doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Feather crotch broken stock

A while back there was a thread that dealt with feather crotch wood. I personally like feather crotch but the pictures shown below show why proper layout should be considered above all else. This stock is from a Winchester 21 and I'm sure that it took a long time for this to happen but happen it did.

You can see from the photos that the stock broke nearly straight across the wrist. I have no idea what caused the break but it's a dandy! I'm fixing the break with pins and epoxy but quite honestly its not a repair that I can feel comfortable with. It is what it is however.

Too much feather makes one weak in the crotch.

Hi Doug:
I couild be wrong just looking at pictures but it seems that one of the cardinal rules of stockmaking was broken here. It's always been my understanding that you could go for all the feathergraining,etc. you desired thru the butt area but the locking and frame area had to be straight grained to prevent what we're seeing here from happening. Is this a factory stock?
Jim

Jim, this is a factory stock. In Winchester's defense it has lasted for a long time.

I'm not being critical of 21s or Winchester, its just that the choice of wood could have been much better.

I like looking at pretty wood on a gun. But, when I'm shooting it, I can't see the wood, anyway.
Some guns are "lookers" some are "Shooters".

And, some are sleeved.

Best,
Ted

And SOME are both, Lookers and Shooters............!!!!!!!!.... Failed exactly where it should have...at the screw hole ....too much figure for that area.....


Best,

Is the checkering smashed close to the break or is just glare in the pics ?

Kinda looks like someone wacked a frenchman over the head with the darne thing.

Well, with that layout it was guaranteed to happen. If the feather had angled up or down, no problem. But the way that was laid out, the grain was perpendicular to the wrist and the resulting strength was only 5% of normal according to Mark's Engineering Handbook. Any side force like a drop or a fat Lab sitting on it was a guaranteed break. You need about 5/16" pins and strong epoxy to fix this. Some can do it so well, you wouldn't be able to tell it yourself. Others are not as good and it will rebreak.
Here is a proper feather layout: http://www.doublegunshop.com/hiatt/hiatt01_102499.jpg

Remember that 5% when you buy a gunstock

Joe, that is a mark from a white china marker to see how the pin line up might be when I drill the holes.