Re: pre-inletted

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: : ________

: : OK, MR. Bill, I guess I could look it up; but what does "pre-inletted" mean.....jezz, all of these terms...butt plate still the winner I think..
: : Thanks.

: : Jo

: Jo,

: Pre-inlet is machine inlet.  Machines rout out the inlets.  And shape the stock.  So essentially machines do 50-75% of the work.
: They may be finished the rest of the way using only hand tools and authentic finishing techniques which would make them "semi-custom" or they could be done on belt sanders, and dipped in stain and finish etc which would make them "mass produced" in my mind nearly as much as a Pedersoli musket.  We who try to adhere to the original, handmade methods kinda look down on such guns...but that is because they are stiff competition for us.  They look nice, work (for the most part) fine, and are an affordable alternative.  They fall in between "mass-produced" assembly line techiniques and completely hand made as originals were.

: The old timers used apprentices to increase production and reduce the master's labor.   It was still all done with hand tools completely, but the apprentices would do the grunt work such as forge the barrels, cut out the stock and rough shape it, maybe even do the major inletting and near finish work - leaving the master to do the  boring and rifling (or supervise it closely) do the final shaping, carving, engraving, tuning, and finish.

: Bill R


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