Brunswick stock

[Edburns117]

Hello everyone I recently took the plunge and got an IMA untouched bruswick rifle. I was actually quite pleased with what arrived. Only a couple small missing parts, tang screw and the front most key with its brass part missing too. Hand guard in one piece no cracks, lock freed up easily and works perfect same as the trigger. Even the barrel has moderate pitting and nothing alarming. But there are a couple problems. The false tang has a crack, can these just be knocked off? It looks that way but I’d like to know for sure before I try to remove it from the breech plug.
Second is the stock, at first I though it was a super solid stock and it is in a sense that it doesn’t have rotten and bug eaten parts on it. But it does have two big issues I think from physical handling damage. There is a chunk missing above the lock and beside the tang. I will add pictures. The front is also split into 3 pieces. The front although unfortunate can be stuck together and repaired. My big question is the one by the tang and if this is something that could blow apart? In the pictures the barrel and lock are just set in so it may look a loose fit

 

[jpc]

Congratulations and Enjoy ☺

 

[partial]

Congratulations, that's a beauty.

 

[sean69]

Yes, that is perfectly salvageable - clean the living crap out of that stock and start gluing. You will have to graft a new piece above the lock panel and reshape - but I would not worry about it blowing apart, all the tang inlet is there and looks good with no cracks.

The breech is a hook breech - it might be soldered, though I doubt it. Probably just crud. Probably will pop off with a few light taps from a wooden mallet.

Get those cracks around the tang bolt hold fixed before you start smacking on it though.

 

[Edburns117]

For the graft is it best to cut or sand down more to make a flat surface? Should I put pins in it or just stick it on? I don’t know what wood this is but I’m assuming any hard wood will do.
I though about welding the tang but I’m assuming this is iron and not steel and so I’m not sure if I’d be able to. My plan was to remove it and then when I order the couple missing parts from The Rifle Shoppe I’d just add in a new tang

Thanks everyone I feel I got lucky with its condition and this was going to be a winter project but I got too excited haha

 

[sean69]

For the graft is it best to cut or sand down more to make a flat surface? Should I put pins in it or just stick it on? I don’t know what wood this is but I’m assuming any hard wood will do.
I though about welding the tang but I’m assuming this is iron and not steel and so I’m not sure if I’d be able to. My plan was to remove it and then when I order the couple missing parts from The Rifle Shoppe I’d just add in a new tang

Thanks everyone I feel I got lucky with its condition and this was going to be a winter project but I got too excited haha

Cut it off absolutely flat use a hand plane - it will be walnut, no not any wood will do, if you can find a similar grain, colour and density the repair could be almost invisible. You don't need pins if you use a quality PVA wood glue(TitebondIII) the joint will actually be stronger than the wood around it.

For the chip behind the tang, same idea, but use a round rasp and an appropriate sized plug cutter.

If you buy a replacement breech/tang you will be fitting it to both the barrel and stock. It won't be fun. It won't be iron - you can weld it, but that will be tricky, brazing it with some filler rod or silver soldering will do the trick as well.

 

[Edburns117]

So for the fore end you think instead of trying to stick all the pieces back together just lop the end off and stick on a new fore end?
My only experience with solder is with wiring connections but in assuming silver solder is the same idea just stronger stuff?

 

[sean69]

So for the fore end you think instead of trying to stick all the pieces back together just lop the end off and stick on a new fore end?
My only experience with solder is with wiring connections but in assuming silver solder is the same idea just stronger stuff?

Pretty much but WAY stronger and much higher temperatures. You may need a specific flux as well ~ depending. You should be OK with a propane torch on that little bit, but MAPP gas would be much better.

I would definitely try to rescue what is left of the for-end - glue up and reinforce as necessary ... otherwise you will be inletting/carving a new end, fitting the cap, burning key holes ...etc-etc-etc

With a little care an planning I have no doubt that end can be saved.

 

[Edburns117]

Ok I will have to look into silver solder then and see if there’s specific ones for stuff like this. I have a little blue propane torch and a large oxy/acet set so heat won’t be an issue. Wood working is not my strong suit so I definitely want to avoid inletting haha

 

[mooncoon]

Ok I will have to look into silver solder then and see if there’s specific ones for stuff like this. I have a little blue propane torch and a large oxy/acet set so heat won’t be an issue. Wood working is not my strong suit so I definitely want to avoid inletting haha

I am a bit puzzled by what you refer to as the false tang and also where the cracks in the metal. As to silver solder, the common one that I use is 45% silver and 55% copper and melts at 1140 F but does not really flow until (at a guess) around 1300 to 1400 F. You will need your oxy acetylene torch to use it and you have two options for flux. The commercial version I think is largely borax and comes as a white granular paste. I suspect household borax will also work but have never tried it. Even more so that soft solder, cleanliness is next to godliness.
For wood repairs, I use G2 epoxy; it is very strong although a bit expensive. For the repair around the lock, I would smooth and flatten the surface you are gluing to and square up the break lines ; I would not try to fit the new wood to an irregular broken edge. Obviously re inlet the lock after gluing the new wood on. As above use walnut for the repair and probably require some sort of liquid stain , leather dye or perhaps shoe polish (I have not personally tried shoe polish)

cheers mooncoon

 

[sean69]

I am a bit puzzled by what you refer to as the false tang and also where the cracks in the metal.

He means the hook breech - I've seen target shooters solder these solid, but suspect its just crud on an old gun holding this one on.

The cracks are either side of the bolt hole on the bottom of the tang.

cheers

 

[Edburns117]

Sorry I’m referring to the hook breech. It’s a completely new design to me a I heard it referred to as a false tang so I just went with it. The crack is hard to see due to my poor picture. Honestly if the hook breech doesn’t have to be replaced I’ll likely leave it alone and not knock it off.
I will have to silver solder lots of nuts and washers together and test stains on random pieces of walnut before I touch this gun, that’s for sure! Haha
Thanks for all the advice guys!
Sean you’ll have to start charging me, this is the second gun you’ve gave me good advice on

 

[sean69]

Sorry I’m referring to the hook breech. It’s a completely new design to me a I heard it referred to as a false tang so I just went with it. The crack is hard to see due to my poor picture. Honestly if the hook breech doesn’t have to be replaced I’ll likely leave it alone and not knock it off.
I will have to silver solder lots of nuts and washers together and test stains on random pieces of walnut before I touch this gun, that’s for sure! Haha
Thanks for all the advice guys!
Sean you’ll have to start charging me, this is the second gun you’ve gave me good advice on

Hows $5k grab ya hahah

The hook breech makes it easy to remove and clean the barrel.... no messing about with bolts and screws - pop the keys out, pop the barrel out.
You'll probably want it off anyway, the barrel will suck a lot of heat when you are soldering..

 

[Edburns117]

For that I’d want a rifle not advice! Haha

That’s a cool design, I’ll see if I can’t get it off before soldering. I have some solder on the way with flux too.
Flux has an active range from 1000°F to 1600°F and a silver solder that’s 56% silver, 22%copper, 17%zinc and 5%tin.
Making some progress cleaning the rifle up.

Barrel under side