dealing with a cracked stock

[matt85]

bad news for me, a crack has formed in the stock of my Searcy 500/416 NE. the seller is convinced it was caused by UPS being less then gentle with the gun durring delivering. regardless of how the crack was created, im sure its only going to get worse.

my first choice is to contact Butch and have him repair or replace the stock. but Butch is having back problems at the moment and is not taking work. so the question is, what are my other options?

if any one can recommend a company to repair/replace a double rifle stock id be very grateful.

thank you
-matt

 

[enysse]

Well the seller should have shipped your gun with more care!

I hope the guys can come up with a good stock repair person...it won't be cheap. But really what is cheap with guns today?

 

[Parsons]

Not sure where you are located but I know of a couple gunsmiths that can repair or make a whole new stock. I know a new stock will be pretty costly. One of the guys trained at H&H after college and the other is a very good stock maker.

 

[AZDAVE]

How about a pic of the crack so we can see how bad and give you a rough estimate of how easy a repair would be or if the stock is trashed and heeds to be replaced.

 

[matt85]

im located about 30 minutes north of Seattle in Washington state.

the crack is small so i believe it could be fixed but im no expert on wood. heres an attempt at posting photos:







-matt

 

[James.Grage]

Matt, i am not sure how we can assist you.

I have shipped many hi end guns with UPS, and never had any issues, always insuring the gun for it replacement value...

Now was the double gun packed in it own case and the packing placed so that the gun would not slide or mover around in the case during shipment? Also, was the rifle case packed in a cardboard box? And was there ample packing placed around the inserted rifle case to protect it from damage? Was the rifle insured for replacement value with UPS or another insurer?

As information, Every high end rifle and gun that i have shipped with UPS was shipped this way and every gunsmith and stock maker has returned my guns to me the same way.

A picture showing the crack and the stock would be helpful, to obtain better suggestions/options from members. Your post of the pictures came as i was typing my suggestions. Thanks for the pictures of your stock. It appears to be and older crack, however you will only know if and when you make the repairs.

I also know a few gunsmiths and stock makers that would be able to make the repairs to your stock.

From the Sounds of your posting, i appears that your rifle will need to have a bedding job, for the stock and receiver after repairs.

As with most over-under's and doubles rifles small cracks can develop after repeated use or if the gun is shot with a loose stock. the stock being tight is something that need to be constantly checked, to avoid cracking the stock. Small hairline cracks should be repaired by a good stock man or good gunsmith.

Also, High humidity and moisture will cause a stock to swell and possibly crack. One learns over the years to loosen the stock bolt if your gun is shot in the rain to let the stock dry.

 

[Parsons]

I was gonna say stock needs to be tight. Stock should also contact the receiver 100% at all points where wood meets metal to spread the recoil through the entire stock and not just one point where the stock is meeting the receiver. If the stock does not make consistent contact around the receiver and just in a few places this can also cause cracks.

 

[matt85]

all i would like at the moment is some contact info for good double rifle gunsmiths/stock makers so someone more knowledgeable then me can pull the gun apart and look at it.

the stock appears to be tight and well inletted aside from the gaps seen in the pictures which are filled in with glass bedding. as for the crack being old, that could be the case, im not very knowledgeable about rifle stocks or even wood for that matter. ive never had a stock crack on me before so this is new territory for me.

returning the rifle is still an option for me but... i really do like the rifle.

-matt

 

[Parsons]

I am East Coast. I am not sure if you are wanting to ship across country or not. I will talk to one of the guys I talked about tomorrow and see what he says. I will get back to you.

 

[Red Leg]

Matt, that sort of crack is typically caused by recoil and uneven bedding. My guess is that it was there and the seller didn't realize it - and it is possible that shipping may have caused it to gap a bit more. The good news is that it is not only repairable, but also reparable so that it can't be seen. I am not sure where you are, but Keith Kearcher and his nephew Kody http://members.toast.net/keithkearcher/ have done quite a bit of stock repair/restoration work for me over the years.

 

[matt85]

Red Leg, im very happy to hear that! im about 7 hours by car from the smiths you recommend but that should make shipping very fast and cheap.

I will give them a call tomorrow (read as later today) and see what they think.

thank you
-matt

 

[James.Grage]

Check this link for the nearest gunsmith if you do not want to travel
http://www.usacarry.com/directory/category/gunsmiths/

In OR is stocker John - very good with making stocks and fixing and repairing them.
Stocker John's Custom Gun Stocks
40776 Se Wildcat Mountain Dr
Eagle Creek, OR

Jack West is in Arlington OR also a good stock man - retired and is still busy full time. jackweststocks.com/


Soft-touch in Portland can make your repairs - stock's is there line of work. www.softtouchstocks.com/


If shipping - There are a few in Montana that are great stock makers and repairmen.

If you want one of the very best - look at Wenig stock makers. in Lincoln MO. www.wenig.com

 

[AZDAVE]

Matt,
The good news is a small crack like that is easy to repair. Like Parsons said it is usually from recoil and having the head of the stock not perfectly bedded.
A good rifle or shotgun gunsmith or even a good cabinet maker that understand's firearms could do it.

If all else fails over in Wenatchee, WA is a outfit called Vintage Double http://www.vintagedoubles.com/contact/ that specializes in old english double's mostly shotguns, but that is where my 405 Win and 500 BPE double came from. The gentleman that wonds and runs the place is Kirby. You might call him and see who he would reccommend or he might take on the project himself.

Hope all goes well with your rifle.

Dave

 

[matt85]

i contacted Keith/Kody Kearcher earlier today and sent him some pictures of the stock. he responded very quickly saying he could fix the stock for $75! i decided ill also have him repair the bluing (damaged by surface rust) which the seller failed to mention aswell. his qoute for the bluing was around $300 which i also thought was reasonable considering the firearm.

i asked the seller if he would help pay for the repairs by covering $250 of the cost and i would cover the rest. but for some reason he doesnt seem to like this idea which is a bit upsetting since the surface rust was caused by his neglect (and not mentioned in the ad).

at any rate, i will have the gunsmiths fix the stock/blueing, replace the ejector springs, and perform an overall clean and lube on the rifle. this should bring the poor neglected rifle back to its prime and ready for Africa!

-matt

 

[enysse]

It sounds like a good rifle, it just needs some touch ups and care.

 

[AZDAVE]

Glad you found a gunsmith to get you rifle back in shape.

Sorry to hear the seller won't meet you part of the way on the blueing since he didn't mention it.

Oh well fate and karma have ways of catching up with the less than honest and honorable.

Looking forward to seeing your hunt with the nice double!