Painful firearm "surgery" needed

[steve white]

I bought an older Beretta 401 because A. It looked to have a $1500 marbled wood upgrade, and B. It had luxus engraving all over the action. In short, it was pretty. Shortly afterward I had Beretta in Dallas install a thingy at the receiver junction to give it a bit of cast and maybe lower the comb. Neither was enough, and it just doesn't fit me as well as I would like. (few modern guns do) I would never get what the wood is worth if I sold it. I am loath to whittle it down since it has that epoxy type spray gloss finish from the factory. But I am seriously thinking of doing the deed, because I don't find myself reaching for it, and I am past contorting myself to fit a gun when the gun should fit me!

Two paths if I cut it down: 1. I do the deed and in deference to the fore end and the finish in the checkering front and rear, I gloss coat the buttstock to the rear of the pistol grip, or 2. I remove all finish, which may require some SERIOUS finish stripping, and oil finish the entire gun. I have never done a spray can job to gloss a stock, though I have done MANY stocks with oil formulas, but it may be easier, less work than using the radical strippers it will take to get the gloss off what I do not alter, including stripping it out of checkering front and rear.

Anyone ever strip the Weatherby type finishes, and was it a nightmare? Are the spray gloss finishes available as GOOD as what came on it?

 

[Russ16]

I bought an older Beretta 401 because A. It looked to have a $1500 marbled wood upgrade, and B. It had luxus engraving all over the action. In short, it was pretty. Shortly afterward I had Beretta in Dallas install a thingy at the receiver junction to give it a bit of cast and maybe lower the comb. Neither was enough, and it just doesn't fit me as well as I would like. (few modern guns do) I would never get what the wood is worth if I sold it. I am loath to whittle it down since it has that epoxy type spray gloss finish from the factory. But I am seriously thinking of doing the deed, because I don't find myself reaching for it, and I am past contorting myself to fit a gun when the gun should fit me!

Two paths if I cut it down: 1. I do the deed and in deference to the fore end and the finish in the checkering front and rear, I gloss coat the buttstock to the rear of the pistol grip, or 2. I remove all finish, which may require some SERIOUS finish stripping, and oil finish the entire gun. I have never done a spray can job to gloss a stock, though I have done MANY stocks with oil formulas, but it may be easier, less work than using the radical strippers it will take to get the gloss off what I do not alter, including stripping it out of checkering front and rear.

Anyone ever strip the Weatherby type finishes, and was it a nightmare? Are the spray gloss finishes available as GOOD as what came on it?

Stripping I have done. Citristrip heavy cost and wrap in Saran Wrap for an hour. The hit is with a stripping pad. You’ll need a stiff brush for the checkering. It might take a few goes but it comes off and isn’t too hard.

I haven’t used any spray on finishes.

 

[Doug3006]

Hi Steve. I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re thinking of doing. If the butt stock simply needs to be shortened, any decent smith can do that without the need to strip off the finish.

 

[steve white]

Hi Steve. I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re thinking of doing. If the butt stock simply needs to be shortened, any decent smith can do that without the need to strip off the finish.

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. I need more cast and a slightly lower comb, so I will have to shave off the stock to accomplish that. The stock has already been moved with washers to the max allowed.

 

[Muskox]

Just have the cast you need bent into it.

Stock Bending (Shotgun Gunsmithing) | Briley

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this is what British gunsmiths have been doing since the beginning of time.

 

[Sideshow]

Just have the cast you need bent into it.

Stock Bending (Shotgun Gunsmithing) | Briley

Premium Stock Bending Shotgun Gunsmithing which are manufactured to be the best in market with the highest quality shotgun, firearm, and rifle standards. Shop now for Stock Bending at Briley, A Legacy of Shooting Innovation

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this is what British gunsmiths have been doing since the beginning of time.

@Muskox has it in one @steve white have a call around some of the clay grounds I. Your area they may know of someone that can do it. Have had two done here. One a Winchester pigeon grade the other a Beretta S04 really interesting to watch how they do it. But bending is the best way to get it to fit you!

 

[Rimbaud]

Check with Chris Batha to see if he can help. He is a fitter for many of top gun makers

 

[gcbailey]

JJ Perodeau in Sandy Springs, OK can bend the stock on your gun. Turnaround on mine was about 3 days for drying. It has held its shape going on 6+ years now.

 

[Franco]

Steve,
I had a similar situation, older Beretta I picked up at a gun show - didn't fit as well as it should. The guys at Beretta in Dallas took measurements, had me aim the shotgun while they stared down the barrels (not something I was comfortable with - but they were) and they bent and cut it to fit me. Since then I've purchased 2 more 401's from them and using the numbers from the first one - they all fit perfectly.

They did the same for an over-under I purchased for my wife.

 

[steve white]

Just have the cast you need bent into it.

Stock Bending (Shotgun Gunsmithing) | Briley

Premium Stock Bending Shotgun Gunsmithing which are manufactured to be the best in market with the highest quality shotgun, firearm, and rifle standards. Shop now for Stock Bending at Briley, A Legacy of Shooting Innovation

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this is what British gunsmiths have been doing since the beginning of time.

It's an auto shotgun with a two piece stock. Wasn't aware a short buttstock could be bent. Thanks

 

[Muskox]

So almost every British gun that is bent is a double with a two piece stock.

Give them a call.

 

[Franco]

I miss-typed - my shotguns are 486's

 

[BonUm16]

Do you know your measurements (LOP, DAH, DAC) and how much more drop and cast you need to get to them? I thought a Beretta 401 was a hammer double but you say you have a semi-auto. That being the case, it is most likely a throughbolt securing the stock to the receiver. It may be as simple as enlarging the bored hole for the stock bolt (and possibly giving it a slight bend) to allow for more shimming (or proper inletting) at the head of the stock. A little goes a long way.

 

[steve white]

Well, I mis-spoke by quoting what someone else told me. On the left side of the action it says P. Beretta gardone VCML 3 extra lusso. On the right seems to be the name of the engraver, S. Gueriui.
It looks very much like a VCA 302 extra lusso that I just saw online, described as rare and hard to find...maybe I better simmer down on just any old alterations. Pretty thing, fixed modified choke BTW

 

[HankBuck]

Just have the cast you need bent into it.

Stock Bending (Shotgun Gunsmithing) | Briley

Premium Stock Bending Shotgun Gunsmithing which are manufactured to be the best in market with the highest quality shotgun, firearm, and rifle standards. Shop now for Stock Bending at Briley, A Legacy of Shooting Innovation

www.briley.com

this is what British gunsmiths have been doing since the beginning of time.

@Muskox - I have had two stocks “bent” for cast and initially it both came out great but in a few months both my stocks returned-to-original shape. I was warned that might happened but was still disappointed. I know others have had better results and the skill & method used (mine was hot oil) by the gunsmith (stock bender) is a part of it - but I believe results are often inconsistent as wood tends to “return to original shape”.

 

[Woodcarver]

@Muskox - I have had two stocks “bent” for cast and initially it both came out great but in a few months both my stocks returned-to-original shape. I was warned that might happened but was still disappointed. I know others have had better results and the skill & method used (mine was hot oil) by the gunsmith (stock bender) is a part of it - but I believe results are often inconsistent as wood tends to “return to original shape”.

Not an uncommon problem, and why there are fewer & fewer willing (or able) to do it. Hot oil or steam are the preferred methods and both suffer the occasional "memory" of the wood. It's an art, not a science. But it works more often than not, unfortunately, not for the two you had done.

Well, I mis-spoke by quoting what someone else told me. On the left side of the action it says P. Beretta gardone VCML 3 extra lusso. On the right seems to be the name of the engraver, S. Gueriui.
It looks very much like a VCA 302 extra lusso that I just saw online, described as rare and hard to find...maybe I better simmer down on just any old alterations. Pretty thing, fixed modified choke BTW

I'd be very leery of trying to carve the correct amount of cast or drop into your shotgun. Odds are pretty good you'll simply end up with a piece of wood better suited to the fireplace than on what sounds like a beautiful shotgun. In order to carve cast, drop, and pitch into a stock, you need to start with an oversized blank. Otherwise, you'll end up with a narrow comb and a mis-proportioned, narrow buttstock. And that doesn't even get you to whether or not you can reproduce the finish.
Best recommendation is to bite the bullet and have a reputable stock maker fit that Berretta with a new set of wood that fits you so you can enjoy using that shotgun. Keeping the original set should go without saying, but I'll throw that in.
Btw, I believe pics are required when you describe a shotgun such as this....