Study Unit Customizing Gun Stocks - Armchair Patriot Defense/GunSmith Course/Module 2/… · iii...

Study Unit

Customizing Gun StocksBy

Dale Storey

Copyright © 1997 by Education Direct, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may bereproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrievalsystem, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Printed in the United States of America

01/21/03

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About the Author

Dale Storey is a graduate of the Colorado School of Trades and

Montana State University. He runs DGS Inc., a full-time professional

gun shop in Casper, Wyoming, where he offers quality gunsmithing

and gun making.Mr. Storey’s 25 years of experience in general repair

and custom firearms represent skill, practical knowledge, and top

craftsmanship. He offers careful handwork backed by professional

grade machinery to ensure sound general gun repairs, as well as

accurate custom rifles. Many major arms publications have featured

his custom work, along with articles explaining his craft.

iii

This study unit continues work on the gun

stock. Where the previous unit detailed the

stock-making process, this one addresses

stock enhancement and embellishment. The

first skill we'll cover is glass bedding a stock

to increase firearm accuracy. This core skill

can prove financially rewarding to the gun pro, as firearm

owners insist on pinpoint accuracy.

Following glass bedding, we'll consider several ornate (and

functional) stock embellishments. We'll cover sling swivels

and their installation, as well as pistol grip caps, buttplates,

and recoil pads. The text also presents instructions for

designing and inletting decorative inlays, and for stippling

and carving stocks.

When you complete this study unit, you’ll be able to • Explain how to glass bed a gun stock

• Recognize the various types of sling swivels, mounts, andbases and explain how to install them

• Identify pistol grip caps, buttplates, and recoil pads andexplain how to install them

• Describe how to draw inlay templates, cut decorative inlays,and explain how to install them

• Explain how to perform stippling on a gun stock

• Differentiate between incise and relief carving and describehow to accomplish them

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GLASS BEDDING 1

Introduction 1The Glass Bedding Process 2Glass Bedding Procedures 4

SLING SWIVELS 18

Swivel Studs 19Flush Mount Swivel Bases 20Custom Bases 22Barrel Mount Bases 22Sling Base and Swivel Installation 24Flush Mount Bases 29Barrel Bands 31The Solder-on Sling Swivel Base 32Silver Soldering the Base 33Octagonal Barrels 34Thompson/Center Pistols 34The Lanyard Loop 34

STOCK ACCESSORIES 36

Pistol Grip Caps 36Buttplates 41Recoil Pads 45Fitting the Recoil Pad 47Final Considerations 61

ENHANCING THE GUN STOCK 66

Stock Inlays 66Checkering 73Checkering Pattern Layout 81

MORE WAYS TO ENHANCE THE STOCK 88

Stippling 88Stock Carving 92

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS 99

EXAMINATION 103

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GLASS BEDDING

Introduction

As opposed to building a custom gun stock from a blank,

customizing a factory stock may require any number of

ornate or functional embellishments. For example, in one

instance the process may call for sling swivel installation. In

another, glass bedding a factory stock will provide greater

strength and accuracy. In yet a third, full-blown checkering

and carving, and/or stippling, will enhance visual effect as

well as add friction at the pistol grip and forend. Obviously,

on occasion, several embellishments will be performed on the

same stock.

Before progressing to how-to performance instructions,

perhaps a word of caution is in order. Performing the above-

mentioned tasks requires both skill and patience. Even after

obtaining an FFL, you should practice on scrap pieces and/

or guns of low value until you acquire sufficient experience to

take on commercial work. Also, while customizing can prove

quite financially rewarding, knowing when to provide such

services is important. Before beginning any work, you must

temper the wants and apparent needs of your customer,

explaining the negative side as well as the values of stock

enhancement. While customizing the gun stock will almost

always offer clear improvement, there are times when over-

customizing can interfere with natural wood beauty. You

wouldn’t want to devalue a collector item by embellishing it

and thus destroying its originality.

Customizing Gun Stocks

Finally, you, as a gunsmith with knowledge, tools, and expe-

rience, must collect pay for the time and funds you invest.

Practice and repetition of the skills presented herein will

bring you confidence and ability, well justifying the income

gained from each effort. The goal of the professional is to

accomplish each task correctly with speed. Base your charges

for customizing work upon the amount of time spent on a

particular job. Keep in mind that the market will bear only a

certain price level. Stock checkering, for example, can prove

profitable only when you execute a fully professional-level

checkering job within a reasonable time frame. Occasionally

a potential customer may turn you down because he or she

thinks your price is too high. Most people don’t understand

how much time and skill are involved in truly fine handwork.

However, you should never let your customer set your prices

unless you’re prepared to work for next to nothing.

The Glass Bedding Process

As previously stated, when performing stock customizing,

the professional’s goal is to correctly complete each task with

speed. However, a beginner should pace him or herself on

each job, and initially, the pace should be slow. While learn-

ing, it’s best to avoid mistakes that can become bad habits.

Remember, repetition builds speed. With these thoughts in

mind, it’s time to explore the glass bedding process.

Glass bedding can markedly improve rifle accuracy because

“glassing” a stock creates uniformity in metal-to-wood fit. In

a way, the term glass bedding is a misnomer because today’s

stock glassing is usually accomplished with one of the high-

quality epoxy formulas, which have replaced wood glues.

It’s not necessary to go into a long list of special epoxy for-

mulas because only a professional formulator can produce

the proper epoxies to make a substance compatible for use

on firearms. It is, however, important to note suppliers such

as Brownells who offer epoxy products such as Acraglas in

various derivations. Such bonding agents offer the gunsmith

choice in selecting the best epoxy for a given task.

Customizing Gun Stocks2

Customizing Gun Stocks 3

For example, thin-flowing liquid epoxies are available, which

effect a truly fantastic bond to repair cracked stocks. Epoxies

are also available in formulations of paste-like consistency to

which fibers (or powdered metal) are added to provide strength.

In addition, you can dye many compounds to match the

wood or other stock material. There are also gel formulations

that you can precisely introduce into a given area. Fortunately

for the modern gunsmith, epoxy kits come with complete

directions for specific applications.

The step-by-step procedure for glass bedding a rifle stock

we’ll discuss here makes use of an excellent space-age glass

epoxy and not the earlier fiberglass formulation that prompted

the term in the first place. In our example, glassing is being

performed to enhance rifle accuracy, even though glassing

can effect other improvements as well.

Production-made rifles almost always offer excellent accuracy

considering their modest cost. However, they’re manufactured

at plants in various geographic locations, many in areas of

high humidity. Woods used for making stocks are kiln-dried

and, of course, the stocks receive a finish. Factory finishes

aren’t always sufficient, however, to truly seal the wood at

all points.

It’s common for a rifle to be shipped many miles from its

place of origin to its new owner. So, you can imagine how

changes in humidity can cause the stock to warp. A rifle

built somewhere along the east coast, for example, may find

a home on the high and dry plains of Wyoming or the deserts

of Arizona where humidity is low. After a time, the stock

wood loses moisture and slightly shrinks and/or warps and

alters wood-to-metal fit.

The reverse can also happen when a rifle built in a low-

humidity climate is subjected to high humidity. Over an

extended period of time, the wood will take on moisture

and warp. In either situation, the result is the same. The

rifle may change its point of impact and lose its optimum

potential for accuracy. Since, as the great Colonel Townsend

Whelen observed, “Only accurate rifles are interesting,” glass

bedding may be the answer to either upgrade or restore the

accuracy of a given rifle.

Glass Bedding Procedures

When glass bedding, the essential idea is to remove a small

amount of stock wood around the barrel and receiver and

replace it with a liquid epoxy. As the epoxy cures, it bonds to

the wood (or whatever material the stock is made of) and

molds itself precisely around the metal parts. You coat the

metal parts with a release agent that prevents the epoxy from

sticking to them. When you do the job correctly, the result is

a perfect fit between the barreled action and the stock. If you

perform the job incorrectly, you can end up with a capital

mess, which you can usually prevent by

1. Careful preplanning

2. Total adherence to the instructions included with the

bedding kit

3. Experience gained by doing a job or two on practice

pieces or a gun you can afford to sacrifice

Look out for the following pitfalls.

Removing too much stock material. You must leave

enough support to hold the barreled action (or other parts)

in their original position. If you take out too much stock

material, the parts will “sink” until they find a place to rest.

Failing to seal holes, undercut ledges, and other places

where the epoxy can form a rivet-like shape within the

metal parts. You can prevent this by sealing or plugging

suspect holes and voids with modeling clay or covering them

with tape.

Not using enough release agent. Be sure all metal that

might come in contact with bedding compound is covered

with release agent—inside and out.

Incorrectly mixing the bedding compound. Be sure to fol-

low directions to the letter and to measure each component.

Forgetting to cover all stock that you don’t want to get

compound on with masking tape. Remember, if bedding

material gets on your hands (and it will), it will get on any-

thing you touch.

The first step in accomplishing a glass bedding job is to

inspect the rifle for stock warp. If warping has occurred, the



forestock may be exerting undesirable pressure on the barrel

at some point. You might be able to correct that problem by

glass bedding. Furthermore, some rifles now come from the

factory complete with a pressure point in the forearm of the

stock. This pressure point may not be entirely compatible

with a particular barrel because of inherent individual barrel

differences. As in the case of undesirable barrel pressure

caused by warping, a factory-installed pressure point in the

wrong place can do more to harm than improve accuracy.

You can deal with either situation through glass bedding.

At this point it’s best to digress a bit. Naturally, the factory-

installed pressure point might best be removed and accuracy

improved through a free-floating barrel. However, rifles are

individual in nature, so free-floating may not cure degraded

accuracy.

Also, pillar bedding is a system designed to prevent nega-

tive results of normal wood shrinkage, whereby significant

alterations in wood-to-metal pressure result. Pillar bedding

prevents such problems because it stops the action from

compressing into the wood. It stops it to the point whereby

the magazine box is tightening against the action and the

action itself has become loose in the stock. The two pillars of

metal between the action and the floor plate won’t allow this

compression to take place.

Even pillar bedding, however, won’t overcome the negative

results of an uncured stock shrinking to the point that the

action becomes loose within the stock. The point is that a

survey of possible bedding problems is necessary to deter-

mine which procedures you should follow. So study the rifle

before proceeding with glass bedding to determine the extent

of glassing necessary to improve accuracy. Then go ahead

with the procedure. Incidentally, while you’re at it, check out

other potential causes of inaccuracy, such as a loose scope

ring or mount.

The following process describes the glass bedding of a Model

70 Winchester. Nearly all bolt-action rifles have enough in

common with the Model 70 so that the following procedures

will, with a little adjustment, fit whatever you’re working on.

Location of epoxy placement in other rifles should present

no problem when using the information on the Model 70 as

a guide.

Before you start removing wood, use some inletting black on

the bottom of the action and barrel to see exactly where

they’re bearing on the wood. What you find may give you a

big hint about what’s causing an accuracy problem. In addi-

tion, you must leave a few “pads” to hold the barrel action in

place. Otherwise it will sink to the bottom of the new grooves

you’re about to cut. Be sure the metal is presently resting on

the wood you’re going to leave, unless for some reason you

want to change that relationship. After you bed the rifle, you

can remove the pads and then glass over them if you wish.

1. Remove about 1/16 inch of wood from the face of the

recoil lug recess. Leave a small section of the centermost

part of the recoil lug recess intact to ensure proper dis-

tance from the trigger guard as noted in Figure 1. On

heavy-recoiling Magnum rifles, you can reinforce the

area immediately in front of the magazine box by cutting

a deep groove in the wood and dropping a section of

threaded brass rod into it. The brass rod will extend

from side to side and you’ll glass it into place for added

strength at this point (Figure 1, lined area).


FIGURE 1—This diagram shows theareas you’ll remove wood and glassthe brass rod.


2. Rough up the barrel channel with gouges or inletting

rasps to ensure a sound mechanical bond between the

wood and the epoxy that you’ll eventually pour into the

barrel channel. You can also remove wood from the bar-

rel channel using a properly sized round wood dowel

wrapped with coarse 40 or 60 grit sandpaper. Remove

enough wood to allow adequate space between the barrel

channel and barrel to readily accept the barrel when you

wrap it with three layers of black electrician’s tape.

Also, eliminate original pressure points from the barrel chan-

nel using a gouge or rasp. After cleaning the barrel channel,

check the entire channel for points at which the barrel still

contacts the channel. If this condition exists, you must remove

more wood until all areas are relieved. There must be no

metal-to-wood contact over the entire length of the barrel

(Figure 2).

Importantly, if the barrel channel surface is smooth, bonding

won’t be as good. Ensure that the barrel channel is in a

rough condition and entirely void of finish, which will also

thwart a good epoxy-to-wood bond.

Note: In our glass bedding example, we are free-floating the

barrel with an option to add a pressure point in the forend.

3. At the rear tang, remove 1/32 inch to 1/16 inch of wood

around the rear tang screw hole (Figure 3). Leave a small

reference area (a pad) for the rear tang to rest on while

the epoxy is curing. The reference area maintains the

proper distance between the bottom of the action and

the trigger guard.

FIGURE 2—Pressure Points ProperlyEstablished in a Forearm


4. Remove all small slivers and loose chips of wood, but

don’t smooth the barrel channel. Realizing that different

action bottoms have different configurations, exercise

common sense when removing wood. Remember, the

idea is to support the action with a layer of bedding

material. You don’t want to change its present position in

the stock unless for some reason it was wrong in the first

place. Be sure you don’t end up with the barreled action

either elevated or depressed from true horizontal. Leave

just enough wood at the front of the action to ensure

that doesn’t happen. During this step, a Dremel tool

with a woodcutting bit will prove helpful. There are

special carbide tools available for the Dremel from

gunsmithing supply houses.

5. Carefully wrap the barrel with three layers of black elec-

trician’s tape one inch in front of the receiver to the end

of the stock’s forearm. Following the glass bedding

process, tape removal will allow an adequate gap to

ensure a free-floating barrel, which doesn’t touch the

wood of the stock. It’s unnecessary and unprofessional

to gouge out a deep channel in the stock, which will

leave an unsightly gap between barrel and wood. The

free-floated barrel shouldn’t be readily detectable at

first glance.

8

FIGURE 3—This diagram showswhere you’ll remove the woodaround the rear tang screw hole.


The reason for applying epoxy over the full length of the

barrel channel is to effect a perfect seal. The barrel could

be free-floated by applying epoxy only toward the chamber

section, but the barrel channel would remain exposed to the

elements and further problems could ensue.

Note: If you wish, you can follow instructions 6 through 10 to

add a pressure point. If you want a true free-floating barrel,

skip to step 11.

6. Coat the taped barrel with a release agent, which you

can purchase from a gunsmith’s supply house if it isn’t

included in the kit. Treat the portion of the barrel that

will normally make contact with the stock with the

release agent. This is to ensure that the barrel won’t

bond itself to the wood in the barrel channel of the stock

when the epoxy is introduced.

7. Mix a small portion of five-minute epoxy (sold in most

hardware stores) and pour it into the forend of the stock

approximately 2 1/2 inches to 3 inches back from the

tip of the forend. Although a little more epoxy may be

required to fill possible barrel channel voids resulting

from removing a pressure point(s), mix only enough to

pour about a one inch pad. If the stock has a forend

cap, be certain to install the pad behind the cap and into

solid wood. Never use the cap for a platform for the pad

of epoxy.

8. Reassemble the barreled action in the stock, tightening

the tang screws. The tightening action distributes the

epoxy to form a pad only at the location where the sub-

stance has been installed in the barrel channel. The

shape of the pad is determined by the barrel contour, as

the barrel is in effect a pattern for the pad. The barrel is

perfectly supported by the pad because the fit between

the barrel and the epoxy pad is, for all practical purposes,

perfect. No stress is placed upon the barrel at any point

other than the pad. The remainder of the channel in the

stock has no bearing upon the barrel.

9. After the five-minute epoxy mixture has cured for at

least 30 minutes, remove the barreled action from the

stock. Reduce the pad to about one-half inch to three-

fourth inches in length using an X-Acto knife or wood

chisel. The result of squaring off the pad is a neat band

of epoxy spanning the barrel channel from one side to

the other. This touch adds professionalism to the job,

although it doesn’t alter the fit between the barrel chan-

nel and the barrel itself.

10. Place three layers of masking tape on top of the finished

epoxy pad. The pad matches perfectly with the barrel’s

dimensions at this time, as noted above. To make a true

pressure point out of the pad, you must build it up to

put stress on the barrel. With a sharp knife or a chisel,

trim the tape neatly (Figure 4).

Step 10 creates a miniature V-block in the forearm of the

stock for the barrel to rest upon. Three layers of tape are

normally enough to offer sufficient pressure between the

epoxy pad and the barrel when the tang screws are properly

tightened. However, the pressure point is only temporary. It

will serve adequately until you complete the stock glassing

job. The modest upward pressure from the taped pad will

dampen the barrel movement when the barrel expands from

normal heating up after firing a few rounds of ammunition.

Also, the taped pad helps to dampen the effect of normal

barrel vibration.


FIGURE 4—This figure illustratesthe finished product.


11. Final stock preparation for glass bedding requires masking

off the forearm on the sides of the barrel channel and

the end of the forearm tip of the stock. The masking tape

will contain any overflow of epoxy, keeping the epoxy

from running onto the finished stock wood. Applying a

paste wax to those areas that might conceivably receive

a dose of epoxy can further protect the stock. A good

paste wax will prevent epoxy from adhering to the stock

surface. These protective measures, both taping and

waxing, are especially important when using a highly

fluid epoxy mixture that tends to run easily into areas

it doesn’t belong as well as those it does.

12. Metal preparation for glass bedding is very important,

as not only the barrel comes into contact with epoxy.

You must treat any metallic part that contacts epoxy

with a good coating of the release agent. To ensure

compatibility between the epoxy and the release agent,

it’s wise to use the release agent provided by the epoxy

manufacturer. As noted above for wood, a high-grade

paste wax will also serve to create a bond break between

the epoxy and the barrel/action metal when no release

agent is available.

Danger areas include milled cuts, drilled holes, and all other

cavities in the metalwork that could act as receptacles for

epoxy. Look out for screw holes or other openings through

which the liquid epoxy might flow into the receiver or action.

Also fill the locking lug recesses in bolt-action receivers with

modeling clay. Since epoxy is formulated to flow, it will readily

do so into these pockets. Therefore, all such areas must be

filled with modeling clay or covered with tape, or both. We

mean the same clay you used as a child in grade school. In

reality, you’ll encounter very few cavities on the normal

action. However, you must fill each with clay. An example of

a potential problem area concerns the Savage Model 110

action, as well as other actions that have a corrugated nut

directly in front of the ring. This nut acts as a lock nut on

the barrel, and epoxy can flow into it.

Caution: Coat every possible contact area between wood and

metal with a release agent. Such areas include barrel, action,

tang screws, magazine box, and all other contact points.

When in doubt, apply release agent.

An examination of each individual rifle will reveal those spe-

cial recesses that can cause trouble. Failure to perform this

part of the job correctly might result in a barrel and action

that are permanently glued to the stock. For obvious rea-

sons, such bonding is undesirable. Be especially generous

with release agent on screw threads and in threaded holes in

the action where the tang screws fit. A light coating of release

agent completely around the barrel is never a mistake. The

same can be said for the entire action and even the inside of

the magazine. A release agent coating will harm nothing, and

should epoxy end up where it’s not supposed to be, removal

will prove relatively easy.

After you’ve completely and correctly prepared the stock for

glass bedding, the more enjoyable part of the process begins.

The following steps should be accomplished with the stock

secured in a well-padded bench vice.

13. Install the floor plate and/or trigger guard. Leave the

magazine out if it’s a separate unit.

14. Place each tang screw in its proper position and hold it

in place with a piece of masking tape.

15. Mix bedding materials precisely according to manufacturer

instructions. Epoxies can be unforgiving. Of course,

there may be formulation options. One is the addition of

powdered glass or other materials. Sometimes these

materials are supplied with the epoxy kit. If additional

substances are mixed in, add a sufficient amount to

bring the epoxy to the consistency of heavy grease.

Certain applications call for thinner mixtures. However,

a thicker epoxy tends to remain where it’s initially

placed. Stir the mixture well, but not so vigorously that

air bubbles appear. Always bear in mind the specific

time frame under which you can operate. The time factor

is vital. There’s only so much time lapse allowed between

mixing the epoxy and setting the barrel into position so

that some of the liquid mixture oozes out slightly when

you set the barrel into the stock.



16. Next, install the barreled action into the stock, gently

pressing it into place. Start the front tang screw, but

don’t tighten it fully. Start and tighten the rear tang

screw until it holds some pressure. Then tighten the

front tang screw down firmly, but without undue force.

Then tighten the rear tang screw completely.

17. After the barreled action is in place, use a clean stir

stick to wipe away excess epoxy that may have over-

flowed, but don’t remove the excess entirely. Leave a

slight fillet along the sides of the barrel and on other

areas where complete filling is demanded. The magazine

box is also checked for overflow and cleaned up. A cloth

dampened with vinegar or acetone is useful in cleaning

up minor epoxy overflows on metal parts.

It’s important for all areas to be checked for overflow of

epoxy. Special attention is necessary along the right-hand

side of the action, left-hand side for left-handed action

(Figure 5).

FIGURE 5—This diagram showsthe areas you should check foroverflow of epoxy.

Next, attend to the overflow around the rear tang. Remove

all excess epoxy from the tang area so that when you lift the

barreled action from the stock, it won’t be detained by hard-

ened epoxy overlaying the surface of this region. Overlays of

hardened epoxy here can cause pieces or even chunks of

wood to pop out of the stock when you remove the barreled

action. Careful inspection is necessary because some actions,

such as Interarms’ Mark X, have a slight bevel along the side

of the magazine box that can retain epoxy.

18. After removing excess epoxy, allow the epoxy to cure for

24 hours.

Note: You should never gauge setup time by leftover epoxy in

the cup. While this fluid may harden in a relatively short

time, the epoxy within the stock itself is a thin film and will

take longer to set up. Furthermore, the colder the ambient

temperature of the workroom, the longer it will take for the

epoxy to cure. Don’t rush it. Do follow the time instructions

noted in the instruction sheet(s) that came with the epoxy

formula.

19. Now we’ll remove the barreled action from the stock.

First, using a proper-fitting screwdriver to avoid damage

to the screw slots, remove the tang screws. Then, make

a final check to ensure that no epoxy overflow has cured

in the wrong place. As already stated, cured epoxy hang-

ing over metal parts of the action may cause a piece of

wood to break away from the stock.

Place the butt of the stock on the floor and tip the rifle over

until the muzzle makes about a 45 degree angle. Then, rotate

the rifle until the stock is upward and the barreled action

is facing downward toward the floor. Grasp the forearm

securely by edges and strike the bottom of the barrel, which

is facing upward since the top of the barrel is facing down-

ward. Use a rubber mallet for this operation. Firm multiple

raps may be required, but hard blows shouldn’t be neces-

sary. If the barreled action doesn’t budge, this may indicate a

problem with epoxy overflow. Check for any spot that may

represent a bond between metal and wood. When the barreled

action indicates that it has lost its grip with the stock, dis-

continue the use of the rubber mallet and return the rifle to

the padded bench vice.



20. Now place the bolt back into the action and pull it to the

rearward stop. Next, grasp the bolt itself in one hand

and the barrel of the rifle with the other and carefully

work the barreled action up and out of the stock. Use

firm but steady pressure for this operation. Work the

barreled action free and then lift it carefully out of the

stock. Don’t lever the barreled action up at the muzzle,

as this may damage the stock.

21. With the barreled action out of the stock, you can now

remove the trigger guard and floor plate. Make a careful

inspection at this time for any bedding compound flow

that may be adhering to the stock mortise. You may have

to remove epoxy, for example, from the magazine box or

from behind the safety. A rat-tailed file will be useful in

cleaning all tang screw holes so that the screws fit freely

through these holes when you reassemble the rifle.

Tang screws must not bear on wood or epoxy, or they, too,

can cause splitting under recoil. Using a small gouge, relieve

the area immediately behind the tang so that there’s no metal-

to-wood or metal-to-epoxy contact. If this location isn’t

relieved, stock splitting may occur under recoil.

Note: The fact that epoxy provides a perfect fit is a problem

behind the tang and in back of the tang screws. A perfect fit

in either location is a problem.

22. The only remaining areas that may require attention are

along the top edges of the barrel channel and the action

mortise, providing epoxy overflow is present in either or

both of these regions. File excess epoxy away very cau-

tiously, filing only to the masking tape. Then remove the

tape from the stock. A slight ridge will remain at the top

of the barrel channel on either side. Remove this ridge

patiently, filing down to, but not into, the finish. The

idea is to remove epoxy at this location, not stock finish.

23. After you clean up the stock at all points, clean the

metal parts using whatever solvent(s) the epoxy kit’s

instructions specify. This procedure will remove release

agent and any minute bits of epoxy that cling to metal

parts. You can pop off epoxy bits on metal with a finger-

nail if you properly applied release agent. This supports

the original emphasis on applying release agent properly

and liberally.

24. You should apply a light coating of gun oil to all metal

parts prior to reassembly. After reassembly, allow another

24 hours for curing before firing the rifle.

The glass bedding process may seem long and involved; how-

ever, with practice the steps become routine. However, in all

glass bedding jobs, great care must be exercised to ensure

a professional job. Glasswork, or more properly these days

the use of epoxies, can be a tremendous boon to the modern

gunsmith, for glass has many applications other than stock

bedding. Of course, glass was never intended to take the

place of careful workmanship. Nothing can replace profes-

sional craftsmanship.



Self-Check 1

At the end of each section of Customizing Gun Stocks, you’ll be asked to pause and checkyour understanding of what you have just read by completing a “Self-Check” exercise.Answering these questions will help you review what you’ve studied so far. Please completeSelf-Check 1 now.

Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.

_____ 1. Glassing a stock is really a misnomer, as the product used to accomplish this taskis really epoxy.

_____ 2. When glass bedding a rifle, use release agent sparingly on only the parts insidethe stock.

_____ 3. A bedding system that incorporates metal sleeves that surround the tang screws ispillar bedding.

_____ 4. When glass bedding a stock, the rear tang area should be relieved so recoil won’tsplit the stock.

_____ 5. A good glass bedding job can cover up sloppy workmanship.

_____ 6. During glass bedding, using masking tape can control the overflow of epoxy alongthe sides of a stock.

_____ 7. A good way to float a barrel is to wrap it with three layers of electrician’s tapebefore bedding it.

_____ 8. Epoxy adheres to wood through a chemical bond.

_____ 9. During bedding, you can use modeling clay to fill voids in the metal parts of a rifleto prevent epoxy from binding wood to metal.

_____10. You shouldn’t fire a rifle for at least 24 hours after being glass bedded.

Check your answers with those on page 99.

SLING SWIVELS

Sling swivels are now standard on most rifles. Virtually all

factory bolt-action rifles now come with sling studs mounted

into the stock. The need for a sling isn’t necessarily univer-

sal. A sling is helpful when carrying a rifle afield, and you

can use it in certain shooting stances to enhance your

steadiness of aim.

One major supplier of sling swivels is Michaels of Oregon,

makers of the Uncle Mike’s products (Figure 6).

Michaels offers a great variety of swivels for just about any

firearm. Many other manufacturers of high-quality sling

swivels include Pachmay, Dave Talley, and Browning

(Figure 7).


FIGURE 6—Shown here are different types of sling swivels. Upper left: nondetachable sling swivels; upper right:quick-detachable sling loops; lower left: complete quick-detachable sling swivel set; lower right: quick-detachablestuds.


You can attach slings to rifle stocks in various ways. The

simplest way is by using fixed, nondetachable sling swivels.

These are the lightest and easiest to install, and they work

well.

Swivel Studs

The most common sling swivel base is an ordinary stud fit

with a wood screw on the buttstock and a machine screw on

the forend. Quick-detachable loops attach to these studs

(Figure 8).

Ordinary studs, the most versatile of all sling swivel bases,

are stock items in most shops. They’re inexpensive for both

gunsmith and consumer, yet they’re fully functional and

relatively easy to install. This is true for both wood and syn-

thetic stock installation.

FIGURE 7—Custom Sling Swivel Bases by Dave Talley

With some creativity, you can adapt these bases to serve

many applications on a multitude of firearms including shot-

guns, muzzleloaders, and handguns. One application con-

cerns a single-shot rifle with an extremely heavy octagonal

barrel in which you use a machine screw-type stud. Cut the

threads all the way to the base of the stud and then drill and

tap a hole in the heavy octagonal barrel. Emphasis is on a

heavy barrel because it will have sufficient metal thickness

for this operation without creating a weakness problem. The

threaded stud fits directly to the underside of the barrel in its

tapped hole.

Flush Mount Swivel Bases

Another type of swivel attachment is the flush mount, whereby

the base is totally inletted into the wood. Only the top-most

part of the base is visible because it’s flush with the surface

of the wood. Browning and Pachmayer are noted for their

flush-type mounts.

You must insert the loop of the swivel into a slot that’s integral

with the base. Then give the loop a quarter turn to lock it in

place. The result is an attractive, clean-looking installation.


FIGURE 8—Shown is a custom sling swivel base installed in a forearm with wooden molding.


The flush mount’s most significant drawback is that they

require special jigs for correct installation. Any errors made

during location or installation are difficult to correct. Another

minor drawback is a lack of versatility due to the physical

size of the unit. Sufficient wood must be available to accom-

modate the large base size since it inlets totally into the

stock.

The beginner is wise to approach the flush-type base with

caution. It can provide a handsome and functional sling

swivel arrangement, but you must exercise special care

during installation.

Another type of flush mount base is available from Michaels

of Oregon. The Uncle Mike’s unit is designed with loops that

have a built-in ball bearing-type release. The base consists of

a cup that you mount into the stock. When the loops aren’t

installed into the cup, a round one-half inch hole is visible.

These Uncle Mike’s flush-type mounts require a drill press

for installation. You must take special care to properly locate

the hole drilled to receive the cup in the stock at the correct

depth. Therefore, this type of base requires a stock of ade-

quate thickness to handle the large base.

Flush-type bases have definite advantages. Because they’re

in the same plane as the surface of both the forend and butt-

stock when the loops are removed (the sling taken off the

rifle), they offer a cosmetic advantage. Additionally, removing

the sling also makes sandbag shooting easier, and the flush-

type base won’t tear into the shooting rest as a protruding

base can.

As previously stated, the principal disadvantage of flush-type

bases concerns installation. They’re harder to install than

standard units and require special tools that can be expen-

sive. The loops can also prove more difficult to find if you

want to purchase just one set at a time. Flush mounts are

among the most expensive types. However, they have a place

on certain custom rifles.

Custom Bases

Sling swivel bases favored by the custom stock maker are

machined from bar stock. They attach to the forestock with

two finely threaded wood screws that precisely fit them.

Machine-type screws fasten them in the forearm. Craftsmen

like Dave Talley take the concept of custom sling swivels to

the point of creating bases with hidden screws for attachment

to the stock. Such bases are made to accept most types of

detachable loops. Brownells has an excellent selection of

bases from which to choose. These bases require inletting

skills for proper installation. They’re extremely durable as

well as attractive.

Barrel Mount Bases

The final sling swivel studs addressed here feature a front

sling swivel stud that attaches to the rifle barrel. They’re

available in three basic styles. One is the barrel band type

reamed and fitted to the correct location directly on the bar-

rel (Figure 9). A second is the sweat-on style base that, as

the name implies, you solder to the barrel with either soft or

silver solder. A third type is a base that you mill directly on

the barrel as an integral part of it. You would find the latter

on octagonal barrels (Figure 10).


FIGURE 9—Pictured are an unfinished barrel band (right) and a barrel band fitted to a barrel, both by Dave Talley.


The three types feature a forward base located upward toward

the muzzle and away from the forend of the rifle stock. This

is practical for heavy-recoiling rifles where the forward base

can actually make contact with the hand during shooting

and cause possible injury.

Mounting the forward base on the barrel also permits the

shooter to carry the rifle with the muzzle lower when in the

slung position across the shoulder. This is beneficial when

the shooter walks through brush or wooded areas and

encounters low-hanging limbs.

The single major drawback of barrel base mounts concerns

using the sling for steadying purposes during shooting. The

hasty sling method, whereby the sling loops the arm to fur-

ther steady the rifle, adds pressure to the sling. In turn, this

pressure is directed to the front base. When the front base is

attached to the barrel, then pressure is exerted at that point.

It’s possible for the force, which wasn’t evident while range

sighting the rifle from the bench, to slightly disturb the zero

of the rifle.

FIGURE 10—Integral Sling Swivel Base Milled on an Octagonal Barrel


Sling Base and Swivel Installation

Sling base and sling swivel installation require a drill press

to achieve high-quality work. You can use a hand drill in a

pinch; however, we don’t recommend one for professional

work. We also recommend a drill press vice with padded

jaws. The vice with padded jaws holds the buttstock securely

in place without marring the stock finish.

Installing the Sling Base Stud on a Bolt-action Rifle

The following procedure is for installing the sling base stud

for standard sling swivels on a bolt-action rifle. As always,

begin by making sure the rifle isn’t loaded.

1. Dismantle the rifle, removing the barreled action from

the stock, as well as the trigger guard.

2. Locate the rear swivel base approximately 21/2 to 3 inches

in front of the toe of the buttstock. With a center punch,

place a reference mark centered in the toe line of the

stock. Special jigs promote perfect location of this mark,

but the jigs aren’t foolproof. The goal is to drill a hole for

the rear swivel base that will center the base in line with

the stock’s toe line at the correct distance from the toe of

the buttstock. Experience will prove that in determining

exact location, careful alignment by eye has a lot of merit.

3. Clamp the stock in the padded vice (or the special jig

just mentioned). The goal is to hold the buttstock and

the toe line level with the table of the drill press. Align

the buttstock vertically, or you’ll drill the hole canted to

one side.

4. Drill a 5/32 inch hole to approximately one-inch depth in

the stock. This hole may be slightly deeper in the stock

with no ill effect.

5. Insert a 7/32 inch drill bit and countersink the hole just

made to a depth of about 1/8 inch to provide clearance

for the wood screw.

Caution: Failure to complete this step can lead to problems

later in the procedure when you secure the base on the butt-

stock. Often, damage occurs when tightening the wood screw

24


that secures the base to the buttstock. If you don’t counter-

sink the hole, the screw head might chip a piece from the

buttstock as you tighten it.

6. Using a drift punch or an ordinary nail of the same

approximate diameter, screw the base down into place.

Be careful to avoid scratching the stock if the punch

handle comes around when the stud gets close to its full

seating depth.

Tip: If you have difficulty starting the screw, sharpen its

point on a grinder to facilitate its entry into the wood. When

the base reaches the level of the stock, turn the base just

enough to leave an impression in the wood. Then, unscrew

the base. With a gouge and small chisel, carefully relieve the

compressed area in the wood formed by the impression of the

base. This avoids crushing and breaking the wood when the

base is fully seated and aligned with the stock.

Tip: Don’t use a detachable swivel body as a wrench, as it

can damage the swivel.

7. Unscrew the base, apply a small amount of Loctite or

even glue to the hole, and reinstall the stud. Doing so

will prevent the stud from coming loose and/or twisting

out of position in the future.

Inevitably, a stud will sometimes get put in crooked. The best

remedy for a crooked stud is to withdraw the stud and plug

the original hole using a piece of hardwood dowel as a plug.

Glue the bit of hardwood dowel in place and trim it to match

the contour of the stock. If the hole wasn’t too crooked and

out of line, the base of the stud will usually cover, or at least

almost cover, your repair job. A hardwood plug allows

redrilling without concern for loss of strength. Seldom does

the plug cause a serious cosmetic problem.

Installing the Forearm Stud

1. Locate the forearm stud approximately 13 to 17 inches

in front of the trigger. Use common sense in determining

the exact location, as you may have to take into consid-

eration a checkering pattern or stippling.

Caution: Never install a forearm stud into a checkering pat-

tern. This makes an unprofessional-looking job and does

nothing for the checkering pattern itself.


2. After you determine the correct location for the stud, rest

the stock firmly upside down on a bench. Then, move

the blade of the try square to a point that looks centered

on the stock (Figure 11).

Make a very light and short scratch in the wood at this point.

Switch the try square to the other side of the forearm and

check to see if your scratch was centered. Make the neces-

sary adjustments on the try square blade until you locate the

center of the stock. This method will place the sling swivel

stud in the center of the forearm even if the wood on each

side of the barrel channel isn’t the same thickness.

Note: Don’t use the barrel channel as a guide when locating

the sling swivel, as often the result will be an off-center

stud hole.

3. Following the correct location for the stud, use a sharp

center punch and mark that point by firmly rapping the

punch with a small mallet.

26

FIGURE 11—Finding the Center of the Stock Forearm for a Sling Stud Base


4. Place the forearm of the stock on the drill press table,

and with a small tapered wedge under the forearm, level

it with the plane of the table top. The wedge will raise

the forearm slightly to bring it into a level position

(Figure 12).

FIGURE 12—Here, the gunsmith uses a lever and wedge to level a forearm for drilling the hole for the front swivelstud.

The wedge also acts as a support under the forearm for

drilling. This enables drilling of a hole that will be at a right

angle to the bottom of the forend. The setup described here

can be handheld. Practice promotes speed and accuracy. An

alternate method is to use a padded vice to hold the forearm

in place for drilling purposes.

5. With a 3/16 inch drill bit, drill a hole completely through

the forearm from the outside down through the barrel

channel.

6. Then, turn the stock over with the barrel channel facing

upward and the forearm resting flat on the table of the

drill press. Countersink the drilled hole into the barrel

channel using a 23/64 inch drill bit. Drill this countersunk

hole to a depth of 1/4 inch to 5/16 inch for the purpose of

seating the machine screw nut. You must countersink

the machine screw nut below the level of the barrel

channel or it will make contact with the barrel when you

assemble the rifle.

7. Push the threaded part of the stud up through the fore-

arm and start the machine screw nut on it. If the nut

won’t reach the screw, seat the nut deeper into the hole.

To do this, pad a place on the workbench. Place the

stock on this padded spot with the barrel channel up.

Put the nut into the hole with the rounded side of the

nut down. With a drift punch that’s nearly the same

diameter as the nut, drive the nut downward into the

recess. Be careful to keep the nut straight rather than

allowing it to tilt in the hole. Then, start the threaded

end of the stud back up through the forearm, engaging

the nut. Firmly screw the base down on the stock, which

will pull the nut into its final position fully aligned. Take

care during this procedure so that you don’t crush or

crack the wood under the base. After a few experiences

with the process, you’ll develop a touch for knowing

when the nut is fully seated.

8. The screw portion of the stud may protrude beyond the

level of the barrel channel. If so, either make a mark on

the threads to indicate how much to cut off or count the

number of threads that you must remove to achieve a

flush fit. Now, remove the stud and shorten the screw



appropriately. Put a drop or two of Loctite on the screw

and thread it back into place. The Loctite, of course,

helps the screw remain in place, preventing it from turn-

ing in the stock.

Installing the standard sling swivel stud isn’t difficult. Still,

you must follow all the previous steps to ensure a good job.

You must take care to keep all of the hardware properly

aligned. After a few installations (and perhaps a mistake or

two), installing sling swivel studs will become routine. As

stated earlier, but worth repeating, there are special jigs

available to locate holes for this operation. Special drills are

also available.

The Synthetic Stock

Installing sling swivel studs on synthetic stocks follows the

same steps as those for wood stocks. Furthermore, most

manufacturers of synthetic stocks offer them ready to go with

studs pre-installed. If not, the area into which the stud fits is

reinforced. There’s one saving grace with synthetics. If you

make a mistake when locating a stud, you can fill in the hole

with epoxy and repeat the process. Also, if necessary, you

can coat a sling swivel stud with release agent and epoxy it

into place in a synthetic stock.

Flush Mount Bases

Flush mount bases generally come with installation instructions,

and a special jig is required for near-perfect installation

(Figure 13). It’s impossible (and fortunately not necessary)

to cover each individual brand. As a rule of thumb, when

installing special bases, use the specific installation jig

offered by the base manufacturer and pay close attention

to the installation instructions.

Installing flush mount bases usually requires inletting, as

with Talley swivel bases that must be professionally inletted

and fitted into the stock.

Caution: Wood screws used to hold flush mount bases in

place are fine-threaded. You must exercise special care when

tightening them or the heads may snap off. This problem

usually occurs when pilot holes are too small and screws

turn too hard. It’s a royal mess to remove the broken shank

of a wood screw when the head snaps off.

After you fit the base, you must choose loops. Loops from

Uncle Mike’s are well manufactured and most popular. They

come with the standard detachable loop or in the Super

Swivel style with Swivellock. The Super Swivel locks in place

via a plunger sleeve that screws down. In this manner, the

loop can’t accidentally work free. You must unscrew the

sleeve to remove the swivel loop from the base. Uncle Mike’s

also offers a broad selection of swivel sets for rifles and shot-

guns that have two-piece stocks. These sets all come with

installation instructions.


FIGURE 13—Sling swivel stud installation jig by B Square comes with instructions.


Barrel Bands

You can easily fit barrel bands to barrels. You should locate

the band at least far enough forward of the forearm tip so that

when the loop is in place, no part of the hardware contacts

the stock and scratches the finish. Of course, the barrel band

must match the barrel diameter at the point of installation.

1. Apply a light coat of oil to the barrel where the barrel

band will fit into place. Then, with a small hammer and

a nylon or brass punch, drift the band firmly (but with

due care) onto the barrel until it conforms to the barrel

contour.

Caution: When the band comes to an abrupt halt on the bar-

rel, don’t continue to drive it with the hammer. The band

can split by driving it beyond the proper diameter on the

barrel. Furthermore, you must yet remove the band as

described next.

2. Remove the band and thoroughly clean the area of the

barrel it will rest on. Also, clean the interior of the band.

This is necessary to remove all traces of oil that may

spoil a bond between the barrel band and the barrel.

3. Mix the typical high-quality liquid epoxy following the

exact directions for the specific formula used. Only a

small amount is necessary, enough to make contact

between the interior of the barrel band and the barrel.

4. Coat the barrel area precisely where the barrel band will

fit, using the proper amount of epoxy. Then slip the bar-

rel band back into place where it will correctly come to

rest in proper alignment.

5. Tap the band once more to ensure that it’s tight, but

don’t use heavy blows. Allow the epoxy to cure and the

band will hold. If later removal is necessary, you may

have to break the epoxy bond by heating it with a torch

to loosen its bond.

6. Naturally, you could soft-solder the band into place, or

drill a set screw and tap it down through the loop base

on the band. However, the consensus from manufactur-

ers of barrel bands suggests that epoxy is a more than

adequate means of securing the band in place.

7. If you’re to fit the band on a new barrel still in the white,

you can do so after you polish the barrel but before you

blue it. Then you accomplish the final fitting and setting

in place with epoxy after you blue the barrel and barrel

band. In this instance, you must mark the band to denote

which end faces forward so that you can drive it back

onto the barrel in the correct direction for final fitting.

8. If you’ll use a permanently soldered front sight ramp on

the new barrel, you must fit the barrel band before you

install the ramp or it won’t fit over the end of the barrel.

Alternately, you can use the type of sling swivel base

that gets soldered on if you install the ramp before you

put a barrel band into place.

The Solder-on Sling Swivel Base

You must fit the solder-on sling swivel base to the barrel with

care. If you use soft solder, there should be sufficient contact

surface between barrel and sling swivel base to offer a solid

platform for the solder. Soft solder is good, but it does have

strength limitations. Fitting must be precise.

Warning: Any soldering process is dangerous, as it involves

heating metals to extreme temperatures with a torch. To avoid

injury or death, those unskilled at using a torch should receive

proper certified training in torch operation before performing

soldering tasks.

1. First, fit the base perfectly to the barrel—a sloppy fit

won’t suffice. Use a good flux to clean the barrel and

swivel base areas that will make contact. It’s imperative

to properly prepare the joint area for soldering.

2. Next, tin the barrel and the base, using no more heat

from a torch than necessary to melt the solder. An acety-

lene torch may be necessary.

3. Following the tinning procedure, clamp the base onto the

barrel in the correct location. Then, heat the barrel and

base until the solder melts and you make a perfect fit

between the barrel and the base.



Note: If you’re going to hot blue the barrel, it’s necessary to

use HI-FORCE 44 solder sold by Brownells. Regular 50/50

soft solder won’t maintain a bond when you place the barrel

into a caustic salt blueing bath. With HI-FORCE 44 solder,

the level of heat required to melt the solder is approximately

475° Fahrenheit.

If the barrel will be rust blued, a 50/50 solder will hold.

Again, use only enough heat to melt the solder.

4. You can clean up soft solder with a knife blade, scrap-

ers, or files. If a beadblast cabinet is available, it will

speed the cleaning of soft solder.

Silver Soldering the Base

Silver soldering the base requires considerably more prepara-

tion. You must coat the bore with antiscale compound (also

available from Brownells) to alleviate any scaling that might

occur in the bore due to the high-melt temperatures experi-

enced during silver soldering. You must carefully fit the base

exactly as called for when soft soldering. Also, properly flux

the metal parts and procure a high-quality, low-temperature,

ribbon-type silver solder.

Cut a piece of silver solder ribbon to match the area of the

base. Clamp the base to the barrel in its correct position with

the piece of silver solder ribbon in between the base and the

barrel. Next, apply sufficient heat with an acetylene torch to

melt the silver solder and cause it to flow. SILVALOY 355 sil-

ver solder from Brownells melts at 1145° Fahrenheit and

flows at 1205° Fahrenheit. It contains 56 percent silver. This

is a high-grade silver solder for the operation discussed here.

Cleanup with silver solder takes time and patience, as well

as a good selection of small files. However, silver solder makes

for a permanent installation. Exercise care to use only the

heat necessary to make the silver solder flow. Excessive heat

will damage the barrel of the gun.

Octagonal Barrels

You machine the sling swivel base on the octagonal barrel as

an integral part of the barrel. The only remaining task is to

drill a hole through the base to accept the sling loops.

Thompson/Center Pistols

The Thompson/Center Contender has become very popular.

The Thompson Center (T/C) pistols are large enough to

accept a sling. The best arrangement for sling attachment to

these handguns is a set of Uncle Mike’s swivels, which are

designed expressly for the T/C pistol.

The Lanyard Loop

A lanyard loop may be desired for a revolver. The easiest way

to provide a lanyard loop is to use a machine screw stud. Cut

the shank down short and chase the 10 � 32 threads all the

way to the base of the shank. Then, drill and tap a hole into

the bottom frame of the revolver and the pistol grip.

Caution: Prior to commencing work, record the serial number

of the firearm. Should a serial number be defaced while you

install a lanyard loop (in cases where the serial number

appears on the bottom frame), you must stamp the number

into the frame at some other point. To do otherwise is an

infraction of the law.

Prior to tightening the matching screw stud into place, coat

its threads with a couple drops of Loctite to help hold it in

place.



Self-Check 2

Fill in the blanks in the following statements.

1. _______ -type mount bases have the advantage of being in the same plane as the sur-face of both the forend and buttstock when the loops are removed. From the practicalstandpoint, this makes _______ shooting easier.

2. Sling base and sling swivel installation require a _______ to achieve the highest qualitywork.

3. The simplest sling swivel type is the _______ type.

4. The base of the _______ mount is totally inletted into the wood.

5. When installing a rear swivel base, you should locate it approximately _______ inches infront of the toe of the buttstock.

6. You should never install forearm stud into a _______ pattern.

7. A _______ is required for perfect installation of flush mount bases.

8. The most common sling swivel base is the ordinary stud that’s fitted with a _______screw on the buttstock and a _______ screw on the forend of the one-piece stock.

9. When mounting swivels, the location of the forearm stud should be approximately_______ inches in front of the trigger.

10. A base that’s milled directly on the barrel is practical for _______ rifles where the for-ward base can actually make contact with the hand during shooting, possibly causinginjury to the shooter.



STOCK ACCESSORIES

Pistol Grip Caps

Pistol grip caps are a valuable addition to a rifle stock. They

not only add beauty, but they’re functional as well. Caps pro-

vide protection for the bottom of the pistol grip, an area of

the stock that’s vulnerable to bumps and scrapes from nor-

mal use and storage. If left unprotected, the grip area may

suffer dents and/or have bits of wood chipped off, resulting

in lost value. Also, the damage can be difficult if not impossi-

ble to repair.

Note: The pistol grip caps discussed in this section are made

of plastic or metals. We discussed wooden pistol grip caps in

the previous unit.

Although it’s preferable to install a pistol grip cap on a stock

during construction, you can fit one to an existing stock pro-

fessionally (Figure 14).

However, because the pistol grip area of an existing stock is

already a specific size and shape, certain limitations might

exist.

Plastic. The plastic pistol grip cap is the least expensive

type, and it accommodates many different size pistol grips.

Admittedly, plastic pistol grip caps are the least attractive,

36

FIGURE 14—A Skeleton Pistol Grip Cap Installed on a Finished Stock


and we seldom install them on custom rifles. Essentially, the

plastic pistol grip cap is a utilitarian item.

Solid steel. The solid steel pistol grip cap is quite another

story (Figure 15). Such grips are available from Dave Talley,

Jerry Fisher, Brownells, and others.

The old standby Niedner pistol grip cap, named after the

well-known custom arms maker of the early twentieth centu-

ry, offers yet another alternative. It features solid steel con-

struction with a checkered center and on-center screw for

attachment to the rifle pistol grip. Professionals consider the

Niedner the least expensive metal pistol grip cap, yet it’s both

attractive and serviceable. It graces the pistol grip of many

custom rifles.

There are countless other manufactured solid steel caps,

including designs with an oval top, also attached with a

center screw. Some pistol grip caps attach with two screws.

Generally, all are high-quality metal caps, but their selection

is often based more on dimensions and specific taste than

quality.

FIGURE 15—Shown is a selec-tion of steel pistol grip caps—top left is by Dave Talley, topright is a Niedner style, andlower is by Jerry Fisher.

Open steel. Open-style steel pistol grip caps often have no

center portion, thus allowing wood to show through. The

exposed wood can then be carved or checkered. Also, the

open area can feature an inlay. Imagination is the only limit-

ing factor when the open-style cap is selected. It’s important

to note that the open style still offers protection for the pistol

grip area. It covers the vulnerable edges of the pistol grip all

the way around.

Edge protection coupled with creative decorative enhance-

ment combine to make the open-style steel pistol grip cap a

desirable option. However, these caps require more skill to

install. They require inletting for a perfect matchup where

wood and metal meet along the edges of the pistol grip and

also on the inside where the wood and metal come together.

Trap. The trap grip cap has a little trapdoor built into it,

which conceals a small compartment within the pistol grip

and under the pistol grip cap. The shooter uses the compart-

ment to carry items such as sight inserts. Primarily, the trap

grip adds a touch of class to a fine custom firearm, as well as

added interest. The trap grip is expensive, but it deserves

consideration. It’s best to install it on a new rifle stock as

opposed to retrofitting on an existing one. Ideally, you’ll

design the trap grip into the stock plans, although when

refinishing and refurbishing require stock gripalteration, you

can figure in the grip quite nicely.

Cartridge trap. Risking digression from our current discus-

sion of pistol grip caps, it’s necessary to consider the car-

tridge trap. You inlet the cartridge trap just as you inlet the

pistol grip trap into the gun stock. However, you inlet the

cartridge trap into the toe line close to the buttplate. The

trapdoor consists of a hinged spring-loaded lid that covers

cartridge recesses in the stock. The cartridge trap is of

European influence, and it offers a nice finishing touch on a

high-grade rifle, although it doesn’t suit the design of all fine

rifle stocks (Figure 16).

Prices range high for cartridge traps. Brownells offers a wide

selection made by various expert craftspeople across the

country.



Fitting a Pistol Grip Cap

Fitting a pistol grip cap is a straightforward process. If you’re

fitting the cap to a new stock, you file and sand the surface

of the pistol grip flat to prepare a proper contact area for the

pistol grip cap. Epoxy and a screw or screws hold the cap in

place, the latter provided with the cap. A bit of epoxy under-

neath the cap serves not only to hold the cap in place, but

also to seal the wood, making a perfect fit between the cap

and the pistol grip. Furthermore, the epoxy also prevents the

pistol grip cap from turning when a single-screw cap is used.

Caution: When using epoxy, a good release agent is necessary

to prevent the cap from becoming permanently glued to the

stock.

If you’re installing a pistol grip cap on an existing rifle stock,

you should know ahead of time whether the particular cap

will fit the rifle. This may seem a basic consideration, but it’s

common for a customer to request a particular cap, and later

be disappointed to learn that it won’t fit the rifle stock cor-

rectly. Your Brownell’s Catalog comes in handy here. First,

measure the pistol grip size of the firearm you’re fitting with

a cap. Then, compare the dimensions against the selection of

caps with measurements listed in the catalog. Doing so will

ensure that no surprises occur.

FIGURE 16—Cartridge Trap in the Toe Line of a Stock

Other Considerations

Metal pistol grip caps are generally offered in the white and

require blueing or some other type of metal finish. The gun-

smith realizes that the finish on the pistol grip cap must

match either the existing finish or that applied to the new

metals.

Also, when tightening the wood screw(s), there’s always a

danger of snapping a head off. Be careful to tighten a pistol

grip cap screw only to the point of security and not beyond.

Drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw shank first

to offer a channel for the pistol grip cap screw. Then apply a

lubricant, such as paraffin, to the threads of the screw to aid

in tapping it into the wood.

Open-style pistol grip caps require the most installation time,

since you must inlet them down into the wood of the pistol

grip. You accomplish this task in the same manner as all

inletting using inletting black, chisels, and a large dose of

patience to achieve that perfect wood-to-metal fit. The fit

that’s the hallmark of professional gunsmithing.

The trap-type cap demands additional inletting of the tube

attached to the cap. Furthermore, you must build working

room for the spring and lid hinge into the fitting process.

You can drill the hole either on the drill press or with a

hand drill.

Caution: Be certain to leave adequate wood for the screws

that retain the trap cap. There must be sufficient remaining

wood for the screws to tap into. The additional labor required

to fit the open style and trap grip justifies a higher installa-

tion charge.

The cartridge trap also demands extra care in fitting. It’s best

suited to a newly constructed stock, as the length and width

of the trap dictate the profile of the toe line. The cartridge trap

also requires drilling the stock to accommodate the cartridge

recesses.



Buttplates

A variety of buttplates are available, including fittings made

of rubber, plastic, steel, and special units that include rub-

ber in their composition (Figure 17).

One type of buttplate even features metal springs enclosed in

a rubber jacket. It’s essential that the buttplate type chosen

match the firearm and be appropriate for it. The vast selec-

tion available allows the gunsmith to choose both plates and

pads that not only fit the firearm correctly, but also have the

correct color or combination of colors to match the stock.

You should help your customers select the correct buttplate

or pad. Point out construction differences and all aspects

of the various pads and butt-plates that will help your cus-

tomer make a wise choice. For example, if you discuss the

Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad, stress its highly popular

design and construction and its remarkable shock absorption.

FIGURE 17—Steel and plasticbuttplates—the steel one is onthe left.

The Pachmayr Decelerator looks good and easily fits to a

buttstock in the same manner employed to fit the standard

rubber recoil pad. Of course, the Decelerator is only one of

many good recoil pads.

The Steel Buttplate

An alternative to the recoil pad, the steel buttplate is far from

extinct in modern gun making. Custom stock makers often

favor steel buttplates because they show the lines of the

buttstock cleanly. Steel buttplates aren’t obtrusive, and they

don’t clash with the color of the wood. With minor attention,

they’ll never deteriorate, although they may eventually

require reblueing. Furthermore, a steel buttplate offers one

more available surface for engraving.

Many rifles equipped with steel buttplates are chambered for

modest-sized cartridges that don’t produce heavy recoil.

However, many magnum owners who shoot on a regular

basis prefer them, too. Even the hardy shooter will admit

that for sustained range shooting, a recoil reducing pad is

preferable to steel. Exceptions include a few shooters who

always prefer steel. They use, or wear, a buffer pad between

the shoulder and the buttplate for extended shooting at the

range.

Warning: On a heavy-recoiling rifle, using a solid pad, such

as a sandbag, between the shoulder and buttplate may cause

the rifle stock to crack or break at the wrist.

Remember, many shooters use rifles as tools. The more they

use the tools, the more proficient they become with them.

They learn to manage recoil and/or to ignore it. This group

includes devout hobbyists, serious hunters with vast experi-

ence, government hunters, professional guides, and trappers.

Steel buttplates are generally semicurved. Such design is

reminiscent of the rifle-type or curved, crescent-shaped butt-

stock of the old days, as opposed to the flatter-based

buttplate (known as the shotgun-type) that’s more popular

today. The crescent shape of the metal buttplate demands

that the buttstock be contoured to accept it. This requires

considerable inletting and fitting with the tools of the trade:

inletting black and chisels. You apply inletting black to the



surface of the buttplate and then press the buttplate up

against the buttstock and tape it so that the inletting black

leaves a mark. Then remove the wood as indicated by the

inletting black. Repeat the process until you achieve a

matchup between the steel buttplate and the buttstock.

Then fit the screws to hold the plate permanently in place.

Proper steel buttplate installation demands near-perfect fit,

and may require future refitting if the buttstock wood

shrinks and leaves an exposed metal edge. Most often, the

crescent-shaped type is reserved for newly built firearms. If a

customer wishes to fit a steel buttplate to an existing rifle,

you often use a flat plate. A flat metal buttplate may require

trimming and will tolerate it; however, a crescent-shaped

plate may not.

It’s the gunsmith’s responsibility to inform the customer that

while a steel buttplate can be handsome and long lasting, it’s

not as desirable as a buttpad with “give” for three reasons.

The first is most obvious: a steel buttplate doesn’t soften

recoil felt at the shoulder. Second, as a steel butt-plate doesn’t

absorb shock, the buttstock might split if the shooter sets

down the rifle with undue force, as against a rock surface or

hard flooring. It’s not uncommon to encounter rifles that

have been treated in this manner. They reveal a crack along

the toe line caused by shock against the steel buttplate.

Third, the steel buttplate is slick. Should the rifle be leaned

in a corner, it may slide away from its resting position and

fall crashing to the floor.

As previously stated, you’ll seldom find the steel buttplate on

heavy recoiling calibers such as the 338 Winchester Magnum.

Shooters don’t care for the unforgiving shoulder wallop; they

prefer instead the shock absorption of a recoil pad.

The Skeleton Buttplate

Another type of steel buttplate is the skeleton buttplate

(Figure 18). In design, the skeleton buttplate is on par with

the skeleton pistol grip cap. It consists of a steel border with

an open center through which the buttplate wood shows.

Skeleton buttplates are more for show than function. They’re

not very practical in the field.

FIGURE 18—A Steel SkeletonButtplate (Photo courtesy of

Reinhart Fajen, Inc.)


Skeleton buttplate installation allows a custom gun maker to

display his or her talents, as fitting them requires inletting.

Caution: The skeleton buttplate isn’t a task for the beginner.

Only when professionally fitted do they enhance the beauty

of the buttstock.

The Two-piece Buttplate

Yet another type of steel buttplate is the two-piece buttplate,

which features a top and bottom. You install each piece sep-

arately, and once again, the center of the buttstock features

exposed wood. The two-piece steel buttplate can be attractive

and interesting, as it once again shows off the skills of the

custom gun maker. The two-piece buttplate is more appropri-

ate on show rifles than in the field. Whereas you can purchase

most steel buttplate styles from suppliers, the two-piece

buttplate is a handmade proposition.

The Unprotected Buttplate Area

Often, the buttplate area receives no protection whatsoever.

This custom touch may be the epitome of the gun maker’s

art, but it’s entirely impractical. Rather than installing a

buttplate or pad, the buttstock is entirely bare. In this man-

ner, it can be fully checkered or carved and may actually

add a unique touch to a hunting rifle. However, we don’t

recommend exposing wood in such a manner.

The Plastic Buttplate

The simplest and most inexpensive of all buttplates is the

generic plastic type commonly found on commercially built

rifles. You can quickly fit the plastic buttplate. Some compa-

nies add a little more color to the plastic plate by using

a white line spacer between the body of the plate and the

buttstock. Often, fancier plastic plates have designs cast on

them. However, plastic remains plastic, and it offers no recoil

absorption. Plastic is like a steel buttplate in this regard. It

also shares the steel buttplate’s slick surface, which offers

very little clinging ability. Plastic does protect wood in the

buttstock area from chipping, however, and a plastic

buttplate is far better than none at all.

44


Recoil Pads

We briefly covered recoil pads in a previous study unit.

However, since the recoil pad is the most popular buttstock

covering of all, further discussion is warranted.

Recently, the recoil pad has received tremendous attention,

and major advancements have been realized in its design and

construction. The gamut runs from thin rubber pads to recoil

pads that contain inner springs. Many of these pads have a

remarkable ability to absorb shock. They help in making

some of the hardest-recoiling rifles manageable to shoot

(Figure 19).

FIGURE 19—Shown is a selection of recoil pads. At the far left is an Answer System pad. Next is an Uncle Mike’spad. The remainder are various styles of Pachmayr recoil pads.


One of the high-tech recoil pads now available can tame a

“hard-kicking” rifle of 10 years ago for shooting off the bench.

The end result is generally more accurate shooting, as

thoughts of felt recoil don’t distract the shooter when he or

she squeezes the trigger. Therefore, recoil pads are among

the most practical and useful additions to hunting rifles and

shotguns.

Pachmayr and Michaels of Oregon (Uncle Mike’s) dominate

the recoil pad field. Through extensive research efforts, both

of these companies have developed excellent products for

virtually every need imaginable.

The Thin Solid Rubber Pad

On a light-recoiling rifle, the thin solid rubber recoil pad is

often ideal. It’s also useful for rifles held solidly into the

shoulder. The color selection, with or without a white

spacer, is abundant for this type of pad.

The .75 inch to .80 inch Pad

The next thickness up from the thin solid rubber pad is the

.75 inch to .80 inch pad. It’s correct for medium-recoiling

guns where maximum pad thickness isn’t required. It may

serve perfectly for the owner of a 6mm rifle or smaller-gauge

shotgun.

The One Inch Pad

The one inch rubber recoil pad is the most popular. It’s avail-

able in two general forms, solid and ventilated. One inch pads

are excellent for rifles and shotguns that exert medium to

moderately heavy recoil.

Thicker Pads

A number of thicker rubber recoil pads made of elastomer

and sorbothane are also available. They’re superior in shock

reduction and are appreciated on heavy-recoiling rifles and

shotguns. Pachmayr’s popular Decelerator recoil pad has

earned a fine reputation for one obvious reason: it works.

46


The KICK-EEZ recoil pad isn’t nearly so well known, but it,

too, is a good unit. It functions in the same manner as the

Decelerator with sorbothane in the pad.

One of the latest entries to the field of high-recoil pads is

Answer Systems Contour Force recoil pad. It oper-

ates on five recoil springs (cone-shaped) that provide

a progressive resistance to recoil, rather than

absorbing shock in a shorter time frame (Figure 20).

Also, the harder the recoil, the more force the

springs exert. Both actions have the effect of push-

ing the firearm away from the shooter. The Contour

Force recoil pad does a good job of softening pri-

mary recoil and converting the swift jab of the butt-

stock into a softer push.

Fitting the Recoil Pad

Just as shooters face many choices for reducing felt

recoil, you can approach the fitting and installing of

various recoil pads in any number of ways. We

selected the methods we’ll discuss for their repeated

professional results. Once you master them, you’ll

surely provide total customer satisfaction. Fitting

recoil pads is a core skill that once mastered can

put a lot of bread and butter on the table. The keys

to success are consistent quality and speed.

The best way to ensure consistent quality while

maintaining speed is to use proper tools and a jig designed

specifically for the job. A highly recommended jig for

fitting recoil pads is the B&R Recoil Pad Fitting Jig sold

by Brownells. It works in conjunction with a disc sander

or a belt sander.

Note: All references and information presented here pertain

to the disc sander, which is fast and efficient to use. It takes

practice to develop confidence and skill at using the disc

sander to its full potential, but it’s wise to invest the neces-

sary time in doing so.

FIGURE 20—Cutaway View of an AnswerSystems Recoil Pad

Warning: Proper instruction in the correct and safe operation

of all power tools is an expected prerequisite to their use in

the workplace. Using a power tool without proper training

and experience can be fatal.

The jig used in conjunction with the sander is a simple device.

It attaches directly to the table of the sander and enables you

to sand a pad to the correct size and angle without the pad

being attached to the stock. If the pad were already attached

to the stock, the danger of the sander striking the wood and

removing finish would be great.

Selecting Correct Pad Size

Although the disc sander and jig will do a fine job in reduc-

ing recoil pad dimensions to correctly fit a buttstock, it’s

imperative that general pad size be correct to begin with.

Three available sizes—small, medium, and large—adequately

cover virtually all shotgun and rifle stock dimensions. The

medium size, as might be expected, is most popular. Still,

you must stock both small and large pads to serve your

customers.

Initial size selection is especially important when installing

pads that have interior metal washers. The Decelerator,

Pachmayr 750, and Uncle Mike’s Inner Cushion are all in

this category, featuring mounting screws that pass through

thin metal washers housed inside the pad. The metal washer

arrangement provides additional strength in securing the pad

to the buttstock. Unfortunately, the metal washers run out

toward the edges of the pad, and their exact locations differ

among manufacturers. Therefore, if the buttstock calls for a

small pad and you select a medium, you could possibly

strike and expose the interior metal washer while sanding

the pad down to fit the buttstock. This ruins the pad and

results in both time and money lost. (Solid-sided pads as

opposed to ventilated pads are critical in this respect.)

Note: Many pads show a faint outline or witness mark on the

hard portion that goes up against the buttstock. The witness

mark helps you determine how far you can trim the pad

before you’ll strike any interior metal, whether it be washers

or the metal plates inherent in many pad styles. You must



observe witness mark lines with care. The newer solid-type

pads are especially critical in this regard. The older ventilated,

or open-sided, pads were less critical because interior metal

wasn’t as close to the edge of the pad. More size reduction

was possible before exposing interior metal became a consid-

eration.

Certain specialty pads such as the KICK-EEZ and Answer

Systems present another potential problem. These products

cut too far towards the heart of the pad, which may cause a

break in the rubber shell and expose the open center. Once

this happens, the pad is useless. As specialty pads are

expensive, a mistake of this nature can take the profit right

out of a job. Therefore, it only makes sense to select the

correct pad size and to know something about the pad’s

construction.

Steps in Fitting a Recoil Pad

1. Establish length of pull (distance from trigger to center

of buttstock) so that adding a recoil pad won’t render the

firearm too long for its owner. (We covered length of pull

in a previous study unit.) For example, assume that the

stock receiving the new recoil pad is to maintain the

same length of pull. The firearm in this example is a

bolt-action rifle with a plastic buttplate. The customer

desires a solid-sided, one inch thick recoil pad.

2. With the rifle resting on the gun bench, hold the pad

you’re fitting against the stock in the position it will

assume after installation. With a soft lead pencil, mark

along the edge of the pad.

3. Remove the pad and align a flexible six inch ruler with

the marks. Now draw a line down the buttstock to indi-

cate where you’ll cut the stock, thus removing a portion

of the wood and the plastic buttplate.

Note: Use a light touch in tracing a line to avoid scratching

the finish. You can purchase a Mark-On-Anything pencil

from Brownells specifically for this purpose. The pencil leaves

a visible line on just about any hard surface, yet it won’t

scratch it as a lead pencil can (Figure 21).


An alternate method for determining length of pull is to use

the original length of pull (providing it’s correct for the cus-

tomer) as a guide. Then cut the stock off only enough to

accept the new pad while maintaining the original length of

pull. In other words, measure the distance from the trigger to

the middle of the buttstock less one inch to account for the

thickness of the pad.

Note: You may know ahead of time that you must shorten the

stock to fit the customer. For example, if a person with a

short length of pull purchases a used rifle with a long length

of pull, then you can use the existing stock as a try stock. A

try stock has adjustments that permit the customer to try

various lengths of pull and stock angles prior to establishing

personal stock dimensions. You can begin by removing the

50

FIGURE 21—Marking the Buttstock


plastic buttplate in this instance and cutting thin strips from

the buttstock. At each stage, allow the customer to try the

stock until it fits him or her just right. Then cut off the

appropriate amount to accept the recoil pad.

Conversely, if you must lengthen the stock, tape spacers

onto the buttstock and the customer can try it until it fits.

Then fit the stock with a recoil pad that matches the length

of pull.

4. If the stock will have pitch, you should determine it next.

(We discussed pitch in a previous study unit.) Then

mark the angle so that you can cut the buttstock to

match it.

5. Once you correctly mark the stock, you must disassem-

ble it prior to cutting the stock. Remove the barreled

action, magazine box, trigger guard, and the existing

buttplate or old recoil pad. The saw blade would

encounter any screws holding the buttplate or pad in

place, thus ruining it.

6. Next, well-padded vice jaws hold the stock in place while

the sharp-toothed hand saw does its work. Clamp the

stock in the vice so the buttstock protrudes out to your

right. Then begin cutting the stock slightly off the line so

that it remains on the stock after you make the cut.

Angle the saw slightly to the right, thus leaving some

wood to be sanded off, which is far better than cutting

off too much wood. The disc sander will make short

work of the job, and the slight angle of the saw will have

compensated for any minor splintering on the off-side

during sanding.

Note: Use masking tape along the edge of the buttstock to

reduce any splintering effect caused by sawing (Figure 22).

However, the slight angle-cut previously noted makes this

step unnecessary.


Here’s another tip pertaining to sawing: When the saw reaches

the toe of the stock, slow down your strokes. Support the

piece of wood that’s about to drop off the buttstock with

your hand so that the saw’s action doesn’t rip through the

remaining wood and chip it from the bottom of the toe line.

Caution: During the end of the saw cut at the toe line, there’s

added danger of chipping. Proceed with extreme care.

7. At this stage, the stock is almost cut off to the proper

length. Remember the little extra wood left on the butt-

stock for safety’s sake? Sand the stock on the disc

sander with 80 grit sandpaper installed. Sand the butt

straight, flat, and level with the rest of the stock. This

task requires practice, but once you master it, your speed

will increase. With experience, you’ll be able to neatly

and quickly square up the buttstock as you ready it for

pad installation. Sand right to the line on the stock.

52

FIGURE 22—Carefully saw off the buttstock to the proper length. Note the masking tape placed on the buttstockto avoid splintering.


8. With the stock sanded, it’s time to sand the recoil pad.

Few pads are absolutely precise and square. Therefore,

lightly sand the back of the pad on the disc sander to

make it true. It must match the trueness of the sanded

buttstock for proper fit. Again, use 80 grit sandpaper for

this purpose. Eighty grit is coarse enough to avoid load-

ing up from continued use, yet it’s fine enough to create

a relatively smooth surface on both the buttstock wood

and the back of the recoil pad.

Note: Some stock makers will use a finer grit, especially when

working the pad down. However, a finer grit paper requires

more time and the changing of extra belts or discs. Personal

experimentation with various grit sandpapers is in order

until you find what you prefer.

Let’s take a moment to discuss alternate methods of truing

the buttstock. Employ a sharp file in conjunction with a

straightedge to true the buttstock. Use the straightedge to

check the filing to ensure that the buttstock is true.

Another method of gaining a flat surface on the buttstock is

to place a sheet of 80 grit garnet paper on a perfectly flat

surface. Then place the buttstock on the paper and scrub

back and forth until the end surface of the butt is as flat as

the garnet paper.

A sanding block coupled with a straightedge will also do the

job using coarse 80 grit until the butt is flat. However, devel-

oping the technique of holding the stock on a power sander

is faster. (Time is money in the shop.)

9. Once you’ve properly prepared the buttstock and pad,

attach the pad to the stock using the screws provided

with the pad. Use a small drift punch (or a nail) to mark

the pad. Push the punch or nail through the pad from

the back with just enough force to indicate where the

holes should be. Then, with a sharp, thin-pointed edge

(such as that on an X-Acto knife), slit the rubber directly

over both hole locations. Each slit should be about 1/4 to5/16 inch long. The slits will allow you to push the screw

heads through the rubber without splitting it. Use a

small, round bladed (Philips) screwdriver to drive the

screws. Once the screws are adequately tightened, the

slits will close together and no longer be visible. You can


lubricate both screws and the screwdriver blade with

saliva to help them pass through the slits without dam-

aging the rubber of the pad.

Note: A vise holds the stock during this step. Start both screws

into the pad, but don’t push them in all the way. Instead,

push them in only until the sharp point of each screw begins

to protrude from the hard base of the pad. Then place the

pad on the buttstock and move the pad around until its

location is satisfactory. Then, with a small hammer, tap

the heads of the screws in the pad to mark the surface of

the buttstock. These marks will be the locations of pilot

holes drilled to create channels for the screws.

10. Now set the pad aside, and drill pilot holes into the butt-

stock at the site of the marks. (For Pachmayr and Uncle

Mike’s pads, a No. 32 drill is about right to match the

screw shank size.)

11. After drilling the holes, remove one screw from the pad

and use it to prethread the hole. You can use another

screw of the same size for prethreading if you’re con-

cerned about damaging the pad screw. Paraffin or other

lubricant makes threading easier.

Note: You can speed up the drilling job by using a variable-

speed drill with a screwdriver bit. You can drive down the

screw into the hole and back it out quickly with the drill.

Still, use a round bladed screwdriver to tighten the screws

down through the pad and into the buttstock when securing

the pad. Once again, you can use saliva to help deter damage

to the rubber as you seat the screws.

At this point the screws properly hold the pad to the butt-

stock. However, the pad hasn’t yet been trimmed to fit the

buttstock contour.

12. With a sharp-pointed scribe, follow the perimeter of the

pad using the edge of the buttstock as a guide to mark

the necessary contours of the buttstock. Scribe deeply

enough to make a pronounced line. You use this line to

size the pad and so make it visible (Figure 23).

54


13. Remove (unscrew) the pad from the buttstock and place

it on the adjustable frame of the jig (Figure 24). After you

attach the pad, hold it in place on the top of the stock

with the buttplate up against the buttstock. Now adjust

the frame so that its top arm is parallel with the top of

the stock.

FIGURE 23—Mark the recoil pad with a sharp scribe before sanding the pad to size.

On a Monte Carlo stock, adjust the top arm of the frame to

line up from the top of the buttstock to the point of the comb.

In other words, alignment ignores the hump of the Monte

Carlo, and is instead with the comb line. By lining up with

the point of the stock comb, rather than the Monte Carlo,

you establish the correct line for the pad. Then you’ll it sand

down (with the disc sander in this case) to proper size. With

the pad properly placed on the jig, bring it to the sander.

Attach the jig and pad to the arm that attaches to the sander

table (Figure 25).


FIGURE 24—Set the jig for the comb line of the stock.


FIGURE 25—Shown is a recoil pad sanding jig in conjunction with a disc sander.

14. Use the disc sander to grind the pad down to the scribed

lines established in step 12. Begin at the top and work

halfway down the sides of the pad. After you sand the

top and sides of the pad to the lines, remove the jig (pad

still attached) from the sander table and return it to the

stock.

15. Place the pad (still in the jig) once again against the

buttstock and readjust the jig to the toe line (Figure 26).

16. (Recall that the first adjustment was made to the top-

most or heel section of the pad.) Now set the jig so that

its bottom arm and the toe line of the buttstock are par-

allel. This adjustment enables you to sand the toe line to

the correct angle to fit the stock, even though the pad

isn’t sanded on the stock but rather is guided by the jig.


FIGURE 26—Set the jig for the toe of the stock.


17. Once again, fit the pad held by the jig to the arm of the

sander table and sand the pad down to the scribed lines.

(Figure 27) This time, sand to the scribed lines on the

toe of the pad and the lower sides up to the point where

previous sanding halted in step 14.

FIGURE 27—Shown is a pad being sanded to fit a disc sander to the established lines.


18. Next, remove the pad from the jig and adjust it to fit the

buttstock. If you performed the earlier steps correctly,

the pad should fit quite closely to the contour of the

buttstock. You can accomplish the final fitting using a

sharp, double-cut file and great care, filing down the

hard rubber portion of the pad that extends beyond the

edges of the buttstock (Figure 28).

Obviously, the finish of the stock is at risk if the file slips. At

the same time, the pad must be reduced to fit the buttstock,

which requires filing very close to the buttstock edges. Early

warnings to go slowly apply here. As always, continued expe-

rience will bring more speed, even with such delicate filing.

19. After filing down the pad’s edges to match closely those

of the buttstock, you complete the finish with 80 to 100

grit abrasive cloth. In effect, the abrasive cloth polishes

the hard rubber portion of the pad, removing marks left

by the sanding wheel.

60

FIGURE 28—Final Hand-fittingof the Recoil Pad on theFinished Stock


20. Finally, apply a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and mineral

spirits to a cloth and wipe it on the stock and pad. Not

only will this mixture clean these areas (especially the

pad), but the oil will also leave a sheen on the stock.

Going over the entire stock with the mixture will improve

its overall appearance (Figure 29).

Final Considerations

We’ll now discuss some alternate methods and tools you

could use for recoil pad work.

The belt sander. You could use a belt sander for the previ-

ously mentioned sanding functions through adapting the jig

to fit and by turning the belt sander to the upright position.

Jigs. Several jigs are available to handle recoil pad fitting.

It’s important to select the one that provides the greatest

flexibility. While arriving at a decision concerning the best jig

for you sometimes requires trial and error, the result is well

worth the effort.

FIGURE 29—A Properly FittedPachmayr Pad on a FinishedStock

Alternate method for recoil pad fitting a finished stock.

An alternate method for fitting a recoil pad to a finished

stock includes most of the steps previously outlined. You

don’t, however, remove the pad from the stock. Instead, you

leave it on the stock and protect the stock with masking

tape, which you apply just ahead of the pad. Of course, you

could leave the stock unprotected and do the sanding free-

hand. This requires a steady hand and a degree of luck. Also,

visually speaking, when practicing the freehand method, it’s

extremely difficult to make the recoil pad lines compatible

with the buttstock lines. It’s not acceptable to bob the toe

line of the pad so that it ends up mismatched with the toe

line of the stock.

Alternate method for recoil pad fitting an unfinished

stock. Obviously, there’s less pressure to avoid striking the

finish when you’re fitting a recoil pad to a newly built stock.

You accomplish the initial fitting of the pad as described in

the numbered performance instructions. The difference is

that you can sand the pad to that point where the sander

just barely contacts the wood of the stock. This method will

provide a perfect fit because the pad is finished right to the

lines of the stock. In final fitting, you file together the pad

and stock.

Note: If you choose the previous method, it’s important that

very little fitting remains after the initial work. Hand sanding

can’t cut down the rubber portion of the recoil pad the way

the power sander does. Therefore, if there’s overlap on the

pad, it will be difficult to remove by hand.

Sealer. Before you attach the pad to the buttstock for the

final time, you can apply a sealer to the wood that was

exposed when you trimmed off the buttstock. This step will

help retard moisture invasion.

Glue. It’s difficult to recommend gluing pads on. While you

can successfully glue pads onto buttstocks, later removal will

be difficult. Often, a rifle or shotgun that changes hands

requires recoil pad replacement, as is often the case when a

shooter with a shorter length of pull takes over a given

firearm.



Also, many two-piece stock guns have stock bolts that you

access through the butt of the stock. Gluing a recoil pad over

the bolt causes a major problem. Never glue a pad on one of

these stocks.

Removing the glued-on pad. If you’re faced with removing

a glued-on pad, what should you do? One method is to first

withdraw the screws in the stock, which will normally be

present even though glue was used. Then cut most of the

pad off the stock using a metal band saw. Remember the

steel pieces imbedded in the pad, especially in older models?

You’ll have to deal with them. With the great majority of the

pad cut away, you can sand the balance off on the power

sander with an abrasive disc or belt capable of grinding steel

without destroying sandpaper. Still, the process is burden-

some and can get quite messy. The object is to not glue the

pad on in the first place!

Dealing with a stripped screw hole. A screw hole may be

stripped out. In this event, pack the hole with steel wool and

rethread it. The steel wool should provide enough bite on the

screw to hold it in place. If the hole is simply too washed out,

the steel wool trick may not suffice. In this case, you must

drill out the hole and fit it with a hardwood dowel, such as

hickory. You can use fast-setting glues or five-minute epoxy

to permanently secure the dowel in the hole. After the glue or

epoxy dries, cut off the dowel flush with the surface of the

wood.

Note: The time to repair a washed out screw hole is immedi-

ately upon discovery and not later on toward the end of the

recoil pad operation.

Providing a longer length of pull. If added length is

required on a shotgun or rifle stock, you can purchase spac-

ers to solve the problem. You add spacers in between the

buttstock and the recoil pad. Solid black spacers are approx-

imately inch thick. White spacers are approximately inch

thick. There’s also a black and white spacer composite (not a

combination of the above two spacers, but a third and differ-

ent option) that also comes to a thickness of 3/16 inch. Glue

the spacer(s) to the pad before fitting. This keeps the pad and

spacer securely linked as a single unit and prevents a spacer

from slipping out of line during final fitting.

Often, more than one spacer may be necessary to achieve the

desired stock length. In regard for the delicate balance of a

firearm, it’s true that multiple spacers can add weight where

it’s undesirable. If this happens, the spacers can be skele-

tonized. First, you sand flat the spacers and glue or epoxy

them together to form one single spacer. Then, either mill

away or drill out the center portion, the part that won’t inter-

fere with screw holes. You then glue or epoxy the hollowed

out spacer directly to the recoil pad, forming one integral

unit. Naturally, you’ll need longer screws to accommodate

the extra thickness of the recoil pad and spacer. Hardened

deck screws of various lengths are available at lumber com-

panies. They work well and are inexpensive.

You can improve the appearance of spacers through careful

sanding. You can also polish a spacer for better appearance

on a soft muslin wheel dressed with a polishing compound

such as 555 from Brownells. You must accomplish polishing

spacers with a light touch because polishing can remove

material. Overdoing the job may result in a spacer that’s less

attractive after polishing than it was before. As always, a

hasty job can create lost time and ruined materials.



Self-Check 3


_____ 1. You should glue on a recoil pad whenever possible.

_____ 2. Recoil pads with cone-shaped springs provide progressive resistance to recoil.

_____ 3. The one inch rubber recoil pad is the most popular.

_____ 4. Metal pistol grip caps are generally offered to the gun maker in the white, whichmeans they aren’t finished by blueing.

_____ 5. Eighty grit sandpaper is a good grade for sanding the buttstock in preparation forrecoil pad installation.

_____ 6. The distinct advantage of using a jig for recoil pad fitting is that you can sand thepad without mounting it to the buttstock.

_____ 7. A plastic pistol grip cap is the most expensive type.

_____ 8. Normally, the exposed wood of an open type of grip cap is checkered.

_____ 9. Cartridge traps are fitted into the toe line of the stock close to the buttplate.

_____10. Metal buttplates are generally straight.


ENHANCING THE GUN STOCK

In this section, we’ll concentrate on two ways to embellish

the gun stock. One method is to add inlays, another is to

perform checkering. Many consider inlays and checkering

decorative, but the gun pro knows they can also be functional,

hiding an imperfection or damage to the stock wood (Figure 30).

Stock Inlays

Stock inlays take shape in the realm of creativity, an area

wide open to personal taste and individual artistry (Figure 31).

The simplest plastic diamond inlay on a pistol grip cap can

be a work of art, as are far more elaborate combinations of

wood, precious metals, and metal ribbon (known as wire inlay).


FIGURE 30—Shown is a functional inlay of syntheticmaterial. The stock on this458 Winchester showed signsof cracking at the tang. Theinlay covers the repair jobunderneath.

FIGURE 31—Elaborate stock inlay is typical of Weatherby’s fine custom stocks.


Made of flat materials and formed into aesthetic patterns,

inlays are set into the stock and then filed flat to match the

wood surface.

Often, an inlay will hide a stock-reinforcing screw. Even a

metal escutcheon for a tang screw is an inlay, and it’s fash-

ioned with the same care used in preparing an exotic piece of

wood for inletting into a stock (Figure 32).

Inlays are helpful in dressing a stock. An inlay that directs

attention from the plain appearance of the wood can signifi-

cantly enhance an ordinary straight-grained gun stock.

Making an Inlay

The diamond is a simple inlay to make. We’ll construct a dia-

mond inlay in the steps below from high-grade hardwood

such as walnut or maple. The pattern would be a consistent3/16 inch thick throughout on a smooth-sanded surface to

make layout easier.

For the preliminary layout, the size should be about one

inch width and three inch length—a three-to-one diamond.

To draw the diamond, you need a ruler, a compass, and a

number three or four pencil. Figure 33 illustrates each of

the following six steps.

Step 1: Lightly draw a straight line parallel to the wood grain

down the center of the layout piece, marking it at

three inches.

FIGURE 32—Shown is a metal escutcheon on the forend of the stock—a metal inlay.


Step 2: Set the compass to 3/4 inches, place its point at

Point A, and swing a small arc on each side of the

line.

Step 3: Place the compass point on B (the three inch mark)

and swing the arcs to intersect with those made in

step 2.

Step 4: Using the ruler, connect the intersections of the two

arcs as shown below to construct line CD.

Step 5: Set the compass to 1/2 inch, place its point at Point

E, and draw small arcs that intersect with line CD.

Step 6: Finally, using the ruler, draw lines from points A

and B to the points at which the arcs intersect line

CD. The result is a quality diamond drawn on the

inlay wood.

Note: It’s often easier to trace a template rather than drawing

the diamond on the wood. You may prefer to line out the dia-

mond on paper, cut it out with scissors, and trace it to the

inlay wood. Glue will help hold it in place.

If you found the procedure a bit technical in nature, you

could simply cut a 1 inch by 3 inch rectangle from a piece of

paper. Then, fold it in half to form a 1 � 1/2 inch rectangle

and fold it again to halve its width. When you open the folds,

you’ll see a cross creased in the paper. Draw lines to connect

the creases at the outer edges of the paper to create a fine

cross. Cut it out and it’s ready for use.

Also, instead of drawing the diamond each time you make an

inlay, you can make a more permanent template by attaching

a paper diamond to lightweight cardboard with cellophane

tape. Then, with scissors or an X-Acto knife, form the paper

template on cardboard. The heavier cardboard template is

better than the thinner paper template because the No. 3 or

No. 4 pencil used for tracing along the edges of the diamond

is better guided by the thicker medium. You can reuse tem-

plates of heavier cardboard.

You can make an even better template from thin plastic

sheeting, such as is sold at hobby stores. Trace the original

template on the plastic and carefully cut plastic diamonds

out with a coping saw (fine-toothed blade). These plastic

diamond templates will last indefinitely.

68


FIGURE 33—Making a Diamond Inlay

After outlining the diamond on wood, cut it out using a jig

saw, band saw, or small hand saw. Make the cuts close to

the template lines, but just outside them. After cutting the

diamond out, sand it down to the line, preferably with a disc

sander. The disc sander helps keep the shape of the wooden

diamond perfect. Set the table at three to four degrees. The

angle gives the lines a slight draft where the bottom surface

of the diamond ends up slightly smaller in dimension than

the top half of the diamond surface. This helps later in the

process when you’re installing the inlay.

If you’re lacking power equipment, you can assume the same

angle on the wood diamond using files, a sanding block, and

a protractor fitted to a try square as a gauge for the four

degree draft. Of course, the hand method will take much

longer.

Warning: As with all power sanding, you’ll require respiratory

protection since the power sander’s wheel disperses sawdust

into the air, even with a vacuum attached. This warning is

just as pronounced for exotic woods used for inlays, includ-

ing ironwood and Mother of Pearl.

Caution: Perform your initial practice attempts at making and

inletting diamonds with a flat piece of contrasting scrap wood

and not a finished stock. Inlays of any type demand skill,

which you can obtain only through hands-on practice.

Installing the Inlay

Smoothly sand the surface into which the inlay sits using

about 240 grit garnet paper. Place a drop of glue, such as

Elmer’s, (only one small drop) on the bottom of the inlay, and

set the inlay on the surface of the wood precisely in its

intended location. Allow the glue to set for five minutes. Then

carefully incise a line around the perimeter of the wooden

inlay as it rests (lightly glued) on the surface of the stock

with a thin, sharply pointed knife, such as an X-Acto knife.

Caution: All instruments used for inlay work must be razor

sharp to ensure clean cuts.

After incising the diamond’s border into the wood, give the

inlay a light but sharp rap to break the glue bond. Glue may

seem a drastic measure in this case, but it guarantees that



the wooden inlay is held firmly in place while being outlined

on the stock’s surface. Also, a small drop of glue won’t pre-

vent easy removal of the wood inlay.

Next, use a sharp chisel along with a thin-bladed knife to

remove the wood inside the border to a depth that allows the

inlay to rest slightly above the wood surface when installed.

Caution: Even though you use practice materials in your first

attempts at installing the inlay, it’s wise to do a cautious job.

Rushing the work won’t provide good experience.

Exercise care to keep the edges of the inlay sharp, clean, and

exactly on the inscribed lines. Doing so will ensure that it fits

correctly.

Once you remove the wood and fully cut the pocket for the

diamond inlay, apply a light application of wood glue to the

base of the diamond and firmly press it into the waiting mor-

tise. Then tap it into place with a mallet. A flat piece of wood

on top of the diamond serves as a buffer between the mallet

and the inlay. Alternately, you can press the inlay into place

with a clamp. The clamp supplies force to seat the inlay and

holds it in place while the wood glue dries.

Caution: The mortise, which houses the inlay, must be a close

fit but not undersized—a delicate situation. If the mortise is

too large a sloppy fit results, but if it’s too small the inlay

might split during installation.

After the glue dries, you can sand the diamond to match the

surface of the stock. When all goes well, the end product is a

wooden diamond that looks like it grew in the wood. No gaps

show at any line. Each corner fits perfectly, wood to wood,

with no glue line evident.

You should repeat the inlay process until you feel comfort-

able with the work and the product is correct every time. You

can follow a number of small practice inlays by larger dia-

monds that maintain the three-to-one ratio. The objective in

constructing various sized inlays is to progress to where you

can set a smaller inlay inside a larger one. A smaller wooden

diamond of contrasting color inlaid into a larger diamond

is quite aesthetically pleasing, but accomplishing the task

requires much skill. The lines of the smaller inlay must

perfectly match those of the larger inlay. If not, the crooked

appearance is glaringly obvious. Remember, it’s better to

make mistakes on a practice piece than the real thing. Faulty

inlays are difficult and expensive to correct.

Inlays Other Than Wood

Inlaying procedures are similar for all materials. Of course,

when you use a metal inlay, that inlay must closely match

the surface level of the stock. Reducing the surface of the

metal inlay requires considerable effortcompared with reduc-

ing the surface of the wood inlay. Treat metal inlays the same

whether they’re an escutcheon for a tang screw or a barrel

wedge for a muzzleloading rifle or shotgun. As with wood,

the metal inlay should also have a slight draft for easier fit-

ting into the mortise. If the material is thin and prone to

breakage, take extra care to ensure exact metal-to-wood fit.

Bullying the metal inlay into place may damage it due to a

wedging effect on the drafted inlay. One positive feature of

the metal inlay is that you can use inletting black as a guide

when cutting the mortise.

Caution: When using inletting black, judicious application

and cautious readings are necessary. A false reading may

occur along the edges of the inlay, which suggests that more

wood removal is necessary. Proceed cautiously at a reason-

able pace. Speed will come with practice and experience.

Practical Inlays

In addition to providing attractiveness, inlays can be practi-

cal. One example of a wisely placed inlay is one that covers a

blemish in the wood. Another is one that covers the location

of a reinforcing cross-bolt in the stock that would otherwise

show. Of course, inlays should compliment a stock, rather

than clashing with its overall design and composition. The

gunsmith who can make and install inlays possesses added

money-making potential.



Checkering

Primarily, checkering visually improves a stock. However,

there’s also a practical side to checkering. It can provide a

better grip on the rifle, shotgun, or for that matter the panels

of a handgun grip. Gun makers are often ranked by their

ability to create fine checkering (Figure 34). Hen scratches

on a stock are one thing; precise checkering quite another.

Checkering styles are many, including the more simple 18

lines-to-the-inch panels and complete wraparound checkering

of wrist or forearm. Other styles are the more flamboyant

French skip-a-line patterns that aren’t only attractive, but

also quite appropriate on high-class custom rifles.

Despite the fact that checkering is a high-ranking artistic

skill, it’s not especially difficult to master. Checkering does

require intense concentration, however, as well as good

hand-to-eye coordination, steady hands, and plenty of prac-

tice. As with inlays, only practice can bring your checkering

ability to full flower.

Note: Concentration is paramount to success while checker-

ing, especially during the layout phase. At no time should a

gunsmith sitting at a checkering cradle take his or her mind

off the work.

FIGURE 34—Skip-line checkering with a fancy border indicates the work of a fine artisan.

Many master stock makers have developed checkering pat-

terns that are especially appealing. Giants in the field of

stock making such as Keith Stegal, Monte Kennedy, Jerry

Fisher, Leonard Mews, and Alvin Linden have made marks

in the trade. They gained reputations partly because of their

ability to create and execute checkering patterns with inter-

esting lines and flawless workmanship. Close scrutiny of

their work results in high honors every time.

A book worth owning as a reference is Checkering and Carving

of Gun Stocks by Monte Kennedy. Anyone interested in stock

design and decoration will find this classic a valuable

resource.

The Basics of Checkering

Checkering requires few tools, which you can purchase from

Brownells or other suppliers. Traditionally, many custom

gun makers handcrafted their own checkering tools; however,

the long lists of high-grade checkering tools now available

preclude that need (Figure 35). The only exceptions are

extremely personalized and specialized tools that you wouldn’t

need until you reach the pinnacle of your art.

Checkering tools are offered at attractive prices. Many cutters

are now made of carbide. Carbide tools last longer and, more

importantly, stay sharper longer. As might be expected, car-

bide checkering tools cost more; however, they’re worth the

additional investment.

Following is a list of checkering tools and equipment.

• Checkering cradle

• One single-line cutter set up as a push tool

• One single-line cutter set up as a pull tool

• One right-hand spacing tool—18 LPI (lines per inch)

• One left-hand spacing tool—18 LPI (lines per inch)

• One Dem-bart S-1 tool

• A compass and/or set of dividers

• A role of Scotch brand Magic tape or its equivalent



• A ruler and/or straightedge

• Number 3 or 4 pencils

Note: Eighteen LPI tools are good to start with, as they’re suf-

ficient for many applications and beginning work. You can

obtain finer-line checkering tools when experience and skill

warrant them. Furthermore, the wood density determines the

fineness of the checkering. Some woods won’t accept fine-line

checkering regardless of the gunsmith’s skill.

FIGURE 35—You’ll need a basic checkering tool set for beginning checkering work.

The Checkering Cradle

The checkering cradle enhances the entire checkering

process and should be considered a necessity. It fully con-

fines the stock, thus enabling accurate checkering on various

angled surfaces. Checkering demands continual change of

stock position. The cradle provides both rigidity and fluid

motion (Figure 36).

Using the cradle, you’re free to concentrate on checkering

rather than controlling the stock. Checkering cradles can

be handmade, but Brownells and others offer them at a

reasonable price.

Practice Patterns on Flat Surfaces

You should first attempt practice patterns on flat surfaces.

Secure a piece of hardwood about eight inches long and

four inches wide (thickness makes no difference) in a vise.


FIGURE 36—This checkering cradle from Brownells, shown with a stock installed, is a simple, inexpensive, andefficient implement.


Straight-grained walnut makes a good practice piece. First,

sand the surface of the wood flat, then smooth it down,

finishing with 240 grit garnet paper.

With a compass, ruler, and sharp pencil, lay out a three-to-

one diamond—three inches long and one inch wide—as

described above in the inlay section. Secure the wood solidly

in a bench vise at an angle that allows you to get at the proj-

ect comfortably.

Note: Checkering is fine work, and good lighting is essential

for high-accuracy lines. You may require magnification of the

subject for best results, in which case a headset magnifier is

a good investment. Quality checkering involves discerning

fine detail.

Lay a piece of cellophane tape down along a lower leg of the

diamond from point to corner. With the single-line cutter,

carefully follow the edge of the tape in a straight line from

point-to-point, taking care not to extend beyond the dia-

mond. Repeat this process along the diamond’s other lower

leg. These perimeter lines become the master lines of the

checkering pattern panel, as is further discussed below.

Note: You should seat yourself comfortably on a stool while

checkering. Comfort allows the total concentration required

to perform fine work.

To ensure comfort, conduct a test. Holding the checkering

tool, gently swing your hand over the panel. Your hand

should flow effortlessly across the work area, devoid of force

or body strain. The checkering tool should move parallel to

one of the master lines on the pattern. If you experience any

problem whatsoever with hand motion, change your body

angle until the tool follows the line naturally. This warm-up

exercise sets a tone for the entire operation. Checkering is

accomplished in a concentrated flow. You should make this

warm-up a habit, as it helps ensure positive results.

With the body properly positioned, the single-line spacer tool

will follow a straight path without overtly steering or forcing

control over the tool. Forcing the tool to maintain straight

lines often results in exactly the opposite. Proper body pos-

ture also helps reduce body fatigue, which contributes to

crooked lines. Checkering itself isn’t physically taxing; how-

ever, body fatigue sets in naturally when you remain in one


position for a long period of time. Unfortunately, when check-

ering, one must sit at the checkering cradle for extended

periods. Therefore, correct body position helps keep lines

straight.

After cutting a particular set of lines, reposition yourself to

take on the next set in comfort.

Start the layout with either the left-hand or right-hand layout

tool. Place its guide in a master line and then cautiously

push from border to border of the diamond. Cut a second

line in the same manner to the same depth. Since these are

layout lines, cut them only deeply enough for the guide tool

to follow for the next line. Later, you’ll use single-line tools to

deepen and final-point the diamonds.

Note: You must cut each line to the same depth, or the lines

will become narrower or wider than desired. After you cut

two lines border to border, use dividers to check both the

tops and bottoms of the cuts. They should be the same dis-

tance on both ends. Lay out two more lines and repeat the

check using the dividers. Then lay out three more lines and

check them with dividers. Correctly laying out all of the lines

results in a quality job.

After laying out all lines in one direction, follow the same

routine with the other set of lines, beginning with the master

line. With a small diamond, it’s easy to keep the lines straight.

Straight-grained wood is beneficial in keeping the depth of

the cut equal from line to line.

If the layout cutter bites deeper into a line at one end than

the other, the end with the deeper cut will start a line that’s

closer to its guide line. This happens because the deeper cut

is wider. Crooked lines in a checkering pattern often begin

right here. With practice and experience, recognizing varying

line depth will help you to straighten out lines that are

becoming crooked.

After completing layout, use the single-line cutter to sepa-

rately deepen each line. Cut lines in one direction and then

again from the other direction. The single-line cutter set up

to be pulled (not pushed) is now pressed into service. Place it

up to the border and pull backwards to cut. This action helps

to prevent runovers, constant threats to fine checkering.

78


Once you’ve chased all of the lines one way, deepen them

from the other direction. Then turn the entire panel around

and chase out and deepen the lines to the borders of the

other side of the panel. Repeat this routine until each small

diamond in the panel is cut to a sharp point.

Note: No diamond should have a flat spot on its topmost

part. The points should be sharp.

Self-Evaluation

The final step in completing your checkering job is to pass

judgment on it. Self-evaluation is the beginning of self-teach-

ing, one by-product of improved self-discipline.

First, check if all diamonds are sharp—not rounded or flat-

topped. Second, examine each border, which must be clean

and free of runovers. Third, hold the stock up and inspect

the panel crosswise (from side to side) to see that the tops

of the diamonds lie in a straight line from one corner of the

large diamond to the other. Also, all rows of small diamonds

should lay in straight lines (Figure 37).

Note: Curved lines across the tops of the diamonds indicate

that 1) crooked lines were laid out in the panel, or 2) the

lines became crooked during the deepening process.

FIGURE 37—Shown is theribbon-style checkeringpattern—note the sharpdiamonds and straightlines with no runover onthe border.

Fourth, check that all lines are of equal depth. Uneven depth

results in wavy checkering.

Cut a number of practice diamonds (panels) until your self-

evaluation reveals not only acceptable but also professional

quality. After all, these simple checkering panels are straight-

forward and should be close to perfect. By using the dividers

faithfully to check every few lines, it’s not too difficult to keep

track of the progress—especially the straightness of the lay-

out lines.

After mastering the small diamond, practice a diamond six

inches long by two inches wide on a flat surface. The larger

diamond offers important practice at working with longer

lines. Once more, use the dividers to verify all progress dur-

ing layout to keep the lines straight and true. Flat-surface

practice may not seem exciting now, but it will pay off hand-

some dividends later when practice leads to perfection.

Practice Patterns on Curved Surfaces

Following mastery of the larger diamond, it’s time to progress

to a curved surface where pattern lines approximate those

checkered on a rifle forearm. You can make the practice

piece from a blank of wood or a discarded stock. This time,

place the practice wood in the checkering cradle and either

draw a diamond on the bottom of the practice piece, or make

a diamond cutout from paper and use it as a template. Make

this 3:1 diamond at least six inches long so that its width

encompasses most of the rounded portion of the forend.

The object of this practice session is to learn to cut a layout

around a curve.

Caution: We don’t advise wraparound checkering patterns for

beginners. Practice sufficiently on flat surfaces before

attempting checkering on curved surfaces. Then, after having

gained proficiency on both flat and curved surfaces, practice

on old stocks no longer being used. Working your way from

practice on flat surfaces to an actual profit-making checker-

ing job requires much hands-on experience and patience.

You start master lines just as you did for the flat practice

piece using transparent tape as a guide. Clamp the cradle

into a vise, position your body properly, and begin with the



layout tools. Practice turning the piece in the cradle as lines

progress and the tool goes around the curve of the stock.

Complete the diamond as you did the other practice diamonds.

Then critique the finished product.

When you’ve mastered the forend, proceed to another project,

the pistol grip. Again, an old stock makes an ideal practice

piece for the pistol grip. Once more, clamp the stock into the

checkering cradle and establish your master lines. Next, go

to work with your tools.

Now is a good time to create a diamond template to retain as

a permanent layout guide. This 3:1 ratio diamond will estab-

lish master lines in a panel of checkering. Make the template

from tagboard material or clear flexible plastic so that you

can use it many times over in the future. Templates don’t all

have to retain the three-to-one ratio. They may assume other

ratios as well, such as two-and-one-half to one, or three-and-

one-half to one. You can use the different sizes for different

types of wood, as well as for different LPI (lines per inch)

checkering. The three-to-one diamond is good as a starter,

as noted, and 18 LPI is also a good beginning checkering

pattern because these aren’t as difficult to work with as

other patterns.

As a general rule, softer woods are better suited to fewer

lines per inch and wider, shorter diamonds. Harder woods

such as French walnut are more dense and can be fine-line

checkered. French walnut has been successfully checkered

with 32 LPI; however, such fine-line checkering requires a

great deal of experience.

Checkering Pattern Layout

Checkering pattern layout is the foundation of all good

checkering. If you don’t attend to the layout properly, no

degree of excellence can straighten out the crooked pattern

on the stock. Begin by establishing the pattern on paper and

getting it scaled to proper dimensions. Decals are available

that, once properly positioned on the stock, you can cut

directly through to establish the checkering pattern. Decals

go a long way in eliminating layout problems. Newcomers

often find them the best way to avoid problems associated

with checkering.


Adapting Existing Patterns

Even more popular than decals, however, is the process of

adapting an existing pattern to suit a particular stock. You

would draw the pattern on tracing or onionskin paper. Then

cut it out and place or tape it to the stock to study how it

will look. You can then make design changes until the pat-

tern suits the stock and becomes a template that you can

use for both sides.

Note: As patterns become more demanding, you often cut

their master lines in about the middle of the pattern rather

than along its outside borders. This way, when checkering

progresses to the outside edge of the pattern, you can scribe

border lines in at the proper distance from the last checkering

lines in the pattern. Using this trick may produce a pattern

that’s almost unnoticeably larger or smaller than you origi-

nally planned—even to the trained eye—but it will guarantee

evenly spaced lines along all borders.

As you gain checkering experience, you’ll learn many tricks-

of-the-trade like the one just covered. Here are a few more

tricks that will prove helpful.

• When adapting an existing pattern, tape the cutout

pattern into the desired position on the stock. Then use

a sharp scribe to prick through the paper and into the

wood to establish where the borders and master lines

begin and end.

• Before removing a pattern, trace around its exterior

using a grease crayon. This will give you a good idea of

where the borders are located, even though they might

not fall exactly along the line itself.

• Using a flexible transparent ruler as a guide, connect

master lines using a sharp scribe.

• Give the other side of the stock identical treatment using

the same template. Just turn the template over and tape

it into position so that it will effectively mirror its oppo-

site side.

• The placement of the pattern must be consistent on both

sides of the stock. When locating a pattern on the sec-

ond side of the stock, duplicate all measurement from

the initial side. A divider can prove useful here.

82


Freehand Checkering Patterns

Only after mastering all checkering methods should one

attempt to draw freehand patterns, which we usually leave

for professional artists (Figure 38).

Even so, you should be aware of this advanced skill. Also, it’s

important to note that even when freehand patterns are being

drawn, measurements and straight lines drawn with a grease

pencil help in determining pattern balance. For example, if

you’re checkering the forearm, lines drawn along its bottom

center and at equal distances on both its sides will help

determine overall pattern balance and size. The same line

principle applies when freehand drawing a pistol grip pattern.

FIGURE 38—RoughSketching a PotentialLayout Pattern Using theFreestyle Approach


Freehand patterns are especially tough due to the difficulty

of establishing straight parallel lines that end where they’re

supposed to end. Still, with experience and some native

talent, freehand patterns offer extreme flexibility.

Borders

Borders should enhance the overall appearance of checkering

patterns, not hide runovers (Figure 39). There are special

tools available for borders as well as a spacing tool. You

use the S-1 tool suggested previously when you encounter

sharp radiuses or in tight working places where the longer

single-line cutter isn’t easily manipulated. The S-1 is espe-

cially useful in the pistol grip region.

Pattern Types

You should master checkering patterns like the diamond pat-

tern first. Then you can attempt nonsolid styles. The most

common of the nonsolid styles is the French skip-a-line,

which requires special skip-line layout tools.

It’s wise to study photographs of patterns cut with these

tools as well as actual patterns on gun stocks to gain an

appreciation for proper layout and overall aesthetic effect.

84

FIGURE 39—Shown is a ribbon-style checkering pattern. Notice the border on the front of the pattern.


The gunsmith realizes that the ability to work with more

advanced techniques will come in time through practice

and experience.

When to Checker

We’ve been careful to stress that extensive hands-on experi-

ence is prerequisite to performing checkering on your own

firearm or for profit. Aside from the obvious reasons for cau-

tion is the fact that checkering is ideally accomplished on full

finished stocks where mistakes are the most costly. If you

accomplish checkering before finish goes on the wood, the

finish tends to invade the checkering. Masking the checkering

pattern off will help, but it’s no guarantee against finish fill-

ing up at least part of the pattern. Furthermore, if checkering

is done on an unfinished stock, later final sanding may dam-

age the job significantly.

We don’t mean that the bare wood exposed by checkering

receives no treatment. As checkering involves cutting

through the finish on the stock, it leaves the freshly cut

wood exposed. You can brush a couple light coats of finish

into the checkering pattern using an old toothbrush as a

tool. This will introduce oil to the raw wood, but the tooth-

brush won’t allow excess oil to build up in the checkering.

Recutting Existing Patterns

Another excellent means of gaining important checkering

knowledge and experience is to recut existing checkering pat-

terns. Freshing out old patterns on an existing stock is like

following the strokes of an accomplished painter. Unless the

checkering is worn or sanded away, the layout is already

established, and you can follow the entire pattern.

You use the single-line checkering tool to recut checkering.

Fix the stock into the checkering cradle for recutting and

handle it just as you would for any other checkering job.

Caution: When freshing out a checkering job, it’s still critical

to keep the depth of checkering uniform. If part of the panel

is cut deeper, the effect will be wavy-looking lines.

Once you newly cut all existing lines, apply the finish with a

toothbrush to complete the job.

Freshing out checkering can be an important service for a

gun shop. The customer who brings in a stock for refinishing

especially appreciates checkering. The refinished stock may

look perfect in all regards, but if the existing checkering

is in a used condition, the refinishing job isn’t complete.

Furthermore, the checkering pattern can often enhance a

factory rifle by touching it up. This is especially true for

the impressed checkering seen on some rifles. You use the

straight-line tool to deepen the checkering, working it in both

directions following the lines of the impressed checkering.

The goal is to deepen the existing lines until the diamonds

of the pattern are properly formed and sharply cut. This

process requires more work than simply freshing out old

checkering, so you must take great care. Mistakes can be

almost impossible to rectify. On the other hand, when you

complete the job professionally, the value of the stock

increases and the customer is generally happy to pay well

for the work.

Do keep in mind that hand checkering, like most all other

handwork, is time consuming and requires skill that you

can only achieve through hours of practice. Set your rates

accordingly. If a potential customer suggests the cost of a

job is too high, explain exactly what’s involved. Once people

understand the process, they look at the cost more

realistically.

Note: You may wonder how professional gunsmiths can do

extensive checkering on a stock, especially a new one, and

still make adequate money for their efforts. The answer in

many cases is that they use motorized checkering tools.

Using motorized tools, a gunsmith can cut a pattern in a few

minutes that would otherwise take up to an hour or more.

However, the machines are expensive and you have to do

a lot of checkering to justify their purchase. Even so, they

offer another way to make money if the demand is there. You

can start with hand checkering, and if a promising business

develops, go ahead and get a machine. You’ll find them in

Brownell’s Catalog.



Self-Check 4

Fill in the blanks in the following statements.

1. The most important quality the gun pro could bring to a checkering job is _______.

2. _______ checkering tools cost more, but they’re worth the additional investment.

3. In reference to checkering, LPI is an acronym for _______.

4. When cutting existing checkering patterns, you use a _______ checkering tool.

5. Besides being decorative, inlays can also be _______.

6. One positive feature of the _______ inlay is that you can use inletting black as a guide tocutting its mortise.

7. When cutting out an inlay template, you make the cuts just _______ the lines.

8. When making inlays, they should have about a _______ to _______ degree draft on theedges.

9. To ensure clean cuts when checkering, all instruments for inlay work must be _______.

10. You should sand the surface into which you’ll set the inlay with _______ grit garnetpaper.


MORE WAYS TO ENHANCE THESTOCK

Stippling

Stippling, another means of embellishing a stock, involves

producing a matting effect with a sharply pointed tool. The

implement used for stippling can be as simple as a sharp-

ened nail or a background leather stamping tool, although

stippling tools are offered by many distributors. The key to

stippling lies in the fiber of the wood being broken—not just

dented. Denting won’t produce a lasting stippling effect. On

wood that’s too soft to hold a good checkering pattern, stip-

pling can often substitute. The effect of stippling is the same

as checkering, to decorate the wood. Like checkering, stippling

also produces a nonslip surface at the forearm and grip areas.

Stippling shouldn’t be considered a “poor man’s checkering,”

as some extremely high-grade stocks are adorned with it.

This is especially true of certain match-grade target rifles

that feature stippled pistol grips and forearms rather than

checkering (Figure 40).

Also, stippling offers an interesting alternative to checkering

on handgun grips. When a shooter carries the handgun con-

cealed under clothing, stippling’s finer texture is less likely

to abrade cloth while still providing a nonslip surface.

Furthermore, stippling can be used in conjunction with

checkering. Attractive decorative touches can be added with

such a combination. Checkering remains the major embel-

lishment in these instances, but subtle highlights of stippling

add to the overall visual effect of the pattern, especially in

appropriate areas, such as around a fleur-de-lis checkering

pattern (Figure 41).



FIGURE 40—Notice the fine stippling on the hand grip.

Stippling Tools

Stippling is also used in conjunction with wood carving. It

adds a textured background to accentuate portions of the

carving. And because stippling tools can produce a very

small pattern, they can be employed in tight places where

full-blown checkering doesn’t fit well.

You can also use a sharp center punch for stippling. These

single-point strike tools are well adapted to work in small

areas. If larger areas require stippling, you can use special

tools to perform the work. You would construct such tools

from a regular 1/4 inch to 5/16 inch rod that has been flattened

and filed into a narrow wedge shape with the bottom of the

tool checkered using a metal serrated file. If you make these

tools from tool steel, you can heat-treat them. If you make them

out of mild steel, you can case-harden them for a longer life.


FIGURE 41—Layout paper and fleur-de-lis patterns are available from Brownells.


Another source of stippling tools are the background tools

leather carvers use. Tandy leather stores offer a wide selec-

tion at modest prices. Experimentation is the best way to

decide which tools perform best in given circumstances.

Stippling Techniques

As with all other aspects of gunsmithing and gun making,

you must master a few techniques to achieve top-grade stip-

pling. First, you must rigidly control the piece of wood so

that it doesn’t slip when you strike it with the stippling tool.

Firmly rest the heel of your hand on the stock and hold the

tool approximately 1/32 inch above the surface, rather than

holding your hand high above the work surface. Grasp the

tool firmly with your thumb, index, and middle fingers. With

your other hand, hold a lightweight hammer and apply quick

light strikes against the top of the stippling tool, thus driving

its point down into the wood surface. Ideally, the stippling

tool then rebounds to the original height above the work.

Note: It’s important to keep this rebounding effect as constant

and uniform as possible.

Quickly repeat the tapping process as you move the stippling

tool around the surface of the wood. Quick, even taps give a

smooth ripple-free effect to the wood surface. Uneven taps

produce an uneven surface with high and low spots. As men-

tioned earlier, you must strike the tool hard enough so that

the fiber of the wood breaks. Dents may pop back out,

whereas broken surface pockmarks remain intact. After stip-

pling an area, finish it with a light coat of thinned stock fin-

ish. Blot excess finish from the stippled wood immediately

with an absorbent rag to prevent the pockmarks from filling

with finish. A thin sealer oil is also useful for finishing a

stippled area.

As with checkering, stippling may have a border. Use a single-

cutter checkering tool to cut the initial pattern, and use a

regular border tool to cut the borders. Stippling will fill the

pattern.

As always, practice pieces of wood are ideal when starting

out. It’s obviously better to learn on throw-away wood or an

old stock than on a valuable piece of wood. The major goal is

to develop a personal stippling technique that will serve you

best in the future. Trial and error is the best teacher, even in

selecting stippling tools.

Stock Carving

Unfortunately, stock carving isn’t nearly as popular today as

it was a hundred or more years ago. Yet, it’s not an entirely

dead art. The act of using a knife or other cutting implement

to create a pattern or image in wood remains a fascination.

As an art form, wood carving is still practiced in many coun-

tries, and the talent exhibited by today’s carvers remains

high. Although contemporary gun stocks don’t receive as

much attention in this area, it’s not difficult to locate

Pennsylvania/Kentucky long rifles, for example, that carry

considerable stock carving.

Subjects for Carving

As already mentioned, Monte Kennedy’s Checkering and

Carving of Gun Stocks contains many examples of stock

carving patterns and images. The patterns generally lie in

the area of floral designs, from leaves to foliage and even

nuts. Wildlife is mainly in the area of mammals, such as

squirrels and deer, but birds are often subjects. Some sub-

jects are highly stylized. They represent images from real life

without attempting to duplicate them. All subjects for stock

carving must fit into the stock in a pleasing manner.

Drawings and Photographs

Drawings and photographs can be used for stock carving

patterns.

Warning: Don’t violate copyright laws. Drawings and photo-

graphs may be protected by law. If there’s no indication that

the drawing or photo is in the public domain, before using

either, request written permission to do so.



A camera can transfer images to stocks. Enlarge photographs

only enough to suit the stock. First, trace the drawing or

photograph on thin paper and then transfer to the stock.

With the image traced to the stock, you can start carving.

Flexibility in Designs

Animals, birds, snakes, and other wildlife aren’t as forgiving

in detail alteration as are floral designs and patterns. If the

carver makes a mistake in executing a floral design, he or

she can generally alter the pattern to suit the mistake, and

no one will know. It’s wise for the beginner to select patterns

that can be easily altered.

Carving Tools

The tools required for carving are basic and simple (Figure 42).

A knife blade is ideal. It may even be a jackknife, although

some carvers prefer a hook-bill knife. The gouge and chisel

are also tools of the wood carving trade, and a V-tool is good

for threading-in, which we’ll discuss. (The V-tool is optional.)

Note that you can hand make various carving tools.

The key to useful carving tools is sharpness far beyond that

originally placed on a manufactured knife or tool. You can

sharpen chisels and convex edges on a flat, hard stone using

oil as a lubricant. To sharpen gouges with concave edges,

use a wedge-shaped stone. Very little decent carving can

transpire without an extremely sharp tool. However, extremely

sharp tools are very dangerous; so you should handle them

with extreme caution.


Securing the Stock for Carving

By now, you’re fully aware that precision stock work, espe-

cially in fine art areas such as checkering, stippling, and

carving, can take place only when you hold the stock rigidly.

Even a checkering cradle may not be sufficient to hold a

stock in place while you’re carving it. When possible, it’s bet-

ter to secure the stock in a padded vise.

Incise Carving

Incise means simply to cut into, as in carving. To perform

incise carving, draw the design on the stock with a soft lead

pencil. Then take a knife blade and cut straight down into

the stock wood through the pencil line. The cut should be

about inch deep. Make all the lines of the design the same

cut. Next, with the knife held slanted at a 20° angle, follow

94

FIGURE 42—Shown are a stock carving tool set and a set of X-Acto knives for carving stocks from Brownells.


the lines just at their outside edges so that the angled blade

slices off long strips of wood. This effect sets off the design

from the surrounding wood. In effect, you make narrow

troughs or grooves out of the lines and then shave the grooves

to any reasonable depth. At this point, you’ve already carved

a simple design.

Relief Carving

Relief carving begins with incise carving. The difference is

that after you incise the design into the stock wood, the

background is cut away. This, in effect, makes the carving

stand out away from the wood. Use a curved gouge for this

purpose, generally working across the grain.

You can relieve the background to a depth of about 1/16 inch.

You can treat it in one of many different styles. The first is to

purposely leave gouge marks in the wood to produce a rustic

look to the background and a contrast with the design of the

incise carving.

Another type of background is known as threaded-in. It’s a

process of cutting V-shaped bottom lines lengthwise through

the background. The lines are set close together but not

equidistant. The attraction of these background lines is in

their slightly wavy appearance and their lack of perfect uni-

formity. They’re cut into the background using a V-tool with

one hand pushing on the handle and the other guiding the

blade.

The goal is to make straight lines with the V-tool. Since

perfectly straight lines aren’t possible, the slightly wavy

effect that naturally occurs is just enough to add style to

the background.

A third manner of creating a fine background for relief carving

is by stippling. Rather than creating a neat, orderly effect,

background stippling requires continual turning of the stip-

pling instrument to create an irregular background pattern.

A mechanical-looking stippled background is all wrong for

relief carving.

Getting Started with Carving

Prior to actively pursuing stock carving, you should first find

and digest reading materials that run the gamut from basic

to advanced carving. Some books contain step-by-step

instructions that explain how to carve specific patterns.

Others teach a great many secrets.

Next, locate and study carving examples. Hopefully, you’ll

find examples that appear on gun stocks. If you have access

to early Pennsylvania/Kentucky black powder rifles, this may

be the case. If not, good examples of woodcarvings on furni-

ture or decorations can serve as examples.

Finally, practice on blocks of wood just as you would practice

checkering and stippling patterns. Only after gaining sufficient

ability and confidence on the try pieces should you approach

a stock.

Caution: Don’t allow the stock to become a part of the carving.

Let the carving be a part of the stock. Oversized carvings,

especially when they demand buttstocks that are truly out of

proportion with the overall rifle design, are gaudy and self-

serving. The finest stock carvings blend into the overall

firearm design.



Self-Check 5


_____ 1. When carving a stock, floral patterns are less forgiving in detail alteration thanwildlife figures.

_____ 2. With relief carving, the design has been incised into the stock wood, but the background gets cut away.

_____ 3. The process of leaving gouge marks purposely in the wood to create a rusticappearance is called threading-in.

_____ 4. The key to success with all carving tools is factory sharpness.

_____ 5. Stippling, like checkering, provides a nonslip surface for the hand of the shooter at the forearm and grip areas.

_____ 6. Basically, stippling is the production of a matting effect using a sharp tool.

_____ 7. You should never use an eight penny nail for stippling.

_____ 8. When stippling to create a background for relief carving, a neat, orderly effect is desired.

_____ 9. The key to stippling lies in the fiber of the wood being dented and not broken.

_____10. When carving, it’s best to leave the piece of wood being worked on lying flat on the workbench.


NOTES


99

Self-Check 1

1. True

2. False. Use release agent liberally on all metal that might

come in contact with bedding compound.

3. True

4. True

5. False. Nothing can replace professional craftsmanship.

6. True

7. True

8. False. As epoxy cures, it bonds to the wood and molds

itself around the metal parts.

9. True

10. True

Self-Check 2

1. Flush, sandbag

2. drill press

3. nondetachable

4. flush

5. 21/2 –3

6. checkering

7. special jig

8. wooden, machine-type

9. 13–17

10. heavy-recoiling

An

sw

er

sA

ns

we

rs

Self-Check Answers100

Self-Check 3

1. False. Gluing on a recoil pad isn’t recommended because

later removal is so difficult.

2. True

3. True

4. True

5. True

6. True

7. False. It’s the least expensive type.

8. True

9. True

10. False. They’re usually semicurved or crescent shaped.

Self-Check 4

1. concentration

2. Carbide

3. lines per inch

4. single-line

5. functional

6. metal

7. outside

8. three, four

9. razor sharp

10. 240

Self-Check Answers 101

Self-Check 5

1. False. Floral patterns are more forgiving.

2. True

3. False. Purposely leaving gouge marks is a type of relief

carving.

4. False. The carving tools should be sharper than when

they arrive from the factory.

5. True

6. True

7. False. You could use such a nail or any sharp nail.

8. False. The desired effect is to avoid perfect uniformity.

9. False. The key is to break the wood, which produces a

lasting effect.

10. False. It’s best to secure the stock in a padded vice.

Self-Check Answers102

NOTES

103

925 Oak Street

Scranton, Pennsylvania 18515-0001


When you feel confident that you have mastered the material in this study unit, complete the following examination. Then submitonly your answers to the school for grading, using one of the exam-ination answer options described in your “Test Materials” envelope.Send your answers for this examination as soon as you complete it.Do not wait until another examination is ready.

Questions 1–20: Select the one best answer to each question.

1. When performing incise carving on a gun stock, the initial knifecuts should be about _______ deep.

A. 1/16 inch B. 1/8 inch

C. 3/16 inch D. 1/4 inch

2. All the following statements are correct except which one?

A. Flush mount sling swivel bases are best put in with specialjigs.

B. Flush mount sling swivel bases can dictate the size of astock’s toe line in some cases.

C. Flush mount sling swivel bases are all basically the same.D. Flush mount sling swivels are standard on most factory-built

rifles.

EXAMINATION NUMBER:

02530401Whichever method you use in submitting your exam

answers to the school, you must use the number above.

For the quickest test results, go to http://www.takeexamsonline.com

Ex

am

ina

tion

Ex

am

ina

tion

http://www.takeexamsonline.com

Examination104

3. To draw a diamond inlay, you need

A. a ruler and a number two pencil.B. a ruler, a protractor, and a number three pencil.C. a compass and a number three pencil.D. a compass, a ruler, and a number three or four pencil.

4. Recoil pads

A. do little to ease recoil.B. are highly developed and are available in many styles and sizes.C. rely solely on rubber for their cushioning effect.D. require sophisticated equipment for fit and installation.

5. A jig for fitting recoil pads on finished stocks

A. shouldn’t be used because it shows that the gunsmith doesn’t know how to fit a pad.B. should be used in every situation.C. can aid a gunsmith by allowing him or her to do a good job in a minimum amount

of time.D. is slow and hard to use.

6. Stippling

A. requires many specialized tools.B. is only used on cheaper guns.C. can be used in a variety of ways both alone and in conjunction with carving and

checkering.D. is strictly decorative.

7. Prior to glassing a rifle, you should do all of the following except which one?

A. Inspect the rifle for a bedding problem.B. Use modeling clay to plug holes in the receiver that bedding compound might flow into.C. Liberally coat all metal parts with a release agent.D. Liberally coat all metal parts with epoxy.

8. A checkering cradle is

A. more of a luxury than necessity for doing good checkering.B. difficult to master.C. an important fixture used by competent gunsmiths when checkering stocks.D. usually expensive to acquire.

9. When fitting recoil pads with solid sides, you

A. should take special care to choose the correct size pad to fit the stock.B. can use any size as long as it’s bigger than the stock.C. can use glue or epoxy when attaching the pad to the buttstock.D. can’t use a jig to fit the pads.

Examination 105

10. Stock inlays

A. should always be screwed in.B.C. can be made of wood, metal, plastic, or exotic materials.D. are used for decorative reasons only.

11. All of the following are characteristics of good checkering except which one?

A. Sharp diamonds B. Lines of even depthC. Straight lines D. A detailed floral design

12. Most accuracy problems with wooden factory stocks are caused by

A. faults in the wood.B. poor machining.C. drying out or absorbing moisture due to the climatic conditions.D. poor finish.

13. The pressure point in a stock

A. can be located most anywhere.B. should be located about two to three inches from the end of the forearm.C. can be located on a forend cap.D. should be located as close as possible to the end of the forearm.

14. When you use spacers to extend the length of pull, you should

A. screw them in between the recoil pad and stock and then grind to fit.B. epoxy or glue them to them to the stock before fitting the recoil pad.C. epoxy or glue them to the recoil pad first and then fit them to the stock.D. never glue them to the stock or the recoil pad.

15. If a stripped or washed-out screw hole is located where one of the recoil pad screws fasten,

A. use just the screw on the other side to hold the pad.B. drill out the hole, glue a hardwood plug in it, and redrill and tap the hole.C. just insert the new screw next to it.D. hammer a nail in the washed-out hole and drill another next to it.

16. A rifle will

A. always shoot best with a free-floating barrel.B. always shoot best with a pressure-pointed barrel.C. shoot best when only the action is bedded.D. sometimes require some experimenting with to reveal which bedding method will make

it shoot best.

should be inlet inch deeper than the stock surface.1/16

Examination106

17. Pistol grip caps

A. do little to protect the edges of pistol grips.B. are quite restricted in available sizes.C. are seldom used on customized stocks.D. can be both functional and add a decorative touch to a custom rifle.

18. When using 50/50 soft solder to solder a sling swivel base to a barrel,

A. the gun can be blued in a caustic salt bath without harming the bond.B. the sling swivel base should have a good size bearing surface on the barrel.C. the barrel bearing surface can be rather small.D. an antiscaling compound should be used inside the barrel.

19. When mixing epoxy for glass bedding,

A. always mix a thick mixture.B. experiment and develop your own ratios.C. follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully.D. always mix a thin liquid mixture.

20. Sling swivel bases attached to the barrel

A. probably shouldn’t be used on a rifle where the shooter uses a hasty sling.B. must be soldered on to be secure.C. must be welded on to be secure.D. have little application on a rifle.

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