Last year, in August, I bought a Spanish sidelock at auction that set in motion a repair/refinish project - the Arizaga Saga. Among the series of posts in that thread, we talked about another Spanish double I have that suffered a broken stock several years ago. That one is an Eibar collective-produced boxlock. It's a lower end example of a Spanish export gun, but it benefits from the combined skills of the Spanish industry. In particular, it made a better-than-average pheasant gun because it weighs in the mid 6 lbs, is well balanced, and provides a solid lockup. Not many low end guns offer double underlugs, a rib extension with cross bolt, AND side clips. Even fewer are equipped with disc set strikers. Her case colour hardened receiver remains bright, and her barrels are without damage.
In that thread, brybenn talked about how it would be cool to have a set of game guns - both the boxlock and the sidelock. I agreed wholeheartedly, and so set about trying to build a new stock for the boxlock and getting it back into action in time for this season.
It was a LOT of work for a home smith lacking most of the proper tools, but I was able to cajole a stock from a walnut blank. The inletting was duplicated from the original stock, but that became part of the problem. I had asked for 1/8" of extra material be left at the front of the stock, so I could align it properly to the back of the receiver. This led to a great deal of additional shaping and sanding, while it didn't help with the receiver fitting at all. Still, the stock eventually emerged.
Next came my very first ever checkering job. Bubba move over!! What a botch job! However, learned lots and I'm determined to do better next time. I wasn't happy with the generic plastic butt plate, so I quick-fitted a Limbsaver for now. After the hunting season, I'm planning to carve a walnut butt plate for it from the leftover stock blank bits. There are 7 places on this gun where I fixed damaged or missing bluing. They turned out great - either hard to notice or completely invisible.
Getting the new stock fitted to the receiver, the top tang, and the trigger plate was a trick. I managed to gouge and scratch it in the fitting process, so had to fix and refinish again. In the end, it's ready for the season. If I never touched it again, it will probably last another 60 years. But, I'm not satisfied. So, I'll make a walnut butt plate for it next winter. And, I might talk myself into re-doing the checkering.
At the following link, there's a shot of the left side (along with the original, broken stock) and a shot of the right side:
http://img.gg/yGx9dst
In that thread, brybenn talked about how it would be cool to have a set of game guns - both the boxlock and the sidelock. I agreed wholeheartedly, and so set about trying to build a new stock for the boxlock and getting it back into action in time for this season.
It was a LOT of work for a home smith lacking most of the proper tools, but I was able to cajole a stock from a walnut blank. The inletting was duplicated from the original stock, but that became part of the problem. I had asked for 1/8" of extra material be left at the front of the stock, so I could align it properly to the back of the receiver. This led to a great deal of additional shaping and sanding, while it didn't help with the receiver fitting at all. Still, the stock eventually emerged.
Next came my very first ever checkering job. Bubba move over!! What a botch job! However, learned lots and I'm determined to do better next time. I wasn't happy with the generic plastic butt plate, so I quick-fitted a Limbsaver for now. After the hunting season, I'm planning to carve a walnut butt plate for it from the leftover stock blank bits. There are 7 places on this gun where I fixed damaged or missing bluing. They turned out great - either hard to notice or completely invisible.
Getting the new stock fitted to the receiver, the top tang, and the trigger plate was a trick. I managed to gouge and scratch it in the fitting process, so had to fix and refinish again. In the end, it's ready for the season. If I never touched it again, it will probably last another 60 years. But, I'm not satisfied. So, I'll make a walnut butt plate for it next winter. And, I might talk myself into re-doing the checkering.
At the following link, there's a shot of the left side (along with the original, broken stock) and a shot of the right side:
http://img.gg/yGx9dst
