416WSM on Siamese Mauser & 416/348Ackley Improved on Martini

[BlueFlyer]

The stock for the Martini has been rough machined. Should not take too long to arrive from Tassie.
But I am going to need to get into the metal work to machine out a quarter rib and a similar feature under the barrel to hang the forend. This needs to be robust as I have learnt on my 45/70, silver soldered lugs just cannot stand up to long term heavy recoil, (my 45/70 only weighs 6.5lbs).

 

[AZDAVE]

Nice looking timber!

 

[BlueFlyer]

Nice looking timber!

English walnut grown in Tasmania. It has turned out better than the raw blank looked. I am getting excited to get into this rifle. Given the wood I think I will need to get some engraving on the metal.

 

[yumastepside]

Is that one of Gordon's stocks ?

 

[BlueFlyer]

Is that one of Gordon's stocks ?

Yes it is. I did not think he would be able to get it done, but I am very grateful that he found enough energy to machine it. He had to modify his pattern first.

On a side note, for all our Aussies on this forum - who would you recommend to apply some checkering on my stocks?

 

[yumastepside]

I truly believe Gordon to be one of the worlds best stockmakers, and its a shame his injuries are preventing him from doing something that he is so passionate about.

 

[Rule 303]

Yes it is. I did not think he would be able to get it done, but I am very grateful that he found enough energy to machine it. He had to modify his pattern first.

On a side note, for all our Aussies on this forum - who would you recommend to apply some checkering on my stocks?

The only 3 I have seen are Aaron Harrison but he is now working for/managing TSE, Rob Blomfield but he is flat out with new custom builds and Brett Rossouw, he is available for work. Hopefully somebody can give you other possibilities. Brett is good and getting better but I don't think he is quite upto the high standard of the other two yet. Trouble for you is he is in Brisbane so not handy if you want to actually see him. These three I know talk with each other and share their knowledge.

I have a No4 303 Stock Brett made for me. The chequering-no idea how many points to the inch- is very good - and what I wanted. No sharp points, as I will have them blunted fairly quickly with use. I gave Brett one of the Synthetic Stocks for the No4 so he had some thing to compare with as opposed to a No3 SMLE stock.

 

[BlueFlyer]

I dropped the stock off with Ross Waghorn last night to have the checkering done. I thought he had retired, but he was happy to do the checkering.

 

[Rule 303]

I dropped the stock off with Ross Waghorn last night to have the checkering done. I thought he had retired, but he was happy to do the checkering.

Very good choice

 

[BlueFlyer]

I am on light duties after a little elective surgery, = no shed time!
Instead I made a mess in the dinning room scraping in the tennon on the Martini stock . It is home, but needs the final bedding in to close the gap down to 6thou. I am very lucky having such a tolerant wife.

 

[BlueFlyer]

Spent time sanding the stock back to a point I am almost there on the main surfaces.
I also scaped down the tenon spigot 0.031" using a Stanley knife blade, to get the gap down to 0.010" which is where I will leave it for now. The wood in the images below is just the sanded surface, no spirit or any liquid to bring out the grain.

closing the gap.

This is the spigot on the end of the tenon that it needs to bottom out on.

 

[BlueFlyer]

Picked up the SM stock after Ross Waghorn added the checkering. It is a reflection on how small the custom gun scene is in Australia, Ross makes his checkering tools himself. He uses a thread chasing file to cut his double row cutters. When I dropped off the stock Ross only had 20tpi or 24tpi options. I really wanted 22tpi. I ordered a BSW/BSF thread chasing file on Aliexpress, it arrived within a week for the cost of AU$18 including delivery out of China.
Ross had no problem then making a 22tpi cutter to complete my stock. He is a very generous person, when I went to pick up the stock I also received a lesson on making checkering tools and some scrap walnut to practice on.