Cracked rifle stock. Repair or replace

[BigC]

I have an older Ruger M77, early 90’s model, that I’ve cracked the stock on. It cracked right behind the bolt on one side. The rifle has some sentimental value to me as it’s the first new rifle I ever purchased. Plus, it has a pretty tigers stripe pattern in the wood.
Has anyone had any luck repairing a cracked stock? Or, should I just replace it?

 

[Choupique]

Has anyone had any luck repairing a cracked stock?

Yea. Post some pictures, there's some actual stock makers around here.

I fixed mine with a brass pin and some epoxy and some sanding and refinished the stock. Came out ok.

Fixing it is easy. Fixing it and it looking good after is something else. I'd fix it either way though, especially if it's got some sentimental value. It reduces the street price and multiplies the sentimental value. Win/win IMO

 

[Wapiti1]

It is rare that they cannot be repaired. Post a couple of photos.

Jeremy

 

[cnelk]

I recently repaired the stock on my old Winchester 270 where it was cracked on the grip.

Removed the barrel and gently opened up the cracks and put in some good wood glue and then clamped it together.

After it dried, I also used a trim head finish screw to secure it all together.

 

[BigC]

Thanks for the quick replies. I’ll try and post some photos this weekend when I get home.

 

[Macintosh]

Yeah, ditto above—it would be highly unlikely that it couldnt be repaired as good as new. Ive repaired stocks that had the entire wrist shattered into several pieces, even a repair like that can be almost invisible if done well. A simple hairline crack isnt actually really hard. The difference is mainly in how visible a repair is. Post some detailed in-focus pics and someone can give you a sense of whats involved.

 

[MallardSX2]

I would replace it and be done with it.

 

[Stearinlys]

I have one that snapped off right in the middle of the wrist. I just cleaned out the break and epoxied it back together with West Systems epoxy. then I drilled a 1/4 hole from the action area down into the grip about 1" from the grip cap and epoxied in a threaded rod that went the whole length. Cleaned it up and it's good as new.

 

[prm]

I have seen a stock builder use rather long threaded brass rods with epoxy to repair wood stocks.

 

[cnelk]

This is my repair.
The crack is now barely visible after glued and clamped.

I took a GRK trim head screw and cut it shorter since it was too long, drilled a pilot hole and secured the wrist together.

Nice little project for an old gun

 

[SchwarzStock]

This is my repair.
The crack is now barely visible after glued and clamped.

I took a GRK trim head screw and cut it shorter since it was too long, drilled a pilot hole and secured the wrist together.

Nice little project for an old gun


View attachment 805696View attachment 805697View attachment 805698

I would finish the job by filling the hole where the screw is exposed with some Brownells acraglas jel dyed brown. You can control the color by slowly adding the dye. You could also repair the area where the wood is missing with the acraglas at the same time.

 

[BigC]

Ya’ll are giving me some hope to repair my rifle. Thank you.

 

[prm]

Can also run a long threaded support from inside the trigger well back through the grip.

 

[cnelk]

I would finish the job by filling the hole where the screw is exposed with some Brownells acraglas jel dyed brown. You can control the color by slowly adding the dye. You could also repair the area where the wood is missing with the acraglas at the same time.

Nah.
I don’t mind the scars

 

[SchwarzStock]

Can also run a long threaded support from inside the trigger well back through the grip.

I unfortunately do not have any pictures but 20 or so years back I did some Mauser sporters based on 98 actions with new barrels (surplus, stepped) in original stocks. The idea was to have an older looking rifle but better adapted to scope sight use. All of these guns were stutzen style so they were fitted with wood forend tips. The interesting thing I did was use a band saw with a very fine blade to the cut the stock from top to bottom right at the line where the pistol grip stopped. Using a disc sander I cleaned up the cut on both pieces but on the rear piece I changed the angle to straighten the top line of the comb. Then I bored a stepped, through-hole in the butt for a stock screw like on a shotgun. I put a steel threaded insert in the pistol grip and fitted a thread rod in the back of the pistol grip. Because of the small rod in the hole I was able to move the butt up and down to get the comb height where I wanted it. I then marked the two parts of the stock with a pencil for reference and took it apart. Mixed up a bit of acraglas, coated both mating surfaces and pushed a bunch of acraglas into the rod hole. I then put everything back together and tightened the nut on the threaded rod to pull everything tight while the glue set. Of course I verified the two halves were where I wanted them before I set the stock in the corner. After, it was just a bit of carving, sanding to get everything blended.

Last I knew two of those rifles were floating around Ft. Bragg, one a 7mm and the other an 8mm, both with side mounted scopes. If you should happen to see what looks like an old Mauser stutzen check closely to see if you can detect a dark "hair-line" running vertical and perpendicular to the wood grain just behind the pistol grip

 

[Macintosh]

Yeah, you can make that type of repair pretty easy on the eyes. Pics below is during repair and after repair on an original shotgun stock from the 1920’s. The stock was in 2 pieces, plus it had other cracks. It got a pin in the right side of the wrist, a dowel through the side of the head of the stock that replaced a large metal bolt a previous owner had used as a “repair”, plus 2 threaded rods lengthwise through the wrist from inside the action, as well as a metal staple into the head of the action to assist the dowel in preventing any further separation. Walnut dowels to fill the visible holes were all hidden in checkering (you can see a dowel in the checkering if you look close), and it got a refinish. I did this repair in about 2013 if I recall correctly, and the gun is still going strong today.
Also, this is by far not the worst shape stock Ive done, and others have done a lot worse than I have. If the gun has sentimental value it’s fixable. I can help steer you to a pro who does a lot of this sort of thing if you want. Then you can decide what makes the most sense.

 

[BigC]

I was worried that a repair might not be strong enough while shooting. It’s a 30-06 but it appears many of you have repaired rifles and went on to shoot them without any issues.

 

[Nine Banger]

Use Wood Glue or West System Slow Set Epoxy.

Use a wedge or make a piece of wood to spread the crack just a little bit and then get the goo in there and remove the wedge and let it squeeze out.

Shoot it that way and then only if it comes back....THEN go back and start screwing and pinning, etc.

 

[BigC]

Yeah, you can make that type of repair pretty easy on the eyes. Pics below is during repair and after repair on an original shotgun stock from the 1920’s. The stock was in 2 pieces, plus it had other cracks. It got a pin in the right side of the wrist, a dowel through the side of the head of the stock that replaced a large metal bolt a previous owner had used as a “repair”, plus 2 threaded rods lengthwise through the wrist from inside the action, as well as a metal staple into the head of the action to assist the dowel in preventing any further separation. Walnut dowels to fill the visible holes were all hidden in checkering (you can see a dowel in the checkering if you look close), and it got a refinish. I did this repair in about 2013 if I recall correctly, and the gun is still going strong today.
Also, this is by far not the worst shape stock Ive done, and others have done a lot worse than I have. If the gun has sentimental value it’s fixable. I can help steer you to a pro who does a lot of this sort of thing if you want. Then you can decide what makes the most sense. View attachment 805743View attachment 805744

That’s incredible work Macintosh!

 

[BigC]

Use Wood Glue or West System Slow Set Epoxy.

Use a wedge or make a piece of wood to spread the crack just a little bit and then get the goo in there and remove the wedge and let it squeeze out.

Shoot it that way and then only if it comes back....THEN go back and start screwing and pinning, etc.

Thanks Nine Banger, I like that idea. The crack is small and only on one side.