Just make new pins with finishing nails, that's what I use...

And, I don't remove the barrels on my flinters, no need to...I just plug
the touchhole with a toothpick, pour in some tap water and pour most of
the fouling out...

I own a Traditions Shenandoah rifle: the pins are really not that hard to get out. Use a flat faced punch and a small rubber mallet. And of course be sure the punch is smaller than the hole in the stock.

What you need to watch out for is when the pin starts to come out make sure it is coming out the hole and has not gotten lodged under the stock. Those pin holes are covered with some sort of wax. After the first tap or two wipe off the wax on the side where the pin will be coming out, this way you will be able to see exactly where the pin is. If the pin is not coming straight out tap it back in and try again. It may help to squeeze the stock and barrel over the pin hole to get them lined up properly.

It really is not that difficult of a process. However I must admit the first time I tried it I did splinter the stock. But that was because I was not watching the pin exit the stock.

For me the really hairy part is prying the barrel out of the stock - be sure to remove the breech screw! Just go slowly and you won't have a problem.

Another thing: removing the lock. There are 2 screws that hold the lock in place. Unscrew and remove the rear-most screw. The forward screw also holds in place the ramrod retainer spring. I would suggest just unscrewing the forward screw from the lock plate and then use painters tape to hold the screw in place so it does not drift out from the stock. For some reason when I removed this screw the ramrod retainer spring has never worked properly since.

One more suggestion regarding the lock. After unscrewing and removing the lock plate screws run a wooden dowel through one of the screw holes and hold the dowel against the lock plate. Gently tap the dowel with a hammer, rubber mallet, etc., and the lock will easily separate from the stock.

One good thing about the Pedersoli Frontier rifle was no pins. The barrel is held on by screws through the thimbles.

well thats not very traditional!

How do you know that was never used?

Ever see a Hatfield?

That's an issue open to question. The Hatfield rifles built by Ted Hatfield in the 1970/1980"s are said to be a close copy of rifles built by his great-great-grandfather, Moses Hatfield in the 1830's in Missouri. But I've never seen anything addressing the barrel mounting system. One article I found from 1998 said Ted build "a strikingly faithful replica of the gun his great-great-grandfather had built". But was it faithful with respect to all details, including the barrel mounting system? Did Moses use the screw mounting barrel system in the 1830's. Or was that a new innovation by Ted in the 1970's?

It's something I'd really like to know if anyone has definitive information.

Regardless, I agree with Muley. The screw mounted system beats pins by a mile. Here's the system on my Hatfield, which I believe was produced by the Missouri River Rifle Works with barrel and lock by Pedersoli.

It is a better system. I wish they had used allen bolts instead of the shallow slot screws though. I got rid of them right away.