1874 C. Sharps detachable stock

[Jeff Michel]

Some days it's enough to make you want to go back to bed and try it again tomorrow.



Attachment 305122

[HWooldridge]

Did you fall off a bucking mule?

I would certainly try to pin that back together with epoxy. You could install some inlays across the break to strengthen and disguise it to an extent.

Or just buy another one...

[country gent]

I believe I would try to fix it also.
What I would do is as follows
Clean both areas well with acetone
glue initially with cycalate aligning the break and clamp together. Use one of the longer curing ones.
When cured drill a hole back into the wrist 3/4"- 1" and fit a dowel in to length and size a sliding fit with a rough surface and epoxy in place. again clamp and allow to cure. It should be almost a perfect match and from the look of the break the joint will also be hidden with the back edge of the action.

[Mikedominick]

It's a gorgeous piece of wood, I would try a repair as well.

[Jeff Michel]

I did think about inserting a steel rod but after a closer examination, the wood itself is practically a solid, no grain structure whatsoever so the visions of walking drill bits and perhaps additional chipping/breakage was more than likely or at least a real possibility. Shame really, it was a beautiful piece of wood. It's all packed up and headed to Big Timber, first thing Monday morning. And FWIW, it broke while shooting it. No warning, just SNICK. It's a 50-90, 30" standard weight barrel, MVA 5x scope.

[country gent]

If they decide to restock it you might want to consider the forearm as well to maintain them matching. Otherwise the stock mismatch will stand out

[Jeff Michel]

Yes, it's going for a re stock. I'll ask Tim (he's the manager) to see if it can be matched as close as possible. I know hope isn't much of a strategy but it will be cheaper than new forearm with a pewter tip.

[marlinman93]

That's a real bummer, but I'm sure they'll do right by you. If they want to charge for the repair I too would ask for it to be sent back, and repair it. There are glues and epoxies so strong these days that pins aren't needed. The wood adjacent would break before the glued joint will.

[Baltimoreed]

Thats a shame, hope you can get it repaired. Shooting .50-90 velociraptor loads? I had a .45-90 1886 once.

[James Wisner]

The tang screw may not have been relieved enough and wedged back starting the crack

[john.k]

The old time gunmakers always restricted fancy grain to the broadsides and had a strait grain in the small of the grip...........to use dowelling ,id think you would need a machine table to get the whole repair exactly straight.

[Woodtroll]

Oh No! That's such a shame. A beautiful piece of wood, but it looks like the grain runs 90 degrees across the wrist. As others have already noted, that's a weak way to make a stock. But so pretty! I'd be tempted to glue it back together and then pin all the way back through the tang into the stock.

I hope the restock turns out well for you!

[marlinman93]

The higher the wood grade is, the more likely it is to fail. And it can fail just like this Sharps did by just firing the gun under normal shooting. The very fancy burls that make us all giddy to own, are also the type of grain that's pretty unstable. When I look at guns in my collection with gorgeous wood that's 140 years old, I'm amazed it's still in one piece.

[stubshaft]

That's enough to make a grown man cry. What a shame...