Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Though-bolts

I recently bought a couple "custom-built" rifles. They had been in someone's rack and had been there quite a while.,
The owner had passed away, and another guy (a son?) had them for some time, but decided to get rid of them. I got them for a price I couldn't leave alone.
As they were built, most guys could walk on by with no problem. I saw things I could use to start...The actions were commercial Mausers from close to the turn of the century...from 1800-1900. One was dated at 1906.
The scopes were antique Weavers and the mounts were at least as old, as I have had to re-D&T both actions. That's OK by me as I want them to be hunting rifles, and the pictures of me holding the rifles with downed game won't show extra holes.
One of them is an 8x57 that, after I cleaned the barrel, I decided to leave on for a while, as I've not shot a hunting 8mm. I bought dies and bullets to see how well it does. If it doesn't do as I think it should, there are quite a few calibers I'm willing to try out. It has a utility-grade walnut stock that was oversize enough (in MY opinion) that I could carve away all the parts that don't look like a hunting-stock and have a good stock underneath.
The second rifle had an equally-oversize stock that's made of birdseye-maple. I's a .257 Roberts (I am a fan) that I think I will rebarrel to .22/250 Imp, which is what I wanted to do from the start. I have a 26" 1:8 .22 barrel blank in the rack already.
Anyway...the problem. When I removed the actions from the stocks, I found that both stocks had split lengthwise in front of the trigger.
My idea is to epoxy the stocks at that point, then glass-bed the actions. At that point I would install bolts like DG rifles have. I just don't know where to get some through-bolts. I need a couple.
Does anyone know where I can get me a couple? Thank you ahead of time, if so.
I know it would be easier or smarter to just go restock them, and I would prolly end up with a couple of glass-stocked guns, that I don't have anyway. I really would like to see what I can do with these pieces of wood, though. Thank you.
Have fun,
Gene

Brownells.

Through-bolts properly installed add nothing to the strength of the stock these days. Before epoxy they were a good idea... but only if done right.

Done wrong they are anything but stronger. They are difficult to get exactly right.

Just that that small section split between the trigger and the mag box?

That little section between the trigger and the magazine was my biggest concern, but the dryness of the stock is the cause. The guns were, I am told, built in the early '40s. They were not sealed, that I can see.
It looks to me that if I don't figure a way to hold the stock together, they will continue to split...back through the tang area...forward through the recoil-lug mortise.
I hadn't thought of the bolt as a part to strengthen the stock as much as hold it 'til the epoxy was in place.
I wasn't going to make the guns into DG guns. I would shoot them a lot more if they're smaller calibers.
I STILL have the option of restocking, too.
Thanks for the Brownell's suggestion. I had looked there and didn't find quite what I was seeking. I'll go back through...more slowly, this time.
Have fun,
Gene

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...ng-parts/magnum-crossbolt-prod13113.aspx


RAN

Thanks, RAN.
They've been ordered.
Have fun,
Gene

The round versions are the worst of them and require epoxy to redistribute the forces. Square edged cross bolts butted perfectly against the recoil lug actually do some good, though they are not as good as epoxy.

Old wood does not get weaker and dryness has little to do with it, especially in old wood. The opening around the magazine box generally provides enough flex to prevent splitting beyond the little pieces in the middle.

Wedging by the tang on some guns is the primary culprit and epoxy at that point will fix the problem.

I think Art (Sitka Deer) can elaborate on this .It's not original to me. Cut a grove across the spit and epoxy in several stains of 80 -100 pound monofilament fishing line also filing the crack with epoxy. I've done a couple that way and it seemed to work great. --- Mel

Why? Epoxy is as strong or stronger than the wood. What works for me is (shudder) Dremeling the crack on the hidden side just wide enough to ensure I get past any contamination and the epoxy gets all the way in. Just short of the outside of the stock of course. Then a surgical rubber tubing wrap just tight enough to make the crack darn near invisible on the outside. Epoxy excels at gap filling.

Agree with Art on this thread so far, will be interested in his comments. (Though I relieve at the tang, on most common designs a recoil lug should take the brunt of the recoil, tang zip back force. Either is good.) IMHO bolts detract from the artistry in the stock.

I believe it was Saddledore that first posted the idea of laying braided line across the gap in a slot and bedded with epoxy. Mono would slip too easily... I bet you did not mean to write mono...

I agree, but there are so many different old ways that no longer make any sense perpetuated by tradition and nostalgia.

So...if I put epoxy in the crack, install the crossbolt, and glassbed the action, I SHOULD be OK. If I don't rebarrel to a DG cartridge, there SHOULD be no severe trauma over time???
Thanks for the caveats.
Have fun,
Gene

That's why I said you could elaborate. I did use braided. --- Mel

FWIW, back in the mid-1970s, I had a pre-64 Model 70 Fwt. in .30-06 with the same problem. I simply glass bedded the rifle using Accra-Glass, bonding the crack with the same material during the process. After cleaning things up, the repair was still holding strong until the mid-1990s when I had a friend restock the rifle for me with a nice piece of California walnut.