Why do wedges fall out ?

[willyp]

It seems to happen often to a lot of us with flintlock rifles ?
I looked for a reason of why it happens !  It is with wood stocks that it does ?
IMHO it is the wood dries out and shrinks while the gun is setting in your gun cabinet ?
Or the wood will bend and hold its shape after a prolonged time of being tightly wedged  in with the wedge ?

Any body have a better idea on this ?

[Deleted]

Never had my wedge fall out, willy. I've had this Thompson Renegade since the 1980s. The only problem I ever had was shoving a ball down the barrel before I put powder in. LMAO2

[timberdoodle]

I've had the problem in the past with my Thompson Cherokee 32 cal. I've bought replacement wedges and keep them on hand...but a great black powder man told me to take a center punch and put a couple of dimples in the wedges and I've never had to replace another wedge. Just give the center punch a good whack with the hammer and the wedge will tighten up and hold. When and if it gets loose again just repeat the process

[timberdoodle]

[gonetocamp]

The Wedge falls out because it loosens. In my experience they loosen as a result of vibration from the lock firing. The Wedges in my Lyman GPR
are to be installed from the right side but they would begin to back out after several firings. I now install the Wedges from the left side - problem solved. 

[blackbruin]

Put a slight bend in the wedge, problem solved

[davet]

Wood and metal will shrink and expand when going from warm (inside) to cold. (outside). As Blackbruin stated......put a little more bend in the wedge and that should solve your problem.

[Deleted]

I never had a wedgie that fell out.

[dougell]

That's why you go commando Mutt.Well,that and the fact that the chicks dig it.

[madirish]

If you have a Dremel, hobby tool, you're in good shape. You cut a slotted channel in the center of the wedge. It should start on the insert end at about 1/16" in from the tip and go about 1/8" from the stop cap end. the use a cutter to dress the channel to squares edges. You'll have what is called a 'slotted wedge'. You can purchase them but they may be thinner than your rifles' wedge, causing the barrel to bounce up and down. You'll need to take off the escutcheon plate. The wedge slot runs with the barrel channel. You need a Dremel tip that will make a small width channel. You'll need to get a very small size brad (nail) and cut it to a length about twice the width of the wedge channel opening. Then just barely touch the Dremel tip to make a VERY slight dip above and below the wedge slot opening so that the brad nail piece fits in the depressions and will allow the escutcheon plate to set against it and not be loose. Your ready to place the assembly together. Hold your new slotted wedge by the stop cap end; put the escutcheon plate (outside down) on the wedge; place the sized brad nail piece in the slot of the wedge and place the wedge carefully into the slot allowing the brad nail to settle in the grooved slots you made. Screw escutcheon plate in place and the wedge can be inserted to hold the barrel and pulled out enough to allow removal without the wedge being totally removed from the stock. This is new era building as opposed to 'old timey' work. The old timers use to tap the short brad into the stock via the barrel channel and in through the wedged cut slot and down through the wood below it and deep enough to not touch the barrel. This made removal a chore as to not crack the channel of the stock when the had to dig the brad out of the wood.

[Deleted]

Dec 22, 2018 4:56:29 GMT -5 willyp said:

It seems to happen often to a lot of us with flintlock rifles ?
I looked for a reason of why it happens !  It is with wood stocks that it does ?
IMHO it is the wood dries out and shrinks while the gun is setting in your gun cabinet ?
Or the wood will bend and hold its shape after a prolonged time of being tightly wedged  in with the wedge ?

Any body have a better idea on this ?



Yes Sir! Once the barrel  is in the recess first thing to do is be certain the wedge(s) are pretty snug, not beat 'em in tight, but a slight tap is needed to move it(them) to where the wedge puller can grab them. Ok, you smacked it with the palm of your hand and it jumped onto the floor.

Move the wedge pin to the anvil on your vice, then tap the center of the wedge pin with a light hammer, (I find a ball peen excellent), just enough to make a SLIGHT bend. Try it. Should protest going in, and not fly out with a hit from your palm. Problem solved, and you may just discover your groups tighen up a little.