Can this crack be fixed?

[TheJason]

I had noticed the accuracy for my .338-06 was not very good as of late, so I had planned a pillar bedding project for the winter along with a refinish job. Last night I pulled the action out and gave it a good look over. Lo and behold, I found a hairline longitudinal crack in the stock, inside of the green circle.

I was planning on pillar bedding with Devcon, and bedding the recoil lug and all around the entire action to include a strip down the foreend to give it some rigidity and fix a warp in it. Is it worth trying to repair and bed this stock, or should I sell my soul to the ugly gun crowd and buy a synthetic replacement?

 

[jryoung]

I'd say there's no harm in trying to bed it and see if that helps. Methinks a pillar and steel bedding compound would most certainly shore it up. I know there are also stock repair options out there too. I'd try a repair on the stock then pillar bed.

If you want a Smith to look at it I'd send it to Eddie Fosnaugh.

 

[putm2sleep]

Ben Lamb would know!

 

[Summitthunting]

Google "rifle stock cross bolts" this is what I'd recommend .

 

[Ben Lamb]

I had noticed the accuracy for my .338-06 was not very good as of late, so I had planned a pillar bedding project for the winter along with a refinish job. Last night I pulled the action out and gave it a good look over. Lo and behold, I found a hairline longitudinal crack in the stock, inside of the green circle.

I was planning on pillar bedding with Devcon, and bedding the recoil lug and all around the entire action to include a strip down the foreend to give it some rigidity and fix a warp in it. Is it worth trying to repair and bed this stock, or should I sell my soul to the ugly gun crowd and buy a synthetic replacement?

You can fix it. Same thing happened with my Whelen. Pillar bedding the front & rear lugs will help take the pressure off the wood and glass bedding will keep it in one piece but I'd take it to a smith and see if he could fix the crack so you know it's done right. Then you can continue to DIY the rest.

Most any smith should be able to fix that crack.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Google "rifle stock cross bolts" this is what I'd recommend .

Never a bad option on Medium bores & bigger.

 

[TheJason]

So should I have the stock repaired before I pillar bed or after? After I open up the front screw hole for a pillar it doesn't seem like there will be much wood between the magazine well and the front action screw.

Also, should I do the bedding process first, then strip/checker/refinish, or vice versa?

 

[Southwind]

All that has already been said. I think the pillars and bedding would take care of it but a cross bolt isn't a bad idea at all. You can buy Winchester model 70 cross bolts that look nice and are cheap direct from Winchester parts.

I would have a smith drill and countersink for them unless you are set up to do it yourself.

 

[Ben Lamb]

The less wood, the stronger you'll want that piece. I'm a little anal retentive on stuff like this. There's probably no reason to glass bed & pillar bed, but on the rifles I've done it too, it's produced outstanding accuracy.

You could always get an aluminum bed and change the whole thing out.

As for refinishing, I'd bed, then refinish.

 

[TheJason]

Okey dokey, I'll make some phone calls this afternoon on getting a crossbolt installed.

I think with the crack going through the screw hole I really need to install a pillar to take any further stress off of the wood. Initially I was going to pillar bed because the gun was shooting like shit. After seeing the crack, I think I found the culprit.

I plan on doing a tung oil finsh on the stock. Once I get going, I'll post up some photos of the process.

 

[Redwood]

Bed then refinish. With that caliber and the location of the crack, I would lay up and install the cross bolt. To sure up cracks like that, I use acraglas that I cut with thinner (ISO alcohol also works) then use a syringe and fine needle to leach it into the crack. Don't thin if not needed, just warm up to 75 degrees Protect the stock and compress until cured. However, all this time and effort may warrant a new stock.

 

[skeet20]

fixable

You can fix it with accraglass. The guard screws on my 340 Weatherby got loose once and split the stock from the front edge of the checkering through the recoil lug. I took a dermal tool and removed some of the wood and made it wide enough to hold a crossbolt without going completely through the stock as I don't like the looks of a cross bolt. I also removed some wood from the barrel channel and then laid some glass in there and free floated the barrel. This gave it more stiffness and also helped hold the fore end together. I did this about 20 years ago and it is still holding and it also improved the accuracy. I have never pillar bedded a rifle so I don't know how that would work out . I free float all my barrels without any tension on the fore end .

 

[jryoung]

Your biggest problem is going to be tying to get that infamous Winchester glue around the lug out our of the stock. That's stuff is obnoxious to remove.

 

[TheJason]

How do you think it would work if I took a 1/8" bit and inletted two "H"s (in red) and filled those with Devcon? Wouldn't that essentially do the same thing as a cross bolt?

 

[TheJason]

Your biggest problem is going to be tying to get that infamous Winchester glue around the lug out our of the stock. That's stuff is obnoxious to remove.

I was thinking of using some Citristrip and a chisel.

 

[Foxtrot1]

I split the stock on my SXS shotgun a couple of years ago. It split vertically behind the tang in two places and would open up all the way back to the wrist. I sent it to Doug Carpenter and he repaired it with bedding compound and a "staple". Here are the photos. It is now stronger than it was when new and I have not had any issues with it. All repairs were done in the inside, so there is nothing visable when the shotgun is assembled. I don't see why this would not work on your rifle.

 

[Summitthunting]

How do you think it would work if I took a 1/8" bit and inletted two "H"s (in red) and filled those with Devcon? Wouldn't that essentially do the same thing as a cross bolt?

No it will not. Devcon or any bedding compound for that matter is used to keep the metal in the exact same spot in the wood shot after shot. You need something to strengthen the wood perpendicular to the crack. A internal cross bolt used where your red marks are would fit the bill, a Devcon H could easily stretch and break under recoil. Your trying to prevent the wood from bowing outward under recoil. Epoxy a steel H in place and you'll be good to go.

 

[mtmuley]

Had the same issue in the stock on my RUM. I immediately ordered a new one. For me, a repair wasn't worth wondering when it was going to affect my rifle again. mtmuley

 

[TheJason]

Well, the proof will be in the pudding (or the Devcon) in the morning.

I dremelled out some wood and epoxied a sheet metal screw with washers and a nut that is essentially a hidden cross bolt. Once the epoxy cured, I carved out the inletting for the bedding job.

I did a full bedding job with pillars. Once the Devcon is cured I'll pop the action back out and then start on the finish job. While the action is out I think I'll take it to the gunsmith and have the barrel shortened to 22".

Photos to come.