Stock breakage

[Big D]

Sophmoric question. If the stocks are "dry" would they benefit from a drink of oil?

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by John Dallas

Sophmoric question. If the stocks are "dry" would they benefit from a drink of oil?

I use the term "dry" all the time but it is really a misnomer, I believe. All stocks stored in a climate controlled environment are dry unless oil soaked.

I use a moisture meter to check wood I intend to use as a stock. Stored in a dry cool basement with room for circulation, it will be at about 8% when it is ready to use. Once it gets there it pretty much stays at that level. I have tested under the butt plate of guns over the course of years they stay at that level even after exposure to wet or humid conditions.

I really have never heard an explanation of the mechanism of the change but many old guns, due to some reason in their history, develop a "punky" , for lack of a better term, consistency. The stock wood is soft and very weak and brittle. This is very different than oil soaked wood. As a general rule, most stocks remain oil soaked after it occurs because it is hard to treat and often not noticeable without removing the stock.

As shown in many examples, I have found and repaired many internal head splits. After many years of fooling with doubles, one of the first things I do when receiving any new gun is do at least a partial teardown. Most people try to avoid turning a screw for any reason, but after buying to many old guns that developed an external crack after the first shot or two, I simply to it as a matter of maintenance. I find an internal crack of some size in well over half the guns I acquire. I always repair if found. There are too many good adhesives on the market and too many simple ways to use a reinforcement pin to take a chance. The pictures above show how bad it can be and not be visible on the outside. If an ad talks about a "small stable crack" I am out of there or will only bid at a level that assumes a repair.

[Dean Romig]

This is the exact method that Brian Board used to permanently fix one of my Parkers.





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[Drew Hause]

I could not find my image of the hardwood 'dumbbell' insert in the head of some 20g stocks. Was this a factory reinforcement? When did they first appear; maybe after the Super-X boomers? Does anyone have a pic?

[Drew Hause]

Stock repair thread by Jim Williams. The Photobucket images are obscured but can be seen
https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=517

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

I could not find my image of the hardwood 'dumbbell' insert in the head of some 20g stocks. Was this a factory reinforcement? When did they first appear; maybe after the Super-X boomers? Does anyone have a pic?

Drew, I knew I had some pics of the dumbbell repair insert and I found them.
Feel free to copy these to your files and use them however you like.

I wish I could remember the details but all I know is the pics were taken with my kitchen floor in the background.

In looking more closely it is a Remington era DHE 0-frame stock I sold a few years ago.
The last picture clearly shows the Remington "lance-point" drop point rather than the Meriden style of "willow leaf" drop point.


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[Grayson Williams]

Purchased a few high grade.with stock flaws never had one developed a crack.when hunting. Hunt most of the time with doubles use light loads even Waterfowl.

[J. A. EARLY]

Maybe its just me, but I cringe when someone who learned it from his father slams the action shut as if they are trying to break it in half. Holding the wood in the right hand and wanting to hear that car door slam can't be good on anything, and I imagine many L.C. Smiths had cracks started from ham-handed hunters.

[Woodcock survey]

Jerry you are not alone, I have seen Turkish o/u rattled apart in 3 months. Not that i care about them at all but when it is a vintage double i feel the need to council the owner.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Daniel Carter

Jerry you are not alone, I have seen Turkish o/u rattled apart in 3 months. Not that i care about them at all but when it is a vintage double i feel the need to council the owner.

I saw Michael McIntosh in several videos making a big deal about lifting the butt to the action on reloading rather than snapping the gun shut by the barrels. Generally it was when in the company of a British instructor. I suspect this was something commonly taught by the British back in the day for the reason stated.