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Anyone on here into stock repair?

The wood stock on my Sako 75 cracked from back by the tang and wraps around the pistol grip area. Once around the grip it goes forwards towards the trigger.

I ordered a new stock from Beretta but the wood they sent me looks like it belongs on an 870 Express model.

The cracked stock has quite a bit of figure and I would prefer to use it if I can.

I am wondering if my cracked stock is repairable so I can stick it back on the rifle.

This is the only picture I currently have on my communicator but can get more if needed to make somewhat of a determination as to whether it is even worth looking into any further.

spacebar and backspace not working

In the above pic I have pressure on the stock to open up the crack.

Yes, it's definitely repairable. Depending on your skill sets, you can make it at least serviceable again, and maybe, unnoticeable. If you don't mind spending some money, their are guys that can take stocks shattered into multiple pieces and make strong repairs, where the seams virtually vanish.

Not a terribly difficult repair. Quickest serviceable route would be grinding out the wood to leave a shell of about 1/8" of wood on both sides of the crack. Use very slow-curing epoxy in two batches laid in at the same time.

First batch should be plain epoxy from the inside with the stock quite warm. The heat will thin the epoxy and it will wick into the wood.

Second layer should have lots of chopped fibers for strength.

Do NOT use clamps or you will break wood. Wrap in plastic wrap and painter's tape. It should take very light pressure to hold it.

After the epoxy fully cures it will need to be bedded.

That would actually be a fairly simple repair.... epoxy would work but I would just work some Titebond II down into the crack all the way with a flux brush, Q tip, or chip brush and clamp it up good until it sets up. Clean up the squeeze out with a damp cloth while it is still wet and don't put the clamps on so tight that they squeeze out all the glue....

Once cured, you can put some reinforcement in the stock if you like but taking the action out of the stock and drill a hole from the trigger recess back toward the pistol grip and gluing a steel rod, carbon fiber tent rod, or wood dowel into the hole and cut off flush with the wood surface under the action. Epoxy would work best for this ....

Bob

Hey Art, et al.......How do you suppose that penetrating "Git-Rot" epoxy would work on this type thing. Often wondered.....

Well, I'm not Art, but I did go fishing with him once..... It would work just fine, but really unnecessary in this instance. You don't really need a penetrating epoxy as much as you simply need to mate the two surfaces together as strongly as possible. A decent epoxy or simple carpenters aliphatic glue like Titebond II will work fine for this purpose if applied correctly...

Bob

Bad advice.

Use WEST epoxy for best results.

First off, there are lots of epoxies equal to West Systems for this application. Secondly, Titebond II is waterproof once dried and sealing the stock with finish is extra insurance. Aliphatic glues are as strong as the initial wood or stronger once applied correctly and cured. I've used them several times for this type of repair and they have been excellent in every respect as compared to West Sytems epoxy, which I also use often in these situations...

I use Titebond rather than epoxy, have never been disappointed.

Strong arguments available for both sides.

More specifically, West makes a TON of different formulas and catalysts. Some would be terrible choices, some fantastic. You must go deeper than brand.

It would work okay mostly but those recipes include some fairly nasty "kill-em-all" stuff that would not be needed... or why?

I have used a lot of epoxy and have a few tricks in working with it. Epoxy is my hammer... everything else looks like a nail.

My only experience with this is when I moved back to Alaska in 80. Airline broke my stock at the wrist, much as in op pic.

Repaired it with accuglass, re-sighted it in with maybe a half dozen rounds, shot a moose with it at about 100 yards.

The mid-body back of shoulder hold busted his backbone, instead. When he front reared up at approach from several yards out (an interesting experience !!!). the finishing shot broke the wrist completely. Nothing like standing there with a 2-piece rifle! The epoxy held just fine - it was the wood just beyond that did not

Hence the superior penetration as SD recommends.

At a minimum.

Personally I would not trust even that with an important hunt without a backup rifle, based solely on my experience.

Not to paranoid you or anything. 😜

You can glue that split with any number of wood glues or epoxies But it will always be a weak spot and subject to split again. I would call it firewood and get a new stock

c


Yeah - I'm verbose,..... ..

All depends on a lot of factors whether it'll break again - what caused the break in the first place (freak accident not likely to reoccur, weird grain flow in that spot, carelessness,etc.?), and how well the break is attended to that'll determine re-breakage. Pretty much any glue will create a bond stronger than the surrounding wood and create an artifact as strong as it was originally, but if the grain is squirrely or the owner is a clutz and likely to repeat the mistake that caused the break, then all bets are off.

Whataya got to lose by trying to repair it?

I'll chime in as a proponent of epoxy over Titebond, for no better reason than I like it. Heck, hide glue would probably suffice - but as with all glue joints what matters most is cleanliness of the wood, (tight) fit of the pieces to each other, and clamping protocols.

Horse and mule wrecks being common around here, I've seen a lot of broken wrists (I'm not a wood guy, and pass them on to cabinet makers etc.) and I've seen some truly great repairs. Most times, it appears the best repairs involve some angle drilling down thru the wrist with small hardwood dowels. I don't know what adhesives they use on assembly, but it must be very thin since it's very difficult to detect the original break line.

I’m not an expert, but I’d never be comfortable with that stock glued.