A buddy wants to sell me a pre war oberndorf sporter. I was wondering what is the purpose of the barrel hold down that looks like a crossbolt affair at the front sides of the stock. Why do some I see have them and others not. Is it necessary on a caliber smaller than say 7 x 57.

RJS

That has got to be one fine rifle...

Its just another means of connecting barrel to wood, much the same as a forend screw, mostly a hold over from the muzzle loader days, but it certainly dresses up the rifle and depicts the makers skill...I would love to own that one....especially in that nice caliber.

Just FYI, it's my understanding that the proper term for it is a "wedge."

Best,
Joe

As already stated they were a hold over from earlier days. At the time many people in Europe and here believed that the barrel needed to be held in place. Many of the wedges are not meant to come all the way out. Drive it out slow, I use a wooden clothes pin and push slow. Most will be found with a slot running down the middle with a screw or pin holding it from coming all the way out. The reason for this warning is because I examined a nice gun that some fool with a big hammer kept driving until he broke out the side of the stock. Some wedges are beveled on the side without a slot but stop with a pin or screw, be careful, good luck, sounds like a nice gun.

Michael Petrov

RJS, most of them are built with a keeper pin in the wedge so that if it becomes loose for some reason it will not drift all the way out. I noticed that you did not say that this was a 7X57 and were just asking a question. It was used on numerous rifles and often with slender forends. Mine is on a half round half octagon barrel and the keeper pin is set in the sides of one of the octagon inlets, out of the way. I know because I installed it. I have another on a Krieghoff and the keeper is in the same position. When the wedge is driven in it is peened just enought so that it does slip back out easily but not enough so that it does not go. The pre 64 model 70's did the same thing with the forend bolt.

They came in different shapes and usually provided a centerpiece for the forend checkering on each side. The plate that surrounds the pin is called an escutcheon. I just checkered around mine. This on is in 338/06.

My old Sauer sporter has the metal work on the barrel to receive a pin, but the stock is not cut for a pin. This is also a half octogon, half round barrel. Bob