Southern Mountain Rifle Kit — Step 2: Drilling Underlug Pin Holes

Video for this step: https://kiblerslongrifles.com/v/smr-2. Older video. Use the pin hole drill jig instead of drilling straight through.

The barrel is held to the stock by four underlugs, each secured with a pin through the stock. The pin holes are pre-drilled in the stock; this step continues those holes through the underlugs so the pins can pass through both. Use the pin hole drill jig included with the kit to assist with this step, following the instructions on the Pin Hole Drill Jig page above, or watch the video at jimkibler.net/drill-jig.html.

• Fit each of the four underlugs into its dovetail on the underside of the barrel and center it on the barrel flat.

• With the barrel installed in the stock, use a 1/16" drill bit to continue each pre-drilled stock hole through its underlug.

• Take care to keep the drill in line with the pre-drilled stock holes. This helps prevent excess wood being removed during drilling.

• It is a good idea to slightly elongate the pin holes in the underlugs to allow for wood dimensional change with humidity. This is most easily done with a jeweler’s saw or a small round file.

• Tap a section of the included 1/16" pin stock through the stock and underlug at each location to hold the barrel to the stock. Before installing each pin, file or grind a taper on its leading end to aid alignment.