doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Ebony forend tips

The more I use my Dickinson .410 for doves the more I want an ebony inlay forend tip on it. It has much longer than average splinter forend, slender and pretty with its' 30" barrels, and it's just crying for one. Or, I am at least.

My question is for stockers and others who have done this. How hard is it in comparison to the general inletting done when stocking a gun? I need opinions to decide if it's a project I want to tackle myself, or hire out. I'd just like some experienced opinions on the general complexity of the job. I intend to do a total refinish of the wood this winter, doing a sanded in oil finish, so beforehand would seem to be a perfect time for it to be installed.

Thanks, SRH

SRH,
I'm looking forward to seeing the results. I just sent my 410/28 estate off for a leather covered pad. The forend tip may be another tasteful upgrade I'd consider.

Bill

I'd like a leather covered pad for mine too, Bill. I need a little extra LOP. Recoil is, of course, not an issue with it being a .410. Right now I use a leather KickKiller lace-on, for length.

Please post pics when you get it back, or send me some pics by p.m. or email.

Thanks!

Stan, if I get back your way we need to have a .410 day at the range. I like my Rizzini BR550 but want 30" barrels and a bigger foreend.

Stan
I have done several of the ebony inlays over the years, and don’t find them to be particularly problematic to do. I like to make the inlay first, and inlet it just as you would any other part in wood.

There’s thread about fitting ebony for ends over on Accurate reloading, gunsmithing, by Duane Weibe.

Or you could try Buffalo horn?

Stan, I did only one years ago to replace a missing piece on a Lefever forend tip. I'm not sure if the missing piece was originally horn or ebony, but the inlet in the wood was already present. All I had to do was cut and shape a small piece of ebony to fit the inlet, and left it a bit proud of the surface until after the epoxy set. A heavy rubber band was plenty to hold it until the epoxy set up, with masking tape on the surrounding wood. I dyed the epoxy with the black dye that Brownell's has for AccraGlas. Of course, ebony is an oily wood, so you need to clean the ebony surface with lacquer thinner or acetone immediately before gluing. My missing piece was about 1 1/4" long and had an elongated triangular shape that pointed toward the rear.

The ebony wood I used for that little project came from some black keys I took from an old junk player piano that a friend was scrapping. I also took a handful of the real ivory keys, and still have them somewhere. I've seen the nice inletting job you did on your percussion rifle lock, so a project like this should be a piece of cake for you.

Thanks, so much for the replies. I realize I was not clear in exactly what I want, that is a triangular shaped inlay that curls around over the tip of the forend, as per many shotgun forend inlays, whether they be ebony, horn or ivory. The two long sides of the triangle would be curved inwards somewhat. It's the type Keith described.

I'd like to be able to speak with a gunsmith/stocker who has done these about some details I have in mind concerning the shaping and inletting. But, absent that I may decide to go ahead with my own ideas.

One of the things i'm thinking is about undercutting the inlet and sort of dovetailing the ebony piece into the inlet. Kind of hard to put into words, but if done the way I envision it would have to slide forward to ever come out. I wonder if they were ever done that way, originally.(?)

First thing I have to do is look more closely at it to determine if the checkering patterning will allow this type inlay.

I'd very much like that, Jeff. If we can arrange it, I'll use my FAIR Verona O/U with the 30" .410 barrel set. Keep me in the loop, please.

Keith, thanks for the encouragement. Good information.