Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Forend trimming question

I want to trim the forend of a Bansner's stock just in front of the sling swivel. How would one go about this. Do you just chop it off with a saw then sand it to make the round edges. I have no idea.<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I guess you would need to apply something on the open wounds.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Roads

You might want to talk to Mark Bansner about that one. IMHO, I wouldn't do it for a couple of reasons. The first being that the stock has a "fill" and you would have to seal it off. I suppose you could do that with some type of bedding compound and reshape, but doubt it would be done to your satisfaction. In other words it would be crooked, not perfectly flat or round if you prefer. The other would be the sling swivel would be almost at the the end of the forend-the threaded end of the swivel is built into a support between the barrel channel and the forend so it can't be "relocated" as it was designed without a whole lot of work. Are you doing this because the barrel is short or because you want to save weight? If it's the second, you won't save enough to make a difference. If it's the first, again I would probably contact Mark to have it done by a pro-it's a nice stock and would hate to see it not work out as you envision.

Good luck and let us know how it works out.

Bansner does this occasionally himself. They make two cuts. The first is about 1/2" to 3/4" back from the very tip of the forend. This gives then a "cap" to work with. Then they cut again to shorten it. Finally, they glue the "cap back on over the raw tip, and blend everything in with bondo or something similar. When painted, you can't tell that it was done. (At least when they do it that is)

JimF

In adding to JimF's reply, I would add two hardwood dowels when regluing the fore-end tip back on. This would add strength and help alignment.
MtnHtr

A tip for the weight-conscious fore end tip installer... use sections of old broken fishing poles epoxied in instead of wood dowels... every bit as strong, but much lighter. Just butter the outside of the rod piece with epoxy when installing.
art

Hey Art,
How about those trick composite arrows the bow crowd is using? Carbon fiber or graphite would work slick. Heck, I just may have to borrow some of your stashed ebony for a trick forearm tip on one of my McMillans! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> MtnHtr

mtnhuntr
I don't do that stick and string thing,but I bust A LOT of fishing poles! Don't know why that wouldn't work great...

Just let me know if you are without trim... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
art

I have heard of using broken ski poles for similar results...

Talked to a guy at Bansners today and he said that they would cut down the forearm for me. Price was very reasonable. They were excellent to deal with and I hope their product is a good as their customer service. I am confident that it will be as the two normally go hand in hand.