Fix for old rifle stock gap at breech?

[lone rider]

Hello all. New to the forum.
I recently picked up a 1970's Italian-made muzzleloader in the general style of a kentucky rifle. Though very old and uncared for I am getting it clean. However, there is a gap between the rear of the barrel and the stock where they should meet flush, maybe a millimeter to two. Bigger than it should be! I assume this is due to wood shrinkage given the age, the proof code is for 1976! However as the stock is otherwise in good shape I was wondering how to fix this? I have heard of people making wood or metal shims, is that something that could be done? Or is it even necessary to fix it, beyond keeping grit out of the gap? The gun is not that powerful it is a .44 caliber.
I have a Hawken style rifle in good repair so the fix is not urgent, I took this on as sort of learning project (and because it was dirt cheap). Any ideas on a good fix?
Many thanks to any replies there is much for me to learn about these guns.

 

[necchi]

a photo would help,,

 

[NorthFork]

I've used Accraglas to bed the tang and I have also used shims that were glued in. Both methods work.

 

[lone rider]

sorry. Here it is.
Otherwise the stock is in good shape and rifling seems okay, just dirty. Lock will fire caps.

I have sheet steel and brass that is the right thickness if a shim need be made.

 

[Phil Coffins]

You steel shim could serve if cut to fit. Color it by browning or blue to match. Bedding the breach end of the barrel to include the tang with some colored Accurglass is also a good way. These fixes mwill keep the rifle in service for years to come.

 

[SDSmlf]

How does the hammer line up with the nipple? If you remove tang screw and stock pins/wedges, does the barrel move back?

 

[lone rider]

How does the hammer line up with the nipple? If you remove tang screw and stock pins/wedges, does the barrel move back?

Hammer lines up (and fires caps) though not perfectly centered (my hopkins and allen wasn't perfectly centered either maybe that's a thing with old rifles?). The barrel will not move further back, as the part of the breach that sticks out to the side and where the nipple goes is firmly against the sideplate of the lock where it is cut out to fit it

 

[n.h.schmidt]

Just about any bedding mix or even JB weld used will work fine for this. You do need to support the barrel at the breach end. The stock will get cracked if used much the way it is. What make is it?

 

[lone rider]

Just about any bedding mix or even JB weld used will work fine for this. You do need to support the barrel at the breach end. The stock will get cracked if used much the way it is. What make is it?

Thanks will try bedding or shimming the barrel once I read up on how to do that.
The manufacture is not clear. It has Italian marks similar to my Pietta pistol and the proof code is from '76, but the only logo I could find had a PB on it. Maybe Bondini?

 

[ZUG]

The best in my opinion for this is to bed the back end of the barrel/tang area with a bedding compound such as Accraglass Gel by Brownells. As a release agent I would use a paste wax such as Johnson & Johnson paste wax. I have used Brownells release agent with their Accraglass bedding compound and had the metal parts lock into the wood. I never had it happen with the paste wax. Some people have used Saran Wrap to wrap a single wrap of the plastic wrap around the part but I find this to be a bit complicated - the wax works much better. Look on YouTube for visual examples/ help. Get as much information BEFORE you start because once you bond those two parts together you will not get them apart without destroying one part or the other.

 

[dragnetbill]

Hello all. New to the forum.
I recently picked up a 1970's Italian-made muzzleloader in the general style of a kentucky rifle. Though very old and uncared for I am getting it clean. However, there is a gap between the rear of the barrel and the stock where they should meet flush, maybe a millimeter to two. Bigger than it should be! I assume this is due to wood shrinkage given the age, the proof code is for 1976! However as the stock is otherwise in good shape I was wondering how to fix this? I have heard of people making wood or metal shims, is that something that could be done? Or is it even necessary to fix it, beyond keeping grit out of the gap? The gun is not that powerful it is a .44 caliber.
I have a Hawken style rifle in good repair so the fix is not urgent, I took this on as sort of learning project (and because it was dirt cheap). Any ideas on a good fix?
Many thanks to any replies there is much for me to learn about these guns.

I picked up on the word cheap right away and my heart warmed. I'd glue in some popcicle stick; sand to fit and stain.

 

[dave951]

Glass bed it. Others have mentioned Accraglass and that stuff is expensive. One interesting substitute I've found to work well in muzzle loaders is JB Weld. It doesn't take much so it isn't expensive.

Popscicle sticks are soft and will give over time and accuracy will suffer. Fix it once and for all.

 

[dragnetbill]

Glass bed it. Others have mentioned Accraglass and that stuff is expensive. One interesting substitute I've found to work well in muzzle loaders is JB Weld. It doesn't take much so it isn't expensive.

Popscicle sticks are soft and will give over time and accuracy will suffer. Fix it once and for all.

While I suppose that it would be possible to find popcicle sticks that are soft, most are made of birch which falls between beech (harder) and walnut (softer) on the hardness chart of woods. I would definitely not use the popcicle stick if it seemed too soft; on the other hand, if the stock in question were made of walnut I would'nt hesitate to make the repair with a walnut shim even though it would be softer than a popcicle stick.

 

[FlinterNick]

I would walnut or maple veneer wood cut to the diameter of the breech then refinish the stock with Hardtop varnish as a sealer and then oil over after it dries.

I’ve done this on many stock repairs such as veneers, dovetails, Dutchmans and splices. it blends in nicely and retains some value.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Glass bed it. Others have mentioned Accraglass and that stuff is expensive. One interesting substitute I've found to work well in muzzle loaders is JB Weld. It doesn't take much so it isn't expensive.

Popscicle sticks are soft and will give over time and accuracy will suffer. Fix it once and for all.

Right!

Well the reason why I would Accraglass it, and YES..., JB Weld would work just fine, is that with JB Weld you are stuck with the color. The JB Wood Weld is a yellowish piney color, and the stock stuff is a dark grey. Accraglass at least allows you to add pigment to come close to the stock color. I'd go with a dark brown, and then redye the stock to a dark brown to really hide the repair.

LD

 

[tenngun]

I would walnut or maple veneer wood cut to the diameter of the breech then refinish the stock with Hardtop varnish as a sealer and then oil over after it dries.

I’ve done this on many stock repairs such as veneers, dovetails, Dutchmans and splices. it blends in nicely and retains some value.

I was about to point that out.
Check out Model Expo on line. They sell thin strips of beech, maple, walnut, rosewood strips for model building. Go from .5mm to 2mm thick.
Gorilla wood glue is stronger then wood and almost waterproof. Oils to the finish and wax would stand up to any bad weather you would be outside with the gun.