Hello,

While taking apart a new to me Model 70, I noticed a crack in the stock. The location of the crack is in the web between the cutout for the trigger and the cutout for the magazine box. The crack is visible from the inside of the stock. If you spread the outide edges of the magazine cutout, you can see it open. I will attempt to post a photo. The red pencil points out the crack.http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1295/4218397/8839897/121270499.jpg[/IMG]]

Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. Anyway, one can see the crack (faint black line) What is the best way to fix this stock? It is a shooter, not a collector. The caliber is 300 H&H.

Thanks,

Jim D

The method recommended in past posts is to open the crack slightly and inject any high quality wood glue. Some have said Hide glue others use carpenters glue. By using an air compressor, you are able to force the glue deep into the crack. then wrap the entire stock tightly enough to hold it together until the glue dries. I have used latex tubing for that successfully. Some have recommended hand clamps protecting your stock of course. Glue will actually make the stock stronger in this area than in surrounding areas. Take care when opening the crack slightly to avoid too much or additional damage. DO NOT OPEN IT TOO MUCH. If you use the search function you can find added information.
Like this:

Posted 14 August 2001 09:44
Had a similar problem recently, though the crack went in the other direction. On a HVA 640 (i.e. Mauser m/98) in 9.3x62. Crack from mag well all the way back into grip area.
Cure: Widen crack with wooden wedges, as much as you dare. Heat, with hair dryer or whatever, to ~60 - 70 centigrade. Put good oldfashioned slow Araldite epoxy into crack(s), from one side only and continue heating until araldite oozes out the other side. Crack is now full! Remove wedges and clamp firmly! Lots of epoxy will be sqeezed out and have to be removed later.
On top of this I pinned the stock, with threaded brass rod 1/4", screwed into 7/32" holes. It looks good so far.

and:

Posted 22 November 2004 03:27
Enlarge the crack so the epoxy can get in. Reinforcing screws should run across the crack, not along it.


Good luck
Frank

I force glue into the crack. As well I will cut a grove running across the crack. Then epoxy in a threaded rod.

Ramrod340 has it right. All Pre-64 Model 70's with few exceptions crack at that spot. The new ones had a threaded brass rod screwed into that place just to stop that crack but it showed on the outside. By cutting a groove on the inside and epoxying in a piece of all-thread, it won't happen again and will make the stock extra strong in that area.

quote:

As well I will cut a grove running across the crack. Then epoxy in a threaded rod.

"Hey Honey, guess what. I discovered this crack in my rifle stock and the estimate I got to fix it was $150 dollars. I am pretty sure I can fix it myself, all I need is a new Dremel with the appropriate attachments. I'll bet I could save US (very important to women) a hundred bucks.......... Thanks Honey, your so sweet."

Thanks for the responses. Ramrod340, what size threaded rod and what type of epoxy? Do you just groove the web or do continue slightly into the 'sidewall'of the stock?

Thanks,

Jim D

quote:

Originally posted by 243winxb:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tp...35103631/r/260105631

243winxb-

Thanks.

I would guess it is just 8/32 brass screw that I cut the head off. I normally continue into the sidewall. DON'T GO TO FAR. I don't know if it is necessary. I use the original accuglas but a good SLOW set epoxy would work.

Cut the grove, spread the crack a little to get epoxy in then lay in the screw and epoxy that. Wrap the stock with Rubber tubing to clamp it together.

Or just put in crossbolts and bed this..

acraglass, qtips, done

jeffe

Jim,
Blowing epoxy into the crack will work well. Check the inletting to make sure that the magazine box or the action are not tight and causing the crack. You might even insert the barreled action and watch the crack from below to see if it spreads. If it does you need to relieve the inletting or glue the crack with the action on place. That is not a good thing if the crack is very wide, although epoxy has a good tensile strength.

BTW, I don't know what pre 64 stocks Masterifleman (and what is an ifleman or conversely, what is a Maste ) he has been looking at but I have never seen a crack in that area and never saw factory stocks that had a brass rod there for reinforcement. I have 4 in my shop and none are cracked.

You are getting great advice with the threaded rod and epoxy. One thing that I would add to flowing epoxy into the crack is that if you heat up the epoxy a little, it will flow into the crack better

Chic: I have seen them cracked and they are usually induced by the owner tightening the forward trigger gaurd screw excessively combined with a bit of recoil mortise set back and some unevenness in bedding.

Over tightening the screw will flex the action a bit and may start the side walls of the action to exert pressure on the stock at the action sides if the fit happens to be tight to begin with.

In some older guns you can see this by the depth of the action imprint in the flats above the web. Not so easy to do with very good wood but not uncommon at all in factory black walnut.

Not a big deal to fix and re-inforce provided the original cause is also identified and corrected.

This is what found on further examination:

The crack does not spread when the action is placed in the stock.

The front trigger guard screw was very tight when I removed it. The portion of the action around the front trigger guard screw hole was clamped tightly enough by the action that it slightly splintered the wood at the edges of the bedding. (slightly visible in the picture)

Thank you all for the help.

Jim

Jim, given the probable circumstances, I would use a compresser and blow the epoxy in and wrap it with surgical tubing for a clamp. It should do the trick for you.

Are you getting any of this winter weather on your side of the Cascades? It is supposed to hit 10 in Wenatchee tonight.

Chic,

That's what I did- compressor, two-part epoxy, and surgical tubing out of the wife's tackle box. Would it be worth while to bed this rifle completely? How far out on a pre-64... Clear to the barrel tie down?

The weather is hitting us and how... we live in the foothills of the Cascades and the temps were in the low 20's last night. I should probably plug the Dodge in tonight. My brother says it is supposed to be around zero near C'd'Alene. Do you have snow over there in Wenatchee now?

Thanks,

Jim