doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com trapdoor buttplate

Whitey, one of the first things he'd want to make would be a properly-sized tapered reamer for the circular door seat. I believe it would be simpler by far for him to do a circular door rather than the elongated one, and a suitably-larger stock recess that 'turns the corner' would allow a place for the Lyman 48 slide, as already mentioned.

The main problem with this approach is the acquisition of enough milsurp circular doors, the milled buttplates are now bringing astronomical prices. He'd probably end up having to make his own doors.

Considering that a newly-made trap-door buttplate costs at least $150-200 and frequently more and almost certainly wouldn't fit the original stock anyway, I'll bet that he could charge a very pretty penny for a nice conversion of any existing M70 plate.

I can send you a milled milsurp buttplate with circular door for examination/conversion/destruction if you wish, just say the word.
Regards, Joe

Both of what I have is less than 1 inch. I would think a little bigger or maybe a oblong shape would work better.?? Whitey

Less than 1 inch is fine, the normal milsurp is about 3/4" or a little more and the oblong commercial doors are a little LESS than 3/4" wide. I judge this by, among other things, the facts that a US military oiler will not quite fit through the commercial door and my 3/4" spur drill makes a hole that's slightly larger than the oblong commercial opening.
Regards, Joe

Thanks Joe. Just the old mind working on my end.And not knowing what I am talking about. Whitey

for comparison: Albright, M70, M1917 (I believe) and a Lyman 48S with newly-made dummy slide. The milsurp circular hole measures ~0.860" ID and the 48's slide will easily fit through and turn the corner. The doors I sent you guys are the unmachined castings of the Albright door, and its hole is sized perfectly for the 48's slide at slightly under 3/4".


A circular door with monogram space prepped (but left vacant) would seem to be ideal for this sort of thing! Easily fit (well, relatively easily) and fabbed, no worries about matching the checkering, easily embellished with various concentricities on the lathe, and a ready-made space for custom logos or monograms. Michael's pics give a very good idea of some simple embellishments that can easily be done by even a relative novice, while a good engraver could turn this small space into a real work of art for a relatively modest price.

'Modest price' and 'easily fit & fabbed' are VERY important considerations for me....
Regards, Joe

Joe thanks again.Pictures and words help old senile minds. SMile Whitey

Well, here are the results of yesterday's machining, I haven't used a milling machine in 14 years, it was like seeing an old friend again. And it was the first time, I used one with a digital read out, best thing since sliced bread. Right now, I am just playing around, my idea is to first make a trapdoor for a piece of sheet steel or aluminum and then go to work for real on a buttplate. The picture shows (from left to right) my machining efforts, the trapdoor Joe was kind enough to send me, a Brownell's Model 70 style buttplate and an unknown Niedner style buttplate that my Dad found at an estate sale. The buttplate looks a lot bigger than the Model 70 buttplate because it is still attached to a portion of the buttstock. Anyone recognize this buttplate?




Dear Joe, Thanks so much for the trapdoor, is there any chance that you could turn some of those buttplates in your previous post and post a picture of the back sides. Though feel free to tell me that it would help me to develop my intellect and character by figuring out my own hinging and latching mechanisms.

Doc, here you are. You can see that the milsurp hinge pin boss is entirely too large and clunky while the Albright pin boss is little more than a grooved bulge with the hinge pin held in the groove by the spring tension.(spring swung aside for clarity)


Your nondescript buttplate in question is one that Herter's sold back in the day. Don't know who made it but Herter's was at least one outlet for it. It's on a par with the Niedners, i.e. slightly thinner than the Wins.

BTW you guys, please don't send me any money for postage, just pay the favor forward to some other aspiring smith down the road sometime. That's what I'm doing right now (and you're helping me), I'm paying forward some of the past favors from others that it's now too late to pay back to them in person.
Regards, Joe

Joe thanks again. And for those of you who might not know him.Joe has been paying forward ever since I have known him. He will help anyone with Knowledge or help of any kind.And that even includes people who IMO are "Jerks" And I will not mention names from a former site. Just to protect the GUILTY. FWIWTMO. Whitey

Joe,

Got, mine today, thank you. Will pay it forward for you as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Whitey speaks the truth above.