Gentlemen,

Sorry to bother so much with inane questions but little stuff like this bugs the crap out of me until I know 'for sure'.

Here's my issue:

On the Whitworth stock there is a black end cap on the stock at the barrel end. Is that just painted wood (black) or is it ebony?

I was considering stripping it if it was just paint.

I think mine is plastic.

Yep, it's plastic.

Terry

P L A S T I C ?????





Oh my God, my worst nightmare!

OK, this has got to go too. Guys, give me some creative suggestions please!

Black plastic for sure. When you replace the grip cap and the front sight, have the forend tip replaced with ebony.

plastic....
jeffe

If you replace that bakelite with ebony it'll match the ebony you used as a grip cap.

Gaboon (Nigerian), or Macassar Ebony. Or you could choose a very nice subspecies of cocobolo such as the Mexican. If you have trouble looking at those, try a Ziricote, or Blackwood. I usually carry a few of each here, but I had a guy buy everything I owned recently otehr than one piece of Nigerian Ebony for my custom I am putting together.

OK, guys, so where can I get wood suitable for this conversion, or, even better yet, is there someone out there that does this professionally?????

Ann, ebony is the classic wood for this purpose but many others such as fancy contrasting walnut also are used and are very pleasing. As I suggested it's not unusual to use those woods as grip caps and forend tips in a matching set.

Almost any gunsmith can do this for you but if you want to send the stock to someone to have ths done I'd suggest Jim Kobe. I know he has the woods you'd like....if I was home in Nebraska I'd cut off a couple pieces of ebony and send them to you but that's 850 miles from here.

Have you decided to install a matching wood on the grip cap?

Ann, it's plastic. I had my stock shortened and an ebony tip added. Here's pic's. Bob

https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tp.../834105383#834105383

Bob's rifle's stock has the most beautiful figure of any Whitworth I have ever seen!

I also agree with his suggestion that if you replace the plastic forend tip with ebony it also enhances the looks of the rifle to shorten the forend just a little. On the top Whitworth, I replaced the forend tip with ebony and shortened and slimmed the forend, which required recheckering. I also opened the grip and replaced the grip cap with steel, recontoured the upper tang and recessed the crossbolt with ebony plugs. Of course this is all a matter of personal preference, some prefer the long forend of the Whitworth.

Bob and Fla,

Those look great! Another question though. I see on your photo there is no sling mount. Did you move it to the barrel?

The shorter stock does look nice too. I was considering shortening the barrel as well. Have any of you done that? Pro's and con's?

Ann, the barrel bands are still on the barrels, just not visable in the pic.
I should let Bob speak for himself, but since he has allowed me to shoot his rifle, I will say yes he also shortened his barrel with no loss of accuracy or effect!

Ann, I shortened the barrel to 22" only to remove the obnoxious magnaports. I re-crowned of course and had a single new hole drilled to move the sights back. They were screwed on, not soldered, or this would have been a much bigger deal. The barrel band is in the same place as original. Accuracy has not suffered in the least. The reason I had the stock shortened is that it was a little out of proportion with the 22" barrel. John Valicek cut if just in front of the checkering and added the ebony tip. It just so happens the onlhy flaw in this pretty stock were a few filled 'worm holes' just behind the original tip that got chopped off in the process. Even though the original is a trim 375, the shortened barrel and stock have made this an exceptionally 'carry-able' rifle. Bob

Hmm, mine doesn't have a barrel band. Well I will worry about that if I decide to shorten the barrel and the stock. I tend to like a shorter barrel, good in the brush.

Thanks guys, for all of your input!