1897 Project No. 2

[ssgross]

Finally got started on the Boyd's stock after my easter week recess and work trips. Spent an evening inletting the curved metal buttplate. With the widow's peak, screw holes, and toe all perfectly aligned and centered, one side sat mostly flush, the other proud by 20 thous. or so towards the top, then below the woodline at the bottom. The toe overhung the stock by 1/4" but there was plenty of excess border down there to make it work and look even around the checkering. I had to drill out and plug and redrill the holes in the stock. The holes in the buttplate were rough cast, so I had to open up the countersink a bit and clean up the screws to sit in just perfect. Might as well get rid of all the casting pocks too. That was all an evening, and grinding all the excess off the buttplate was another evening. Pat myself on the back and yell at the kids to bring me a beer!


The fit up is ok. I was happy that there is a very even but barely noticeable gap around the edges of the wrist. Not much to do right! Wrong. There is 40 thous. of room behind the trigger guard. Way too much.

Easy peasy. Use a depth micrometer to tape around the wrist nice and even and a safe edge file to set the shoulder back. Then work down the tenon until I close the gap. Should have that done another evening or too.

Over Easter weekend I had a chance to handle a 16 gauge 1897, serial late 600k's. Took some measurements of its butt and it's about the same from comb to toe as these Boyd's "replacement" stock. They must be too lazy to make another program for their CNC. The wood is unevenly proud of the metal around the wrist too, so I'll have to deal with that also.

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[browningautorifle]

They must be too lazy to make another program for their CNC.

Maybe the butt they measured was about perfect and the originator really didn't know it was a 16 instead of 12. Maybe they thought the two were the same...just didn't know? Hard to say. I've found the stocks I had to get at were pretty much OK. Yours will turn out fine. You'll enjoy it more after...