have a twist in the tang. If the measurement is the same, then as others have said, you have an inletting "matter."

 

[gferlitsch]

What you do depends on the source of the problem. If the tang is not square to the top barrel flat then the breech plug may need to be refitted. If the tang is square to the barrel and assuming the barrel was inlet square to the stock, then likely there is more wood on one side of the wrist than the other and you may have to file the high side of the tang to mate it to the wood.

 

[Zonie]

Just looking at the pictures, it looks like the barrel might not be fully inlet into the stock.

As this barrel has a snail type breech which should be resting snuggly on the lock plate, have you checked the lock to snail fit to make sure the barrel is fully down to the position it needs to be?

If the barrel needs to be moved down in the wood it may turn out that the protruding area of the tang is close to "right" and the other side is a bit low.

Don't try to correct this tang "issue" until your sure the barrel to lock fit is right.

 

[MSW]

I agree with Zonie. if the barrel isn't square and true, you'll 'pay the piper' later on

 

[Len Graves]

Zonie Is definitely right. I didn't see it in the pictures but he did. It's better to take off wood to the metal than the other way.

 

[Herb]

The tang may be bent. I have several original GRRW 1 1/8" tangs without plugs. They all have a slight bend to the right at the narrow part of the tang, kind of a built in cast-off. Carl Walker of the old GRRW who gave them to me says he straightens them carefully without heating the tang. Take the barrel out and hook the tang on. It must fit fully against the plug. Then sight down the tang and barrel. If it is twisted or bent, you can see it. If twisted, you need to heat it red forward of the narrow waist where the twist starts and twist it straight, using a crescent wrench. If if is really bad, send it back to the supplier, is it Track of the Wolf? Your barrel looks fully down based on the side flat. You need to put the lock in the inlet and make sure the plug is fully down into the snail inlet. Your tang does not look right to me.

 

[Col. Batguano]

I just went through this exact same issue with my current build, though part of my problem was that the web was too thick, and I was short of wood immediately behind the breech area. The solution was to thin the web by lowering the barrel in the barrel channel, and go from there.

You probably need to relieve some metal near the plug part of the barrel plug to get the tang to bend there. If you are grinding it away, remember to make a curved swoop where the metal makes its' bend. If you square it off, it will be prone to break when you go to bend it.

If you bend it when it's hot you will probably stress the metal less than trying to bend it cold too.