Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Can a Kimber Montana stock be cut down?

I have about decided a 223 would be about perfect for my 8 year old daughter.How difficult would it be to cut down a stock to fit her? Would it be possible to add some sort of spacers and paint it as she grows?
I do hate to cut down such an expensive rifle but I feel the light weight will help her a lot.

I know there is one in the classifieds but I don't have the cash yet.She probably won't get it this season but I need something to save towards and keep an eye out for later.

They can be cut down. I remember at least one member (BachelorJack, IIRC...don't quote me ) having one.

I've considered the same, but for the price of replacing the stock later on, I can buy basically buy the boy his own 700 youth. Believe me, I've been tossing it around for a while and tried to buy one off BG with a bullet hole in it.

If I could find a cut-down Montana stock I'd be all over it.

George

Yes.

Recently cut one down to 12" LOP for a .223Rem

Yea,I've thought about that as well.I just think that for my weaker smaller girl the lighter weight would really make a difference.

My suggestion would be too keep the original stock as is and order another synthetic stock from someplace like Stocky's made to fit. Really not that expensive.

You want to know how sick I really am......

I've debated sending it off to be worked over and returned in 6.8 spc. I figure that would be a great "go anywhere" (VA for example) deer rifle for my 7 year old son.

George

You'd need to cut the stock twice. The pad is glued to the spacer. It needs to be cut leaving thin sliver of the stock that can be sanded away. Then cut the stock to length. Of course the spacer/pad would need to be shortened in height and a jig constructed for the glue up. Not an amateur's endeavour.

Good Idea.

Meesa thinks that sounds like a really good idea meesa thinks.

Yes .... hmmm ... handy package that might be

Just get her a Tikka T3 lite in 223 and order a B&C stock 12.5in. You'll be dollars ahead and most likely have a better shooter.

Cut the stock and epoxy a new pad on. Save the end you cut off. Down the road, you can add that back on....cut the replacement pad off and make an insert to join the two pieces back together - won't even need another pad.

It is just a fiberglass stock...not a boat or the space shuttle. If you are even remotely handy, you should be able to do it.

A youth Montana is a great idea buuuuut.... I'd just go 700 (or 7) instead.

It seems like a bit of a tail chase to cut down, then lengthen, a nice stock like the MT's. I've done recoil pads on Fiberglas and as others have said, it's non-trivial.

I stand corrected...if you can't glue on a recoil pad, you wouldn't be able to handle this modification.

I think I could handle it.I'm fairly handy.I've made several very nice hidden tang knives.I just didn't know what the inside was composed of and if it could be glued.

What kind of adhesive needs to be used? Is there a filler type agent that could be used if the two pieces needed to be shaped?

Is the stock the same throughout? In my mind I'm thinking a hard shell outside with a lighter weight fill material.

Any pictures of a cross section?

I used epoxy; can't say about the innards of a Kimber stock.

What's trickiest-- IMHO-- is getting a really clean, square cut on the stock. I see you mention filler. I'll be curious to hear what guys prefer for that. I just worked really hard to get my surfaces so perfect that I didn't need filler. The actual gluing was a bit tricky too; it wants to slide around on you, you need to get the clamping just right.

I much prefer working on stocks that the pad screws onto.

Very commendable thing you are doing! That's a heck of a first rifle.

Uh, I don't think anybody else makes a stock for Kimber 84M's... If you can find one other than from Kimber, please let us know!

I thought that Kimber would sell a stock direct for $250. If so, just buy a new one when you need it.

IIRC, Kimber "quoted" me a vague $350-400.

Plus the trigger guard plus the ss studs...

Okay, so let's say ~$400. That's still cheaper than a Mickey, and one could trip the "youth" stock for probably a couple hundred here in the Classifieds. Not a bad way to go.