Incredibly stupid question (probably) about sideplates

[The_micked_kettle1]

What is the purpose of the side plate? Is it just to hold the lock to the stock? Is there a reason for the ornateness of them? As I said in the welcome post, I am as a newborn when it comes to the ML world, and, being that all of my firearms experience is pretty much from the army, decorative pieces are a foreign concept to me.

[beowulf]

well, you know , a lot of old as well as new guns dont have a sideplate . 

[pilgrim]

       I have a Great Plains rifle and it has NO side plate.  Wish it did, because I apparently  over tightened the  screw securing the lock to the stock and now the stock has a hairline crack.  I feel the  side plate is there to prevent this from happening.  Also back in the day, with trade rifles,  the side plates were in the shape of a Serpent.   Which the  Native Americans apparently prefered

[William]

Although I'm not an expert and have never built a muzzle loader, it seems to me that the side plate functions to more evenly distribute the force from the screw being tightened down.  Of the stocks I've seen, even if there's no side plate, the screw has at the very least a ring slightly larger than the screw head.  That is just my limited observations and far from a professional opinion.  I also think that the presence of a side plate as well as it's shape will denote the style, region and time period that the particular muzzle loader represents.

[beowulf]

Although I'm not an expert and have never built a muzzle loader, it seems to me that the side plate functions to more evenly distribute the force from the screw being tightened down.  Of the stocks I've seen, even if there's no side plate, the screw has at the very least a ring slightly larger than the screw head.  That is just my limited observations and far from a professional opinion.  I also think that the presence of a side plate as well as it's shape will denote the style, region and time period that the particular muzzle loader represents.

I`d agree with that ! that more or less makes the sideplate a glorified washer !  and as long as it serves a purpose , I`m fine with that !

[The_micked_kettle1]

That's really interesting. Crazy to think that something that (can be) that ornate is, like you said, little more than a fancy washer.

[Hanshi]

Sideplates do give, in my opinion, a "finished" look to a muzzleloader.  They make an excellent "potential" canvas for engraving.  But as the others have said it's mostly to prevent damage from over tightening the lock screws.  A favorite rifle of mine came without a sideplate, which was no problem.  I eventually put a thin, brass washer under the screw head just as insurance.  I'm very careful not to over tighten lock screws but adding a brass washer still made sense.   

[mongrel]

Sideplates are what Beowulf called them, a glorified washer or pair of washers for the bolts that hold the lock in place. Their purpose was to protect the wood, keep the bolts from threading too far into the lockplate as unprotected wood wore away under the bolts heads, and distribute the force of the tightened bolts over an even area. On flintlocks the last point was critical, since the lock bolster (which is the inside edge of the pan) has to press perfectly flush against the side barrel flat to prevent priming powder, powder residue, and flash from the pan from getting down inside the lock and causing various sorts of havoc ranging from erosion of the wood and metal to turning the lock area of the gun into a potential grenade. On percussion guns the forward lock bolt was gradually eliminated since it wasn't nearly as critical that the lock be perfectly flush against the barrel -- and, additionally, styles and tastes changed during the transition from flint to percussion as the preferred ignition system, with guns as a general rule becoming more utilitarian and it not being considered a minor eyesore to have the flat panel of wood opposite the lock left basically empty.

The ornateness of the sideplates was simply a matter of it being considered proper to lavish equal attention to detail on every visible part of the gun. On very nice weapons, even the visible screw heads were likely to be engraved or at the very least surrounded by engraving or carving that matched the overall decore of the gun. Plainer civilian pieces had plainer sideplates, toeplates, etc. Military firearms generally sported very plain sideplates, and on two-bolt plates the plate (I would imagine) was used in place of two simple separate washers because the two separate small washers would be likelier to turn up missing (and harder to find) any time the lock was removed.

[old salt]

Thanks mongrel

[Hanshi]

  Mongrel, you are still alive!  And missed.

[hotfxr]

Outstanding, a post from Mongrel, my BP guru. My day is now brighter, thanks for stopping by brother.   

[graybear]

Very happy to hear, ok, if you want to get persnickety about it, to see, from our long lost canine mixed breed.
I've greatly missed your pearls of wisdom.

[pilgrim]

     Thanks Mongrel, good to hear from you.  Hope you both have a Happy Thanksgiving.

[Dogshirt]

Glad to ya still got yer topknot!

[William]

That's really interesting. Crazy to think that something that (can be) that ornate is, like you said, little more than a fancy washer.

Being new to the forum you probably don't realize it but the question you asked is far from stupid and it was actually viewed as a "teaching moment" by one of our most distinguished members; aka Mongrel.

Stick around, you're doing great and on the right track.