Cracked stock

[Ontario Hunter]

Chief issue was failure to rebate the tang. Stock, especially on a heavy recoiling rifle, should have space between wood and metal at that point. People who see that gap think the gun was poorly fit together but actually the opposite is true.

 

[coreydb]

There should also have been cross bolts in the stock, in the front of, and behind the receiver

 

[grand veneur]

Chief issue was failure to rebate the tang. Stock, especially on a heavy recoiling rifle, should have space between wood and metal at that point. People who see that gap think the gun was poorly fit together but actually the opposite is true.

That's right, it prevents that the rear tip of the receiver works like a wedge into the wood. However, it is not always enough, just like the best bedding is also not enough to prevent a stock from cracking. Above all, the quality of the wood used and its grain play a crucial role. For the stocks of cheaper rifles nobody use the best woods.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

There should also have been cross bolts in the stock, in the front of, and behind the receiver

I think you mean in front of and behind magazine. Hard to tell from the photos if crossbolts are missing.

The bedding job in this stock is not pretty but seems to have enough meat in the right places. And some in the wrong place ... at the end of tang.

 

[fourfive8]

Some stocks have wood that cracks no matter bedding or recoil. But that bedding job is junk. The stock is easily salvageable. If you are not up to the task of DIY or learning to DIY the right way, get it to a gunsmith who knows what he (he, she, it or whatever) is doing.

I learned how to do it correctly long ago. I do all my wood stocks- fully glass bedded with pillars. Never looked back.

 

[BlueFlyer]

There is the problem, there should not be any epoxy in the red highlighted area. It should have clearance so that it does not transfer energy and crack the stock.

 

[coreydb]

I think you mean in front of and behind magazine. Hard to tell from the photos if crossbolts are missing.

The bedding job in this stock is not pretty but seems to have enough meat in the right places. And some in the wrong place ... at the end of tang.

Yep...I meant the mag; I stand corrected on that one.

 

[Nhoro]

I gave a lot of thought to stock bedding when I did my own CZ 550 in 458 Lott. I did not full bed it but I had to do something about that junky plastic behind the recoil lug. Here are my thoughts

Crossbolts hold the stock from splitting but need to be tightened periodically. Bedding will negate this, you would just be trying to compress a tube of bedding compound. Just tighten them at the driest part of your year and check periodically.

I glued the barrel lug in with bedding compound. I pushed the action forward as far as possible and then glued in that position. I wanted full recoil to be taken on the two lugs evenly and the front barrel lug has a little movement before glueing. I then took out the plastic junk and bedded the main lug. Last I checked for clearance at the tang. I did not full bed the action and 7 years on, allis still strong.

To fix your problem, I think you need the bedding dremelled out and a new bedding job with the action pushed forward. I would wick some thin ca glue into the crack, flexing it to get it in deep. Then drill down through the grip and bed some threaded bar into the grip with bedding compound. This will reinforce the cracked area and the grip. Last thing, ensure the tang has clearance and you are good to go. Also make sure you don't over oil your action. I have a .22 with a crack just like yours and that was not from recoil- just 70 years of oil soaking into the wood.

 

[grand veneur]

The best bedding and various reinforcements can prevent the forming of a crack at the typical point behind the receiver, but then another one forms somewhere else. The picture below shows a clear crack on both sides of the pistol grip of my rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum. That is the second stock I have broken in 30 years after hundreds of shots. We stabilized the grip with a screw to prevent the crack from spreading. I hope it will last a while longer, but a replacement stock already exists, unfortunately not similar to the original. As I have already mentioned, the quality of the wood used and its grain play a crucial role. The stock of my rifle caliber 500 Schüler is made from high-quality walnut root wood. After more than 25 years and many shots, nothing has changed and no cracks are visible.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

The best bedding and various reinforcements can prevent the forming of a crack at the typical point behind the receiver, but then another one forms somewhere else. The picture below shows a clear crack on both sides of the pistol grip of my rifle caliber 460 Weatherby Magnum. That is the second stock I have broken in 30 years after hundreds of shots. We stabilized the grip with a screw to prevent the crack from spreading. I hope it will last a while longer, but a replacement stock already exists, unfortunately not similar to the original. As I have already mentioned, the quality of the wood used and its grain play a crucial role. The stock of my rifle caliber 500 Schüler is made from high-quality walnut root wood. After more than 25 years and many shots, nothing has changed and no cracks are visible.

View attachment 731822
View attachment 731823

Weatherby developed the "internal" crossbolt for reinforcement. I always wondered about its integrity. Can you look inside the stock and see if the rear "crossbolt" (1/4" threaded rod buried in bedding) has come loose?

 

[grand veneur]

Weatherby developed the "internal" crossbolt for reinforcement. I always wondered about its integrity. Can you look inside the stock and see if the rear "crossbolt" (1/4" threaded rod buried in bedding) has come loose?

It is not a Weatherby rifle, but a custom rifle built 1974 with a Brevex Magnum Mauser action.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

It is not a Weatherby rifle, but a custom rifle built 1974 with a Brevex Magnum Mauser action.

External crossbolts? One or two?

 

[grand veneur]

External crossbolts? One or two?

Two, and that's why the crack appeared in a completely different place. The problem with my stock is the angle between the butt-stock and the fore-end. Normally, both stock parts should be as close as possible to the same line by rifles with strong recoil. This is not the case with my rifle, and the slight bend between the two parts creates leverage stress on the grip, resulting in cracks. Unfortunately, I like stocks like this.

 

[Jhsmith]

I’ve seen a couple of left-handed Dakota 76 Safari grade rifles in 375 H&H that were cracked at the tang.
Does anybody have any experience with this with Dakota rifles?
I was tempted to buy one of them it sold for a pretty good price, but I was questioning whether it could be fixed and whether it would just crack again.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Two, and that's why the crack appeared in a completely different place. The problem with my stock is the angle between the butt-stock and the fore-end. Normally, both stock parts should be as close as possible to the same line by rifles with strong recoil. This is not the case with my rifle, and the slight bend between the two parts creates leverage stress on the grip, resulting in cracks. Unfortunately, I like stocks like this.

Understandable. I also like figure in walnut. In the future I suggest adding a reenforcement pin through the wrist of stock. Most use 1/4" threaded rod. Because my 404J's stock was so thin through the wrist, I used uthreaded 3/16" steel rod. This is the stock in the jig ready to be drilled. The 2x4 mounted on the stock is to guide the extended drill bit. Bit didn't need to be that long. Next time I'll cut off some of the shank to shorten. The reenforcement rod is glued in place with JB Weld.