Fixing buttplate gap

[sleepingbulldog]

I had some Scheels gift cards so I picked up a Traditions St Louis Hawken for cheap. Overall the inletting is better than I expected. Not great, not terrible. Towards the top and front of the buttplate there is a pretty good gap, though, on both sides of the stock.

How would you guys recommend I fix this? Should I remove wood to move the entire buttplate “down”? That would require me to remove wood from the comb in order to make it flush with the top of the buttplate. Or should I just fill it with some scrap wood?

 

[2 shots]

before you start anything ,i would file the corners square. top of butt should stay inline with top of stock.work from there. what does the other side look like?

 

[sleepingbulldog]

before you start anything ,i would file the corners square. top of butt should stay inline with top of stock.work from there. what does the other side look like?

Yeah, that’ll definitely need fixed.

 

[Freedom]

Your picture shows the plate is low. And maybe needs a little hammer bump to lesson the angle.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Loosen the bottom screw and it will roll forward closing the front edge gap and reducing the big gap. The area of the curve is bearing too much and that’s the spot to remove wood to close both gaps.
And make the corner match the brass.

 

[Indy Durtdigger]

Take your time. Remove as little wood or metal as possible between checking fit and constantly check it for fit. I got ahold of a Kibler SMR that had a messed-up butt plate inlet on the stock, off center and axis. Between arthritis and aging mechanic hands my dexterity with stuff like that isn't wat it used to be. Slowly fixing it between other projects. Dropped the comb some to get the shelf level and shortened the pull about a quarter inch so far.

 

[54ball]

I had some Scheels gift cards so I picked up a Traditions St Louis Hawken for cheap. Overall the inletting is better than I expected. Not great, not terrible. Towards the top and front of the buttplate there is a pretty good gap, though, on both sides of the stock.

How would you guys recommend I fix this? Should I remove wood to move the entire buttplate “down”? That would require me to remove wood from the comb in order to make it flush with the top of the buttplate. Or should I just fill it with some scrap wood?

View attachment 290875

The buttplate is canted. The front is high, the rear is low.
To fix this......
Both screws will need to be removed and the holes plugged.

The front of the butt plate extension needs to move down......

When the front is pressed down this will move the rear of the plate and curve, up and off the stock.....

The whole plate then should be moved forward straight.
This will mean cutting into the comb up top and removing wood at the rear as the BP moves forward....

It’s ever so slight with a sharp chisel.
I’ll actually use my chisel like a scraper on the curve.

Black it......
Keep is straight.....
Go slow.....

 

[user 34300]

Is the top shelf parallel with the comb line? If not make it so. Leave that line alone from now on. Put inletting black on the butplate. Trial fit the plate. Where it touches in the curve remove wood. If the top extension needs to go foreword, make it so. At some point as the plate moves foreword you will get near 100% contact all over. ........done.

Screw holes go last. If they are done already you may have to plug them.

Do not try to beat the brass to fill the gaps. You will likely break off chunks off wood if you do so.