Southern Mountain Rifle Kit — Step 1: Fitting Barrel and Tang to Stock

Video for this step: https://kiblerslongrifles.com/v/smr-1

The barrel is designed to be 100% inlet and should require no additional work to fit it to the stock. The stock can change dimensions slightly with changes in environment (humidity), so there is some possibility that further fitting could be required. If so, a fine file held on edge can be used to slightly open up the barrel channel. Alternatively, abrasive paper can be attached to a flexible piece of metal.

It is a good idea to check the barrel-to-wood contact at the breech location with transfer color. Very little, if any, wood will need to be removed. It is very important that the breech position not change by any appreciable amount. Shaving a few thousandths to adjust the breech fit will not cause problems, but excessive wood removal will.

The tang will require a small amount of fitting. The inlet for the back and bottom of the bolster will need to be squared up.

The tang and trigger plate come already drilled and tapped for the forward and rear tang bolts, so no drilling is needed for them.

Tip: Installing and removing the barrel can be tricky because of the long tang. As a rule, the end of the tang should go into the inlet last and be the first to come out when removing the barrel. For a snug fit, insert a small metal rod from the bottom of the stock through the rear tang bolt hole and use it to gently tap the tang out of the inlet. This rod can be filed or ground with a square end to catch the edge of the tang hole.