My second current project is re-doing a Fulton special in 16GA.
I took a semi inletted LC smith 20 GA Beaver tail wood and am fitting it up to the 16 ga barrel. So far everything seems to be going well other than SLOW SLOW SLOW.
Here is picture of the current progress with clean wood and then again with wood tapped down onto barrel showing contact in the barrel channels. I am using barrel black for color.
As you can see the FE metal is tight down on the barrel lug and fits great so nothing needing to be fit there. Also you can see the bottom of the FE metal closest to the receiver is hitting the wood. the FE metal is not yet touching the wood at the farthest end. It is close though.
If I continue to inlet the wood I will soon make contact with the FE metal all the way from front to back and have equal contact pressure will all surfaces of the FE metal and barrel.
My question is should I proceed above or strive to have the bottom metal be fully inletted into the wood but when it snaps into place there is just a smidgeon of space between the FE metal and barrel lug so the FE wood is tensioned against the barrel?
I hope I am explaining this clear enough.
Many thanks
Travis