honest mom, it followed me home.....

[mike in co]

one of the ranges i sevice is a full blown gun shop with new/used and consignement guns. i always look, but seldom buy. yesterday a sporterized 03 springfield followed me home. the bbl has been turned, the recv drilled and tapped and stuck in a stock that looks like a marlin in finish..splater stain on light wood.
my plan is to semi restore and use for our anual sniper matches. ordered a stock mil 4 groove bbl, a used stock and handguard, and hardware package. in the end the scope mount will stay and probably the reworked bolt(handle) as well.

i'll try to recover some $$ by reselling the stock and maybe the bbl. not sure on the bbl condition still mining copper out of the bore!

mike in co

[Jack Stanley]

I have a High Standard barrel I took off a 1903 that I spent hours cleaning and it never did do what I thought it should have . Ended up replacing it with a new 03 barrel I found at a gun show sometime back . I haven't shot it for group yet but I think it'll be a better shooter now . .
It sounds like you have a fun project on your hands .

Jack

[mike in co]

sarco package arrived today.
one new 1903a3 4 groove bbl.....dated 3-44 and pristine bore.....mil green parkerized outside. sharp lands nice interior finish...smooth.

hardware kit

hand guard

and a used stock...one minor problem...its cracked at the tang thru the rear bolt hole.


this gun is a shooter not a collector, i cannot bed...cause it will be shot in a"stock" class with a scope.

how shall i repair the stock ?? a couple wood srcews thry the side, then fill the screw head holes ?

thinking of filling crack with epoxy or bedding compound , a couple of screws, maybe a couple of c clamps till cured ?
should i remove any wood in the crack area to ease the filling of the crack?

does not have to be pretty...function is more imprortant.

thanks
mike

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Mike,

I've done a good bit of stock repair on old military rifles. Is there any way you can post a photo of the damage? There's several methods of repairing the stock without using a screw through the stock and most are preferable to using the screw, work as good and better without the screw. Post a pic and I'll suggest one that'll work well and look good without violating the rules or hurting the appearance of your stock.

Dave

[Junior1942]

Look about 1/2 way down this article and see how I repaired my Turk Mauser stock with pins and epoxy. The repairs are almost invisible.

http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/m38.htm

[Morgan Astorbilt]

Instead of screws, why not bore a hole or two, and glue in wood dowels, while clamping the crack closed? The long grain of the dowels,across the grain of the stock will prevent any more cracks.
Morgan

[mike in co]

dave, please post some pics.
i like the idea of wood dowels.
i did look at the turk pics...but like the idea of maybe 1/4 in/ 3/8 in glued in dowels.
by crack is from the mag well going back about three inches past the end of the tang.
( there is a steel pin in the stock between the mag well and the trigger.

thanks guys

mike in co

oh and there are two steel pins. both go thru small cross sections of wood in the stock. forward of the mag well and another between the trigger/mag well.

[MtGun44]

Wedge the crack open with small wooden wedges. Work acraglass
into the crack, as much as you can get to work in with a wire or thin
piece of wood. Then wrap with one layer or more of surgical rubber
tubing stretched tight. You will be very surprised how much clamping
this puts on the crack.

Bill

[mike in co]

well guys...while waiting to hear more, i have been cleaning up that stock.
the crack has been repaired before!..it was full of a hard brittle material...probably an epoxy with a metal filler.
think the stock cracked because the wood at the recoil lug is broken and pushed reward.
since this is to be a shooter not a collector, me thinks some screws and glue are called for.
rebuild the recoil lug area, then drill some holes a long the tang crack, fill with epoxy, screw from the side, and some clamps, let it dry for a couple of days...then refit the action.
i just have to make sure none of the repairs become "bedding".

mike in co

and oh by the way,
i'm gonna shoot the gun in its sporter config. the bbl cleaned up well, probably a very good to excellent bore. i do plan on selling the bbl and the sported stock.