When fitting draw-bolt socks and drilling the through-bolt hole, do you drill the hole first or fit the head of the stock to the action first?

Drill the hole first in case it don't go straight. Always, Unless you do as I sometimes to and drill it afterwards. From both ends. In a lathe.
Standard practice is to drill the hole in the blank and make the stock around the hole. Don't use a twist drill; they walk; use a single point or a lamp bit. Or a solid wood bit.

I have made up a few different diameter "gun drills" and use them to drill the through hole. They are patterned as the same drills they use for drilling barrels. They drill a straight hole. I also have a few piloted drills for counterboring for the screw head.

me too. make the one flute drills out of 3/8ths drill rod.

With a bit of carefull setting up (after starting the hole with a standard 12mm bit,)it isn't hard to do with simple tools and a length of 12mm mild steel rod sharpened as a "D" cutter


A length of 20mm rod makes a handy counterbore for the bolt head


With the first bity pined in place there is a self guiding simple rebore



And with a headless bold in the action it is simple to inlet the stock back into the action socket
These simple and cheap drill bits have done a few martini's and quite a few Lee Enfields and are easily resharpened.

I have assisted on drilling a few.
A lot of shouting and swearing seems to be a requirement

Mark

quote:

I have assisted on drilling a few.A lot of shouting and swearing seems to be a requirement

Colorful words help. I use some silicon cuts down on the drag. Take and auger bit and remove the screw tip and recut the lead edge works pretty well.

Here's how I do it:




I mark the 2 ends of the hole, put the center of the lathe on one end, then start the hole with a correct size center drill.  Follow up with a jobbers length bit, then a long bit.  Reverse it and cut the big end using a spade bit.  They meet perfectly in the center.

My method is like SSDaves.

But use a modifed aircrat extension drill bit, regrind the point to a brad tip, yes drill from both ends if you can. The front secton should be drilled longer than your stock bolt, if any run out then the counter bore will clean up.

Jobber length brad tips drill are now availbe from Grizzly, and they can be lengthend by silver soldering onto a longer peices of drill rod.

However like the Win M88 and 100 rifles, you can not drill from both ends, so a block is made to be clamped on the top of the stock to act as an guide to position the very rear of the drill, and then drill the pilot hole all the way thru towards the buttplate. Thus the need for a LONG pilot drill. Then counterbore for the bolt head.

I also use Forstner type counterbores, which I have added a guide on to follow the pilot hole in the stock.

Always more than one way to do the job, it just depends on what tools you have and your skill level.

J Wisner

after floking up a couple or 3 time i talked to kobe on just how to do it - he solved all the problems - i just give him the stock and let him drill it - and it's a lot cheaper than building the set up he has myself

Going to have to try drilling half way. Drilling from one end on a blank I can get a touch of bit walk. Provided the blank is not super thin not that big of a deal. BUT if it can be eliminated all the better.

The secret to getting it straight is to use a single fluted "gun drill" and drilling in the lathe as pictured.

quote:

single fluted "gun drill"

I understand the single flute having trouble with the "gun drill"

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Kobe:
The secret to getting it straight is to use a single fluted "gun drill" and drilling in the lathe as pictured.

Some of us don't have a lathe so we find other ways to do it just as accurately

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

single fluted "gun drill"

I understand the single flute having trouble with the "gun drill"

A gun drill is just a term. It refers to the type of drill bit used to drill rifle barrels. It has a single cutting edge and flute and is self aligning.

Here is a link to some Gun drills that Track of the Wolf sells.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/...x/1042/1/ROD-DRILL-6

You can also make your own.

does anybody else use a dewalt 12v with a leupold 4x on it??