New to me rifle

[VEARL]

Just got my thompsom center 50 hawkin.
Cleaned it up, oiled and set back to really look at it.
Found a very thin crack in front of lock screw. Opened it up a little and applied clear gorrila glun and clamped it under pressure.
When it dried ( 24 hrs later ) I applied several coat of true oil. When that dried, i buffed it with a cloth. Was happy with the job that i had done.253060

[Jkrem]

Congratulations on your Christmas present! Hopefully your conservation will be successful. I’ve never tried Tru Oil.

[koger]

That was a grain crack, the gorilla glue should hold it. Good looking gun, would like to see more of it. Tru oil is hard to beat for touch ups or a full refinish on gun stocks, used it for 35+years.

[LAGS]

I have 4 Thompsons with a crack in the same exact spot.
I glued them back together And used 1/2" dowel rod to pin the stock .
I drilled holes down from under the Tang to the trigger area.
So far , they have worked and not recracked.
The first one that was only glued cracked again.
But I figure that was an Epoxy failure to bond to the old wood.
One stock I did was actually broken into two pieces.
I glued it back together and pinned that one too.
It is now on my TC Renagade that I had re bored to .61 cal.

[Theditchman]

I have 6 Thompsons and I am happy to say I have not yet had that problem...I shall however keep an eye out ....Recently I have had some of my stocks examined by my stock consultant and he also has seen nothing

[rfd]

congrats on yer new and good gun! as mentioned, that grain crack is no big deal and you've well taken care of it.

yer t/c probably has a patent breech, so be aware that there's an ante-chamber that will need to be addressed for both fouling control and cleaning.

tru-oil is just about all i'll use these dayze, hard to beat, specially over an aqua-fortis stain.

https://i.imgur.com/z3vcsfm.jpg

[LAGS]

The Tru Oil is great.
But only if you desire a shiny finish.
I do most of my stocks in a Hand Rubbed Linseed Oil.
It is a durable finish , not as Shiny , but is easily touched up if you ever scratch it.
It is called a Hunter Finish.
I recently did 4 stocks like that , and they look great.
I recently purchased a Pre inletted Fancy Maple stock for one of my TC's from TOW.
It is a little heavier in the wrist and may not be prone to cracking with Heavy Hunting Loads.
I like the stock , and may order one in a Full Length stock design for my .61 Renagade again in Fancy Maple.

[rfd]

The Tru Oil is great.
But only if you desire a shiny finish....

nope, not true. i've done more than a few southern maple and American walnut stocks with tru-oil buffed with 4/0 steel wool for a total satin "hunter finish".

[LAGS]

Yes , you are correct.
You can polish down or burnish a gloss finish to a Satin Finish.
But for the most part the Tru Oil is a solid surface coating.
Same thing with the metal.
We Bead Blast or Sand Blast it to make a Matt Finish when we blue the metal.
Now , the cracks in the Thompson Stocks.
From what I have seen so far,
The cracks seem to be caused by the barrel recoiling hard against the area where the Lock screw passes thru the stock.
This happens more when the Tang is not inletted properly or the Tang Screws are not Tight.
If you look, the back of the Tang barrel lock part , sits hard against the hole where the Lock Screw passes thru the stock.
I eliminated that issue by drilling out the hole for the Lock screw and glass bedded in an Aluminium Sleeve , sort of like a Cross bedding pillar.
Then I contoured the back corner of the bottom of the Tang where it meets the sleeve.
I do that on stocks that already have a crack starting.
But have never had a stock start to crack if the sleeve was installed first , and the Tang glass bedded and tightened down properly.