I Lucked Out with this one!

[GregT]

First off, let me thank all you guys on and off list for the input you gave me as I started the inletting job of a crescent buttstock on my Marlin Model 95 CB rifle. I sweated out the inletting and finally got as good a fit as I am going to get with the stock finally butting up against the recoil shoulder of the rifle on Wednesday. Wow! I did it! Then came the drilling of the hole for the tang screw using one of the techniques you guys suggested. Bingo! Pretty much exactly on the money! I had to open up the hole a bit in the wood just above the threaded portion of the tang. Srewed right in and more importantly did not pull the stock back away from the receiver. Next (yesterday) I made an appointment to meet the fellow who is going to serve as my machinist when I need one now and then. He owns a business not to far from my home called "Moffett Precision Products". He designs and builds machinery for the book binding trade. He's been in the trade for over 30 years. I went out to his shop and when I walked in, I almost thought I died and went to heaven! His shop is loaded with the nicest lot of precision machinery that I have ever seen! He has three huge Bridgeport mills, each set up to handle the work a little differant way. Two beautiful lathes, one he bought out of South America which he called "his baby". Other machines are also there but I don't recall their use. And one little drill press that I would wonder that he needed for??? The ceiling was lined with large scale model airplanes with custom built engines sized to the plane. He flies these remotely! He also had 3 foot and longer models of working Civil War river battle ships. I walked right up to the "Merrimack" he is currently working on that had cannons that looked like they were ready to fire! The rudder and screw looked just like pictures I have seen of the original boat in drydock. I have no doubt at all that the man can use his machinery! We talked history for over two hours before I even brought my rifle in!
Almost as an afterthought, he recalled that I was there for a reason and at that point I brought my rifle in from the car. His job would be to drill and tap one hole that would be required to mount a Marbles Improved Tang sight to the rifle. I had not received the sight from Brownell's yet, so I took along a Model 92 Rossi carbine that originally came drilled and tapped to take this sight, and I had this same sight mounted on that carbine. The work would be no problem and he told me to disassemble the Marlin so that it could be mounted securely in one of the mills. The sight came yesterday and I found that the longer tang screw included in the screw set would not freely enter the tang screw hole. I phoned Marbles and talked to a knowledgeable guy who finally was able to come up with a way to get the screw going. He figured that the die cutting the threads must not have cut them deep enough and that it would go in with work. He told me to try it and I did and it did go in so that I could get the other screw hole set up today. He told me to phone him if I messed up the slot and he would send me another screw. I messed the slot up a bit and phoned him just a few minutes ago. A new screw is on its way. I go in this afternoon at 1:00 to get the forward mounting hole drilled and tapped. I realized last night when I loosely put the sight in place using the tang screw, that the staff of the sight that was sent would be too high for the front sight that came with the rifle. I phoned Brownell's and ordered a short staff from Brownell's. That has just been shipped! Those guys are fast! I will report back as soon as I get home with a report on how the job went. After that, my job will be to inlet the iron cresent buttplate. What fun that will be! I want to thank you all again for your help thus far with this project.
GregT

[stew71]

[GregT]

Yup! I know! Photos. I have new batteries in the camera and tomorrow is the day. Got the hole needed for the Marbles Improved Tang Peep Sight and the sight is now mounted. Removed the elevator rear sight and front bead sight. Put a slot filler in the rear sight dovetail and a Pedersoli Folding Front Sight to replace the bead front sight. By doing the Marbles tang sight and Pedersoli folding front sight, my sight radius is now almost 34 inches. I sighted the rifle in later using the most accurate blackpowder load I have found: Lee 405 grain hollow base copy of the Trapdoor Govt. slug (soft lead) sized to .458" with Alox/Beeswax lube, 55 grains of Swiss one and one-half black powder, Federal large rifle primer and older Winchester .45/70 brass. Neck size case, expander die from Lee, light crimp. Range was about 50 yards for the sight in. First two shots out of the black at 7:00, adjusted rear sight up and to the right. Center shot one inch above the black. Fired another shot touching touching one above the black. Fired another shot out to the right of the two above the black. Fired another shot, clover leaf with the first two above the black. Will do a better sight in tomorrow and do photos. I only have five rounds of this left and I really don't want to reload. This load is neat! Nice "Ka-Boom" and a gentle shove at the bench. Had a Past recoil shoulder pad on and did not worry. For those who wonder about using black powder in these Marlin Cowboy guns, you're cheating yourself of some real nice shooting if you don't. All the residue is in the barrel and clean-up is easier than with smokeless.
GregT