doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Bending a through bolt stock

There have been a couple of really good, informative topics on stock bending. They gun stocks being bent were not through bolted. would the process be the same for a through bolt stock? Or would the stock be removed from the gun, bent and then replaced?

Thanks!

The stock is left on the gun and the process is largely the same as any other gun. The one change I do make is to firmly clamp the head of the stock with a padded C-clamp to be sure that the head does not spread.

Depends on the gun .Some Miroku/Brownings had a aluminium reinforcing tube put through the hand so bending is not a option without rermoving it ,in doing so sustansialy weakening the stock ,it would need to be refitted after . I think I have seen other guns with similar tubes so best to check first.

Thanks for the info, I am trying to figure out how to get some cast off in a stock.

Chief

Are you actually bending the through bolt during the bending process or do you adjust the hole in the wood before hand?

A good stock bender NEVER attempts to bend the bolt. If the hole is not larger then the stock bolt already in diameter, I open the hole one factional inch drill size larger than the stock bolt to allow room for movement of the wood. There have been times when this is not possible. Each job is evaluated individually and there are no "absolutes". That means one can not say this or that will happen every time I bend a stock. Those gunstocks with tubes imbedded in the wrist are a challenge but they may be bent too, using mechanical inletting techniques instead of heat manipulation.

Thanks for your reply. I have passed on a gun with a through bolt because I need cast off or need to raise or lower the comb. I will not in the future.

If you bend it on the gun, I assume (you know what that implies) the through bolt has to be tight. Do you just keep loosening and tightening the bolt as you bend it to let it slide over?

If you bend the bolt with the wood, you're screwed. You have to determine if the bolt hole in the wood has enough freeboard to accomodate the bend and still allow the bolt a straight shot at whatever it screws into.

Most guns aren't so fortunate but some, and I'm referring specifically to a M12 Winchester, have a long boss projecting off the rear of the receiver that is drilled and tapped for the throughbolt. That boss can be bent to accomodate offset in the stock while still allowing the bolt a straight path. Note too that in such a case you really don't need to bend the wood, just face it up where it heads into the stock.

Years ago, I raised the comb of a M31. Didn't bend the stock, but shaved the inletting at the top of the receiver, and bent the thrubolt to reflect the adjusted stock. Many mallards later, it's still doing well.

Another way to go is to gradually dish the face of the comb - it'll give you the cast off you want. The only negative is if you over do it, you cannot replace the wood removed. This method will not alter your thru bolt.