Merry Christmas to me! Broken stock today at the range.

[JamieWalden]

Today at the range I had a minor mishap that lead to a major problem. I was breaking down to clean, and as it happens to us all, knocked my rifle over. The fall was on soft ground but not soft enough. It has developed a crack on both sides of the wrist area. It does not seem to go all the way through, but further inspection will he required.
I’m sure I’m not the first, or last to do this. I was thinking of a dowel and epoxy but I’m open for suggestions. Thanks in advance!!

 

[GANGGREEN]

I feel badly for you, but I've got you beat. I took a small tumble in the woods this fall and absolutely snapped mine through the same area, no repairs possible, so I'll rebuild. I hope you get good news when you inspect further and that you're able to repair it. I suspect you'll be fine with a dowel and some epoxy or even a steel pin inside, glue and a good wrap until it cures. Good luck.

 

[LawrenceA]

Good lyck.
Always try using an air compressor to force epoxy into the crack.

 

[Bob McBride]

Someone will pop in with how to do it but it looks like a candidate for glue, screws/dowel, and a cool period correct brass/bronze wrist repair wrap.

 

[JamieWalden]

Man you totally have me beat, your story is much better than me being careless! I wonder if I will be better off with steel or a wooden dowel? I want to keep it correct but honestly inside the wood no one will ever know. At least until I break it again.

 

[JamieWalden]

Someone will pop in with how to do it but it looks like a candidate for glue, screws/dowel, and a cool period correct brass/bronze wrist repair wrap.

View attachment 55730View attachment 55731

I love this! If the outside crack doesn’t hide well I will totally do this!

 

[GANGGREEN]

Yeah, someone will be a long with a full description. Thankfully I've not had to do it until my recent mishap and that one's beyond repair, so I'll use the parts for a rebuild, which is fine.

 

[Bob McBride]

I'm building a Soddy with an original bronze plate Ketland lock with a .29 cal 5/8" barrel and plan a wrist repair similar to the top pic. The rifle will be so thin it will be a believable repair, though faux.

 

[Yewbender]

Jamie, Thats a bummer. I like how the stock looks and hope your able to repair it.

Bob, can’t waite to see the pictures when your finished!

 

[Omahkapi'si]

What a sickening feeling to see your rifle hit the ground....hope it works out ok for you.

 

[JamieWalden]

Well it’s been cracked for quite a while according to the color.

 

[oldwood]

The starter for me would be a very long # 10 drywall screw down through the wrist invisibly from the rear of the tang inlet , with brown stained epoxie on the break and the screw shank. After the epoxie is hardened, a little judicious filing ,sanding, and #4 steel wool , stain and finish. The black color of the acid , or base stain shouldn't be too hard to match up using alcohol base stain mixed to match.........oldwood

 

[EC121]

If you want a really good adaptable clamp, get some silicone model airplane glow fuel tubing. It is about 1/4" in dia. and can be stretched and wound really tight.
It looks like there was cross grain in the wrist. That and pushing on the ramrod will flex the thin wrist until it finally gives. The grey color might indicate a soft spot in the wood.

 

[JamieWalden]

The starter for me would be a very long # 10 drywall screw down through the wrist invisibly from the rear of the tang inlet , with brown stained epoxie on the break and the screw shank. After the epoxie is hardened, a little judicious filing ,sanding, and #4 steel wool , stain and finish. The black color of the acid , or base stain shouldn't be too hard to match up using alcohol base stain mixed to match.........oldwood

I had wondered if a long screw or a dowel would be best. I feel like epoxy won’t be enough alone.

 

[JamieWalden]

If you want a really good adaptable clamp, get some silicone model airplane glow fuel tubing. It is about 1/4" in dia. and can be stretched and wound really tight.
It looks like there was cross grain in the wrist. That and pushing on the ramrod will flex the thin wrist until it finally gives. The grey color might indicate a soft spot in the wood.

We have some medical silicone. It creates a very tight pull that a clamp could never get.

 

[McClura]

I have repaired many muzzleloading stocks, rifles and a lot of the TC Patriot pistols that break in the wrist and a Birdseye Maple stock I made for a Springfield 1903-A3.
All you need is some good epoxy mixed, a syringe ( I get mine at the feed store of Vet Supply) with needle and a drill. Follow the directions on the package.
You choose the size of pin you want to use, use the drill bit that comes with that size pin. You clamp your break together pretty tight, (I use 4" C Clamps with leather pads on the stock or the Racheting Bar clamp like used on clamping wood slats together with rubber clamp pads) drill a hole all the way through the wrist which makes it better and keeps you from busting out a chip when screwing the pin into the hole on the part you didn't drill through. Unclamp, force all of the glue you can into the crack and some in the hole drilled. Put the pin in the hand drill chuck, clamp the stock again, and this pin is threaded. Coat the pin and Screw it into the hole you drilled with the drill real slow until it has passed through the stock and the pin is protruding out both sides of the stock. When the epoxy dries, cut the pin as close to the stock as possible with hack saw or hobby saw and then file down flush with stock. All you will have showing is a small 1/8 or 3/32nd brass pin head that looks like it was inlaid. Steel wool the spot and refinished.
I have been using these for years and always have a good supply around hunting season when people drop guns from tree stands or trip in the dark and drop their weapon. I have two nice rifles that have these and they have been in one of them since 1981 with thousands of rounds through it for target shooting and one in the 03-A3 stock that gets loaned during some hunting seasons. I can take a photo later if you want. Brownells suggests Acraglas but that is their product and I found Devcon 24 hour 2 part epoxy is just as good or better. I use Devcon to splice two pieces of Osage wood billets at the handle on a Z-Splice making all wood longbows. It has never failed on any of my bows and some have some heavy draw weights.
Here is the link to get these.
Brownells Stock Repair Pins & drill bits
Good Luck
Mike

Good luck.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Good post by McClura. I prefer just plain brazing rod for the pin. You can thread it if you want. The ends showing after the repair are, in my opinion, just telling a part of the story of the life of that rifle. The brass wrist wrap is a last ditch effort to hold things together. Ugly IMHO.

 

[ord sgt]

Look at the picture to the left. The stock was in two pieces. With the help of some "pine tar" and some screws and a piece of sheet brass, the rifle was repaired. I swear that it shoots better now than before the break. That happened well over 30 years ago.

 

[Flintandsteel]

A couple of machine 8/32 machine screws with heads removed. Drilled and epoxied in place. It should last forever. If the seam still shows, cover it with a nice brass plate. The plate doesn’t really hold anything, just cover up the seam. This a faux repair, but you get the idea.

 

[Larry (Omaha)]

I had wondered if a long screw or a dowel would be best. I feel like epoxy won’t be enough alone.

Correct you are! McClura's reply is right on target. Anything less is a bandaid.
Flintlocklar