doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com SKB beavertail conversion to splinter or semi-BT?

The problem with the paper, Dave, is that you don't know where the tight place is. If it is in the wrong place it still won't look right.

If I do mine I will get an extra beavertail forend, just in case it turns out bad.

SRH

You are most correct, Stan. I imagine the critical area is right where you'd expect the edge of the newly shaped forend to meet the barrel. The whole "new edge" junction along both sides.

If you watch EBay and you are patient, you can pick up a new or like new forend for about a $100.00. Then you could alter it and still have the factory original one in original configuration. Also if you screw it up you did not just ruin your gunstock. One sold about a month ago for $75.00.

Thanks! I'll watch for one.

Dave, be aware that at least the finish, if perhaps not the fit of an Ithaca SKB BT forend, will be different than what you have on that gun. And given that only a few hundred like yours were imported, you're much less likely to find one of those compared to one of the old Ithaca forends. But it may well be the same as a forend on a 385. You might want to check with the SKB guys in Omaha about the availability of forends. If you're REAL lucky, they might have one of the slimmed-down forends (more like a generous splinter or a slim semi-BT) that came on some of the very last 385's they imported. Worth a check. The latter would require refinish, because those slimmer forends had a duller oil finish than your gun.

Larry, that was excellent advice. After some picture sending and phone conversations with SKB in Omaha I have a 385 splinter ejector forend coming along with all of the needed hardware. The wood won't match, but with some stain and a refinish it will be good enough for my purposes. The splinter is 1 3/4" wide by 7 1/4" long vs. the present 10" x 2 3/4" beavertail.

Dave, the last one I did , I needed to shorten the tube for the latch, and used part of the cord of wood that "needed" to be removed and used that to fill in the gap between the barrels and fore end. The result was nearly invisible. Go for it.

Mark, they are sending along the shorter push down rod and guide for this splinter along with a few other necessary parts. I will no doubt need help with this.

Put inletting black or cheap lipstick on the barrels on the entire surfsces that the forend contacts. Or at least along the areas where the new edge of the splinter will be and see how many contact points transfer to the forend.
Or put some painters tape on the barrels along where the slimmed forend will be and see if the fit snugs up at all.

Nice to see a topic go over 2 pages and not turn into a peeing contest!!