I use the inletting black but apply it to the metal with a toothbrush. Just a tiny amt on the tip of the bristles to start and it supplys enough to repeatedly blacken the metal for a long time.
It lays down a thin coating so you don't get false marks but you do still have to be careful when seating the wood for an impression as always. If you are not careful seating the wood and lifting it back off it will pick up false impressions you never notice you are applying. Cutting away those is a trip to real frustration.
I fit the iron to the action and bbls. Make sure the rear of the slot in the iron is fitted tightly against the rear square edge of the forend lug. That's the real fit right there and keeps the bbl/frame tight especially when opened.,,no wobble when the bbls are open.
The snap-on forend with it's J spring or spring powered chisel point snap push the forend iron to the rear and push the bbl forward by their spring power. They can make it feel like the action/bbl fit is nice and tight.
But w/o the spring in place, it is actually loose unless that fit to the lug mentioned about is tight.
Fit that up first. Remove the J spring or chisel point assembly to fit it up.
I usually leave the iron a bit shy of bottoming on the flat of the forend lug. A piece of thin card shim layed around the hook and onto the flat will do as a spacer while fitting.
Then fit the wood to the iron. Get it fully bedded at both ends of the iron. You don't want it to pull free when you are shooting or pulling the FE off against the spring tension.
Assemble it with it;s screws.
Now fit the iron/wood assembly to the bbl'd action. Still no J spring or chisel point assembly in place. It'll just be something to fight each time you do a reading with the marking black.
When you are close to fully down in position, reinsert one of those cardboard shims around the forend hook and ink up the forend iron tself in that area. When the iron prints onto the shim,,it's in as far as you fitted it originally before the wood.
Remove the shim
Now you can reinstall the J spring. Check for fit and if you want to, go a tiny bit further inletting as the shimmed space allows.
The forend wood, it you were careful and watchfull will be inletted to the bbls with the same tension and the same level as the iron is seated to the bbl's.
Well that's the way I do it, but results are what matter. Many others do it many other ways and get exc results too.
