I have a stock that I'm planning on using on my 400PDK. Building something light along the lines of a type b.

Anyway it has a Schnabel forend which will look great. However it currently has a swivel stud mounted in the forend. I would prefer to have it barrel mounted.

Any ideas how to cover the hole without making it look like a repair? A plug just ends up looking like a plug. I've practiced using Chic's torch method on another old stock and just not happy with my efforts.

Some type of metal plug? Ebony insert???? Stopping trying to hide it and make the plug show?

If one is very careful they are able to almost make an invisible repair . What type of wood is it ? , do you have any wood that matches color or grain characteristics ?. A tip when working on plugging a hole ,orientate the grain so as to match . If it's walnut it's a piece of cake . Take a sharp exacto knife or pocket knife and cut a few overlapping false grain ( Flecks ) into the plug and surrounding stock . If your going to refinish the stock !. If not and stain is not going to be applied to the entire job .

Then it becomes ever so important to find the correct piece of plug wood orientate the grain and burnish the finished coat of either oil or urethane into the area and rub out to match finish . Other wise put a Gold or Silver medallion with your initials or logo in it !.

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

I once cut the head of a case in the caliber of the rifle and inlaid that. Just different. On a Model 70 stock I modified (reshaped cheekpiece,replaced gripcap with wood to match forearm tip) I cut the stock thru the center of the hole and then built a forearm tip with a tang that fit in the half circle similar to a widows peak on some stocks. Didn't look half bad when finished.

I have a method that seems to work pretty well as long as the stock is dark in color and not a lot of grain. Plug the hole with a small dowel rod, cut off, so that it is about 1/16" below the surface of the stock. MIx up some clear epoxy, acraglas, and then get some old wood that is about the same color as your stock. Do some sanding on the scrap wood so you get a lot of sawdust. Mix the sawdust well with the epoxy and you end up with a "wood" paste. When it dries, you can lightly sand it. Usually blends in well, especially on the bottom of the forend or but stock.

Fill the hole with a dowel below the surface then take a sliver from under the bbl channel to match the wood.

Rich

i just bought a cz 550 in 416 rigby. it has the front stud in the forearm and i would also like it on the barrel. my thoughts so far are some sort of metal, screw-in plug, to fit flush with the bottom of the forearm, that would look good but still preserve the forearm stud hole. then i could go back to the forearm mounted stud if i wanted to and it wouldn't look like a repair or an attempt to hide something.

Thanks to all for the suggestions on how to patch the hole. I have used basically all of them over the last 30+ years. Either on stocks or furniture. Often a combination of several. Making your own grain is a life saver on oak furniture. If you guys haven't tried it. Chic suggested using a torch to darken an area. I used it several months ago and the patch all but went away.

But even if others have a hard time seeing the patch I know it is there. My wife says I'm way to pickie.

Budiceale hit on what I'm going to try. I'm going to enlarge the hole a little. Insert a brass tube and then turn down a screw to fit and work it down almost flush. Should look like an additional forarm screw like on older M70s.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.