How to bend a wedge key?

cowboys1062 · February 22, 2015, 09:00 PM

I am the one who posted earlier about breaking off the rear barrel lug on my GPR trying to fit the wedge keys. I ended up sending my barrel back in to Lyman to have it repaired or barrel replaced. I have learned my lesson about trying to bend barrel lugs! My question is now, how do you bend Wedge Keys? I want to bend the wedge keys to make them fit on my GPR. They are way to loose. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

Snyper · February 22, 2015, 09:13 PM

I doubt bending will make a difference if they are the typical tapered wedges

They need to be replaced, or you need shims to make them a tighter fit

New wedge pins are cheap

Hawg · February 22, 2015, 09:17 PM

I know you just had a bad experience but I just bump the bottom of the opening in the lug to tighten it up. It usually doesn't take much.

**4V50 Gary** · February 22, 2015, 10:03 PM

Are they too loose because they are undersized height wise? If it's height, you can peen the sides a bit to make them a bit taller. Measure before, measure after and measure the height of the opening of the key.

44 Dave · February 22, 2015, 11:48 PM

I have tightened barrel wedges by "adjusting" the lug on the barrel, as Hawg suggested. I also slot and pin barrel wedges to make them captive. If you need to put a little bend in them that is ok then when pinned the will always be just right and never upside down or in the wrong place, if there are 2 of them.

cowboys1062 · February 23, 2015, 12:36 AM

The Wedge Keys are loose. They are the standard keys that came with the rifle.I looked in the owners manuel and on page 21, titled: Fitting Wedge Pins, it says to take a 1" diameter bar over the barrel lug and tap with a hammer. I did this and the front barrel lug bent in a little and the wedge key ended up fitting just fine! Then I tried bending in the rear barrel lug and ended up breaking off the whole lug off of the barrel! The barrel is now at Lymans to either be repaired or replaced I will wait and see. As for the wedge key, it seems to be a height issue. I learned the hard way about bending barrel lugs! I just want to somehow work on the wedge key to make them fit. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

Old Stony · February 23, 2015, 06:10 AM

It's easy to just take a small ball peen hammer and laying the key on a board, tap it in the middle. They are soft enough that it's easy to give it a slight bend.

Captchee · February 23, 2015, 08:05 AM

yep , just what Old Stony said . sometimes you can also just bend them by hand with alittle pressure or if they are real heavy , then place in a vice with a 1/2 drill bit along side and center of the key . light tap with a brass hammer and bobs your uncle .
when you put them in . bow will go down.
i had to go back and read your old post . i guess i missed it
sounds to me like your underlug wasn’t on that well to begin with as it should not have popped off .

what i would have done is cut a dove tail and replaced the under lug . frankly thats how it should have been done anyway .
i just finished a job on a lyman barrel where the customer wanted the barrel placed on a TC stock . IE i had to cut off the underlugs and then dove tail one in so as to fit the TC key placement .
In that barrel the lugs actually had a post at each end . Thus I believe the lugs were set by pressure and a electric charge . In a since spot welding the tip of the post into the barrel .
But it was an older IA so ??? Your may be different

44 Dave · February 23, 2015, 11:21 AM

DSCN5548.JPG (guess this pic. doesn't show the pins)
Here is what I like done with barrel wedges. This is an older CVA with dove tailed lugs.
The spring "thing" on the right is to latch ti the ram rod.

Pahoo · February 23, 2015, 11:49 AM

One thing about double wedge rifles is that they have a tendency to fight each other. Example, the front is firm and when you install the rear, the front goes loose. Then you shoot it and the wedges my start working out. ..

To a certain extent, you have to tune both. Now then, bending the lug is a valid option but to date, mostly resolve my problem by working the wedge. My first pass, is to work on the wedges by flexing them. You will notice that to start, they will indicate a good start point on seating, firmly. Then as 44 Dave, has mentioned, you can slot or "Key" and pin the wedge. On single wedges, I index the position of each wedge just to make sure they go back where they belong.

Recently, I acquired a BMR and it has two wedges. One was missing and can understand how it got lost. Both wedges are "keyed" but not pinned. Sadly, have not been able to find a replacement so will have to make one. When complete, you bet I will pin them. .....

Good luck and;
Be Safe !!!

BirchOrr · February 23, 2015, 07:28 PM

The barrel lug had a problem to begin with if all you did was tap it with a hammer and it ended up breaking. The other thing that you can do is use a c-clamp with a block of oak or similar on the barrel side and a half inch drill bit on the screw side of the C clamp and just work it down very slowly with pressure rather than tapping on it with a hammer. At least this way it would be controlled pressure rather than striking it.

It's worth a try and let us know how you make out.

Birch

bedbugbilly · February 25, 2015, 04:06 PM

When you "fit" those wedges - don't "guess". Use something like inletting black on them or even use a black felt marker on the wedge to show if and where it is coming in contact with the lug. The best way is to adjust the lug as already suggested. Your key slots in the stock are "in line" with each other (or they should be). Bend your wedge too much and it may be tight in the lug but be a bear to line up with the wedge hole on the opposite side of the stock.

Take your time . . this isn't a case of where a "bigger hammer is better". I've never worked on a GPR but I'm assuming your wedges are slotted and "captured"? Or, do they come all the way out of the stock when removed?

If you don't have a round bar the size suggested - use something like a socket and gently tap.

Pahoo · February 25, 2015, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Take your time . . this isn't a case of where a "bigger hammer is better". I've never worked on a GPR but I'm assuming your wedges are slotted and "captured"? Or, do they come all the way out of the stock when removed?

Great advice, on taking your time and letting the M/L tell you what it needs. My GPR does not have slotted wedges as well as others that I worked on. Perhaps some generations did as I know they are not all the same. However, this is a good application for keyed and pinned wedges. ....

By the way, you can modify an existing wedge to keyed and pinned and improve contact to boot. ....

Be Safe !!!

44 Dave · February 25, 2015, 10:05 PM

I have had to cut slots in all of mine and a few for friends.

thallub · February 26, 2015, 07:49 AM

Quote:

It's easy to just take a small ball peen hammer and laying the key on a board, tap it in the middle. They are soft enough that it's easy to give it a slight bend.

Yep, works for me too. Whack the wedge key lightly and check the fit until it's tight in the barrel lug.

February 22, 2015, 09:00 PM	#1
cowboys1062 Member Join Date: January 24, 2015 Posts: 35	How to bend a wedge key? I am the one who posted earlier about breaking off the rear barrel lug on my GPR trying to fit the wedge keys. I ended up sending my barrel back in to Lyman to have it repaired or barrel replaced. I have learned my lesson about trying to bend barrel lugs! My question is now, how do you bend Wedge Keys? I want to bend the wedge keys to make them fit on my GPR. They are way to loose. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

February 22, 2015, 09:13 PM	#2
Snyper Senior Member Join Date: December 16, 2013 Location: Eastern NC Posts: 3,047	I doubt bending will make a difference if they are the typical tapered wedges They need to be replaced, or you need shims to make them a tighter fit New wedge pins are cheap __________________ One shot, one kill

February 22, 2015, 10:03 PM	#4
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,841	Are they too loose because they are undersized height wise? If it's height, you can peen the sides a bit to make them a bit taller. Measure before, measure after and measure the height of the opening of the key. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

February 23, 2015, 12:36 AM	#6
cowboys1062 Member Join Date: January 24, 2015 Posts: 35	Bending wedge keys The Wedge Keys are loose. They are the standard keys that came with the rifle.I looked in the owners manuel and on page 21, titled: Fitting Wedge Pins, it says to take a 1" diameter bar over the barrel lug and tap with a hammer. I did this and the front barrel lug bent in a little and the wedge key ended up fitting just fine! Then I tried bending in the rear barrel lug and ended up breaking off the whole lug off of the barrel! The barrel is now at Lymans to either be repaired or replaced I will wait and see. As for the wedge key, it seems to be a height issue. I learned the hard way about bending barrel lugs! I just want to somehow work on the wedge key to make them fit. Respectfully, cowboys1062.

February 23, 2015, 11:21 AM	#9
44 Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2013 Posts: 584	captive barrel wedges DSCN5548.JPG (guess this pic. doesn't show the pins) Here is what I like done with barrel wedges. This is an older CVA with dove tailed lugs. The spring "thing" on the right is to latch ti the ram rod.

February 22, 2015, 09:17 PM	#3
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	I know you just had a bad experience but I just bump the bottom of the opening in the lug to tighten it up. It usually doesn't take much.

February 22, 2015, 11:48 PM	#5
44 Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2013 Posts: 584	I have tightened barrel wedges by "adjusting" the lug on the barrel, as Hawg suggested. I also slot and pin barrel wedges to make them captive. If you need to put a little bend in them that is ok then when pinned the will always be just right and never upside down or in the wrong place, if there are 2 of them.

February 23, 2015, 06:10 AM	#7
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	It's easy to just take a small ball peen hammer and laying the key on a board, tap it in the middle. They are soft enough that it's easy to give it a slight bend.

February 23, 2015, 08:05 AM	#8
Captchee Senior Member Join Date: April 2, 2013 Posts: 439	yep , just what Old Stony said . sometimes you can also just bend them by hand with alittle pressure or if they are real heavy , then place in a vice with a 1/2 drill bit along side and center of the key . light tap with a brass hammer and bobs your uncle . when you put them in . bow will go down. i had to go back and read your old post . i guess i missed it sounds to me like your underlug wasn’t on that well to begin with as it should not have popped off . what i would have done is cut a dove tail and replaced the under lug . frankly thats how it should have been done anyway . i just finished a job on a lyman barrel where the customer wanted the barrel placed on a TC stock . IE i had to cut off the underlugs and then dove tail one in so as to fit the TC key placement . In that barrel the lugs actually had a post at each end . Thus I believe the lugs were set by pressure and a electric charge . In a since spot welding the tip of the post into the barrel . But it was an older IA so ??? Your may be different

February 23, 2015, 11:49 AM	#10
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	I mostly work the Wedge One thing about double wedge rifles is that they have a tendency to fight each other. Example, the front is firm and when you install the rear, the front goes loose. Then you shoot it and the wedges my start working out. .. To a certain extent, you have to tune both. Now then, bending the lug is a valid option but to date, mostly resolve my problem by working the wedge. My first pass, is to work on the wedges by flexing them. You will notice that to start, they will indicate a good start point on seating, firmly. Then as 44 Dave, has mentioned, you can slot or "Key" and pin the wedge. On single wedges, I index the position of each wedge just to make sure they go back where they belong. Recently, I acquired a BMR and it has two wedges. One was missing and can understand how it got lost. Both wedges are "keyed" but not pinned. Sadly, have not been able to find a replacement so will have to make one. When complete, you bet I will pin them. ..... Good luck and; Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

February 23, 2015, 07:28 PM	#11
BirchOrr Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2012 Location: Eaton Rapids, MI Posts: 445	The barrel lug had a problem to begin with if all you did was tap it with a hammer and it ended up breaking. The other thing that you can do is use a c-clamp with a block of oak or similar on the barrel side and a half inch drill bit on the screw side of the C clamp and just work it down very slowly with pressure rather than tapping on it with a hammer. At least this way it would be controlled pressure rather than striking it. It's worth a try and let us know how you make out. Birch __________________ Black Powder: Not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win...

February 25, 2015, 04:06 PM	#12
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	When you "fit" those wedges - don't "guess". Use something like inletting black on them or even use a black felt marker on the wedge to show if and where it is coming in contact with the lug. The best way is to adjust the lug as already suggested. Your key slots in the stock are "in line" with each other (or they should be). Bend your wedge too much and it may be tight in the lug but be a bear to line up with the wedge hole on the opposite side of the stock. Take your time . . this isn't a case of where a "bigger hammer is better". I've never worked on a GPR but I'm assuming your wedges are slotted and "captured"? Or, do they come all the way out of the stock when removed? If you don't have a round bar the size suggested - use something like a socket and gently tap. __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

February 25, 2015, 10:05 PM	#14
44 Dave Senior Member Join Date: February 24, 2013 Posts: 584	I have had to cut slots in all of mine and a few for friends.