I hope these photos are clear enough. Sorry about the fuzzyness, but I had to get real close in order for you to see (if you can) the crack.

This is my 458 Lott from the Winchester Custom Shop. As I was working on my loads with the 500 grain GS FN's I just received and I noticed this crack. It is just behind the cross bolt. It is almost like the head of the cross bolt dug in under the top layer of the wood and split it away.



The next picture may give you and idea of how far back (it is only slight) that the cross bolt is from the area relieved in the stock.



I'm hoping this is only cosmetic and that I can still hunt with it. I leave on the 19th. Maybe Jack Belk, Chic, Allen, Mike375 or any of the others can tell if it is serious or not.

A side note. That cross bolt was a little loose. When I tightened it up, it settled back into the relief properly.

Well how good are your eyes? I don't know why those pictures were so small. Let me go back and take some larger ones. I'll be back.

Let's see if these are any better. The crack is about an inch long behind the cross bolt.

Well crud. I don't know why these area coming out so small all of the sudden.

I think you have your close-up lens on backwards. Kinda like lookin thru the wrong end of your scope. But that's OK, Longbob...most of us are celebrating today too!

I guess that's why I got kicked out of the porn industry. I could never get these pictures right.

Regardless of the pictures, if there is a crack starting in a hard kickers stock, it is trouble.

You can get it repaired and should have the rifle glass bedded to cure any further problems.

Celt

Too small eh Bob?

Ray Akinson say's to fix it right away.

I say go hunting.

Longbob you need this free program IRFANVIEW.
http://www.ryansimmons.com/users/irfanview/ It enables you to tweek your photos; enlarge, sharpen, etc. It's a very comprehensive program.

Thanks Bear Claw. I'm with Don (except for that size thingy ), the more I look at it, the more superficial it appears. I will get it fixed after I get back. I don't have time to send it to Winchester and get it back before the 19th. Plus, it will give me a chance to see if it gets any worse with use. I'll take some duct tape just in case.

Longbob.....how much confidence will you have in your rifle if, in the back of your mind, you are worried about it splitting. I would take it to a good gunsmith and have him take it apart and look at it.

I have a question.....don't cross-bolts have a flat side? Is it possible you changed the orientation when you "tightened" it?

DB,

I have a lot of confidence in that rifle. If that stock splits off, I guess I could spear the buffalo. Actually, the more I look at it, the more I feel that it is superficial. I will definately go back out and check the zero and group sizes after snugging it back up.

Tightening up the screws on this rifle is a ritual. In the past, I have ignored the cross bolts. Never again. The best part of the Talley QD's is that I can easily remove the scope to tighten the bases. I need to have the screws retapped to the 8's, but for now I use the blue Loc-tite and it still shakes them loose.

Longbob,

Glue the mounts on with a softer curing expoxy and also the screws. A warm will let them go. There isa chemical we can ge in Australai called Episolve that cuts stright through soft cure epoxy. I think it is based on some chemical called tricloroetane or similar name. They won't come loose if glued on.

By soft expozy, I mean a glue as distinct fro the rock hard setting epoxies we use for bedding.

If the action screws are coming loose all the time, that is indictative of a bedding probem.

Can't comment too much on the crack. Actually the cross bolts are also meant to hold the stock together if it does crack. It is very common to see a crack in the wood between the magazine and trigger but the cross bolt prevents it from going further.

Mike

Mike,

Thanks for the info. I should rephrase my comment. The action screw are not comming loose. It is the scope base screws. I'll be glad if and when the gun manufacturers standardize the 8 x 40's.

Longbob,

Once the bases are screwed and glue the standard screws are fine. In short, whether it is the size 6 or size 8 screw, you really need to glue.

The best way of all of course is to have the bases soldered and screwed but that get out of the home handyman area.

A surefire way to put the bases on is to glue and screw and then fire the rifle a few times before the glue has cured, removing the rings and tighteneing after each shot. Then put the rifle away and don't shoot again until the glue has cured.

Mike

The stock on my Win M70 Safari Express in 458 Win Mag did the exact same thing 1 week before I was to leave for my buffalo/plainsgame hunt in Zimbabwe.

I took it to a gunsmith right away and he said that there was movement (not properly bedded) and that if I did not fix it that it was just a matter of time until the stock would split. He said it could be 5 more shots or 50 more shots, but either way I was not comfortable taking the rifle to Africa in that condition.

Luckily for me, the gunsmith (Bolsa Gunsmithing) is the West Coast repair center for Winchester and he had an extra Safari Express stock in stock. I left the gun with him and picked it up two days later properly bedded in a brand new stock.

Tim

You non technical ppl need help. Here are the images in a better light! However they are still damn hard to see.

And another

A story with a happy ending. It's because the the author did what good sailors do and reef when you first think of it!

Alvin,

Thanks for blowing up the pictures for me. The lifting of the wood is still hard to see, but that's the best I can expect. It really looks as if you have taken a wood chisel and tried to lift off a 1/2" wide, 1/16" sliver of the surface.

Longbob,

If you need to, you can swing by and grab my .450 Dakota. It was telling me this morning to take it back to Africa soon ... or was that just the voices in my head ... either way, one of us needs to go back soon!

Hope you get it straightened out. Have a great hunt. I look forward to the pictures when you take me and Mims to lunch after you return.

Wendell,

I know you are sincere in your offer and in a pinch I would take you up on it. I think I'm in pretty good shape for now. That lunch thing sounds like a deal. I think...

This is an old thread, but I finally got the analysis back from the Winchester Custom Shop. The recoil lug is giving way at the weld. Their top gunsmith inspected the rifle (he is also the one that bedded this particular rifle before) and said that the weld was good. He had never seen one start to give like this. A few more shots and it would have been toast.

They are going to repair the lug and restock the gun. He said that the stock is destroyed internally. I am pleased to say the least that Winchester is doing all of this for no charge. Maybe they should be, maybe I should bear some responsibility. None the less, they are a dream to deal with and want to make me happy. They are.

Well, not knocking Winchester, but someone is full of it, either the weld is good and the metal ain't, or the weld is bad and is letting go. I'd vote for the latter. Kind of reminds me of all those 700 bolts falling off. I can't believe it is happening to a Model 70. NOT.

Gat,

My first reaction is that the weld wasn't good. Mike, the gunsmith, said that it was possible that the weld wasn't good. However, it appeared to be good according to him. He said that the welds "color" was consistent on both sides.

The most likely cause is that the weld was giving way. Either way, Winchester wasn't the least bit hesitant to fix the rifle and put a brand new stock on it. I'm not sure how much their stocks are on these Custom Shop rifles, but I would venture to say that they are easily in excess of $500.