an unusual problem

[skeetstar]

That is eminently fixable, and well usable thereafter.

Take a look at Tim greenwoods web site to get a view as to the sort of disasters that can be remedied. I seem to recall that greenwood uses epoxy for repairs cos he thinks it is a superior glue for longevity.
Some of the repair could be hidden by extending the area of chequering

Also a decent repair might make the stock worth something to another beretta user, you wouldn't be able to retire on the proceeds, but you might be able to get a few beers from it.

 

[sunnybob]

Musicman, no chance of that kind of thing here.

Skeetstar, That guy has some radical ideas. well over 30 years of shooting experience and I have NEVER seen someone advocate storing a shotgun barrel down. Every shop, dealer, and owner in the UK has it wrong according to him.

I've been busy repairing the gun club quad bike this week. What a fool to offer to repair that piece of junk! 30 hours of my life I wont get back.

I should get chance to work on the stock tomorrow, I'll update as and when.

 

[skeetstar]

SB, he is right to store the guns barrel down.

1. Any surfeit of oil drains down the action and barrels away from the wood. Oil used to protect metal will darken and soften the wood over the years if it is allowed to soak in.

2. If he has had the gun cast and drop altered by bending, then storing barrels down
takes the weight off the stock, storing barrels up (with the weight of the barrels and action supported by the wood) can over time return the wood to its original shape.

Your friend is doing the right thing.

Hope the repair goes well.

 

[Lons]

The majority opinion is epoxy then. Dont have cascamite or aerolite, so thats good to hear.

The gun is a Beretta, so it should have been a better piece of wood than it is.

As looks are no longer relevant, I might even inlet a brass strap and turn it into a name plate, it just depends how much time I get with it and if I can find screws small enough.
Thanks all.

Why not strengthen with a brass or wood dowel then? Maybe a 10 or 12mm bit of brass rod and engrave his initials into the end. No screws and it could look nice.

 

[sunnybob]

The barrel down theory sounds logical, but why doesnt any one else do it? I've been to dozens of gun shops on three continents and never seen a gun stored that way.
The stock is standard apart from the adjustable comb. The part that has broken has had no after market stresses on it.
Theres no room for a large dowel, there is a central hole through the wood for the bolt that holds the stock to the action. An inlet brass plate fairly small pins is the only way to add strength.

 

[sunnybob]

Well I glued it, and I'm quite pleased with the result.
I used titebond 3 after all, as the epoxy I had was not suitable for wood.

I put the action back loosely, flooded the surfaces with glue, tightened the action in firmly to stop the side cheeks closing in too far, then put it into a rubber jawed vice so it was action vertical.
That way as I slowly tightened the vice the excess glue just kept squeezing out for me to wipe away. I had the vice pretty tight by the time the excess stopped coming out.

Left it for 12 hours to set. Then used 320 grit sandpaper, followed by 0000 wire wool, and then used danish oil. Some handling will give it the final patina needed. I havent managed to match the checkering because I dont have the right tool, but have obscured it to make the split less noticeable.

The little crack you can see to the left of centre is NOT the one I repaired. The big one came out from exact dead centre. If he wants me to I can break that little one off and glue that as well at a later date.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Really nice Job, Bob!

 

[Racers]

+1

Pete

 

[memzey]

Top gluing! No litttle bird in Cyprus is safe!

 

[sunnybob]

Memzey, I've seen those glue sticks... I can make a better job that that.
Problem is there are no more little birds, I think theyve killed them all because I havent heard any bird song for weeks. Apart from sparrows of course (not that you can call that a song). I wouldnt object to few thousand less of those.

 

[sunnybob]

I'm pleased. I just returned the stock to him and he couldnt find it untill he looked at the smudge checkering.

this might develop. The owner was explaining to another beretta owner at the gun club yesterday where his stock had split. He picked up the other beretta and said "mine split just about....oh"

 

[NazNomad]

Nowt wrong with that, super job.

 

[MattRoberts]

I literally can't see the join - fantastic job Bob

 

[memzey]

I thought that the guns are less for fowl and more for rabbit. The birds are generally caught using lime sticks and mist nets. I should say apparently as the small birds are a dish served on the south of the island and we normally holiday in the north (as you know). Is the gun club mainly full of ex-pats?

 

[sunnybob]

Memzey, I have lived here for over 9 years, I have been woken every morning by gunfire (good job I am a shooter and dont mind). The fact I live in a game reserve area has never filtered through to the locals.
I can stand on my side porch and watch them walking through the field a 100 metres awaay. My house has been shot at least 5 times to my knowledge. They just have no concept of a safety area behind their target (which they mostly miss).
I walked up to one guy who had shot my house from the other side of an orange grove and asked him not to. he got the hump about all the foreigners telling him what he could not do. I said I dont care if you shoot the pigeons and the sparrows, but please dont shoot my swimming pool. He still tried to deny it even when I gave him a handful of shot I had picked up off my outside area.

Mist nets and glue sticks are the tools of the poachers, as opposed to shotguns for the hunters.
I have tasted the songbirds, I would rather eat a big mac, and I HATE big macs. A crockpot of tiny bones with miniscule slivers of meat on each.
I could understand eating that back in history when you were on the verge of starving, but it really has no place in the modern world (just like powdered rhino horn and birds nest soup and sharks fin soup). But hey, I'M the incomer in their country.

Our gun club is a UK military clay pigeon one, so Cypriot shooters are not technically allowed, but we have a couple. Yes, I am wary of them when they are on the line.
I'm actually quite pleased that rifles are not allowed.

 

[memzey]

Aah makes sense now. I do think the hunting of birds is now technically banned or very closely regulated but people still do it. I’ve never tasted the small bird dish (mpoullia I think it’s called) but it doesn’t sound appealing to my pallet. Having said that I’ve got loads of Greek friends that love it so different strokes and all that. As long as they aren’t hunted to extinction or whatever local traditions should be kept going.

 

[Beau]

Very tidy job there Bob =D>