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Wedge Key - insert from left or right?

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MN284

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With my Investarms (Cabelas) Hawken flinter I have always inserted the wedge key from the left side, like you would a sight in a dovetail. However, found my manual from 17 years ago and it says to insert the wedge key from the right to the left!

Which is correct?

Tom
 
All my original muzzle loading arms that have wedges are inserted from the left side. Colts revolvers are the same.
 
I was just reading "Recreating the Kentucky Rifle" today and the author stated the wedges were normally inserted from the left. That being said, if I have a rifle where the wedges stay in better from the right I might do that or adjust the barrel tenons.
 
All views with muzzle away from you ...

WEDGES - Insert from left to right for RH’d arms and from right to left for LH arms. This has been proven from originals ...

PINS - Man, some bad info going around, as from any arm from matchlocks and on, pins and sights into dovetails go IN from right to left and OUT from left to the right. Again proven from
originals ...
 
TOMAS,
I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE KEY WAS INSERTED FROM THE RIGHT SIDE.
HOWEVER, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS TO ALWAYS INSERT IT FROM THE SAME SIDE EVERY TIME.
BECAUSE THESE "KEYS" ARE FREQUENTLY NOT EXACTLY FLAT, AND WOULD EXERT DIFFERENT PRESSURE IF A DIFFERENT SIDE WAS UP FROM TIME TO TIME, THAT COULD AFFECT THE HARMONICS.
I ALWAYS FILED A WEE NOTCH IN THE TOP OF HEAD OF OF THE KEY SO THAT I ALWAYS REINSERTED IT ON THE SAME SIDE WITH THE SAME SIDE OF THE KEY UP.
IT'S CONSISTENCY ALL OVER AGAIN.

DUTCH SCHOULTZ




With my Investarms (Cabelas) Hawken flinter I have always inserted the wedge key from the left side, like you would a sight in a dovetail. However, found my manual from 17 years ago and it says to insert the wedge key from the right to the left!

Which is correct?

Tom
 
On British arms, plus sporting guns, Left to right.
Continental, very often the Opposite!
As the US has both backgrounds, maybe please yourself, but once you have decided, stick with it.

Best regards,
R.
 
All views with muzzle away from you ...

WEDGES - Insert from left to right for RH’d arms and from right to left for LH arms. This has been proven from originals ...

PINS - Man, some bad info going around, as from any arm from matchlocks and on, pins and sights into dovetails go IN from right to left and OUT from left to the right. Again proven from
originals ...

On the wedges, was that done because if/when one has to tap on the end of the wedge to loosen it, you want the lock facing upwards? IOW the lock is not down when laying the gun down to tap end of the wedge?

On period military arms that have screws to hold the barrel bands, the screws usually go in from the right and I think that is also because when you have to tighten or loosen the screws, the lock is facing upwards?

Gus
 
TOMAS,
I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE KEY WAS INSERTED FROM THE RIGHT SIDE.
HOWEVER, WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS TO ALWAYS INSERT IT FROM THE SAME SIDE EVERY TIME.
BECAUSE THESE "KEYS" ARE FREQUENTLY NOT EXACTLY FLAT, AND WOULD EXERT DIFFERENT PRESSURE IF A DIFFERENT SIDE WAS UP FROM TIME TO TIME, THAT COULD AFFECT THE HARMONICS.
I ALWAYS FILED A WEE NOTCH IN THE TOP OF HEAD OF OF THE KEY SO THAT I ALWAYS REINSERTED IT ON THE SAME SIDE WITH THE SAME SIDE OF THE KEY UP.
IT'S CONSISTENCY ALL OVER AGAIN.

DUTCH SCHOULTZ

Dutch,

Until I read this thread, I also thought wedges/keys were inserted from the right, though looking at some originals on the web and thinking about which side the lock is placed when you want to tap on wedge/key, I can see the reason why.

GOOD point about getting it back in the same way each time and that includes making sure the top side of the key always goes upwards. A fair number of original wedges have heads that angle inward from top to bottom.

Gus
 
Like Dutch said, Up or Down, Left or Right.....Just do it the same way every time. Do some testing off a good rest at a minimum 50 yds distance holding all other variables constant to see what works best for your rifle. Mark the key and stay with it.
In my experience, a wedge key that slips in and out easily won't provide the best results.
On the rifle I use for Table and Chunk shooting the fit is too tight to "slip" the key in place. (For those games, a one hole group is a minimum goal...the real competition is to see how small you can make the hole.) On that rifle I have to hold the barrel/stock together with a good grip, then lightly tap the key into place to fully "seat" it with a mallet. There's also some glass bedding in there making the fit rather tight.
 
I have several rifles with wedges. Two have a slot in the wedge and I have a pin either under the escutcheon or in the stock to keep the wedge from falling out. No worries about whether I am putting the wedge in the proper location or which side stays up.

My Derringer rifle has three wedges with notches filed to indicate position. The heads are slanted to follow the line of the fore stock so top and bottom are unmistakable.

The wedges are driven in from the left side. At least with wedges as opposed to pins and dovetails, you can tell which direction to drive them out.
 
I have only one rifle that uses a wedge. It came to me from the builder with the wedge inserted from the right to left and that's how insert it every time.
 
You guys are all wrong. I always put them in from top to bottom, with the gun on it's side. Just kidding. Couldn't resist. Sorry. Won't do it again. Devil made me do it.
 
all original DBL shot guns go in from left to rite and have a small pin/ nail to keep them from falling out. get one and check it out!. if this is what the manufactures did it must be rite.
 
Works and feels the same either way on my gun. One caveat. My wedge is slightly curved so the outside of the curve goes toward the bottom. The opposite and the barrel flops around.
 
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