Vickers .22 cal
- Thread starter shanedee
- Start date
Here's the best place to start: http://www.rifleman.org.uk/Vickers_Martini_rifles.htm
I have a Vickers Martini Mark I, from ~1925. Amazingly accurate for a 90 yr old rifle.
It is extremely unlikely you will ever find an original stock. Will probably have to have one made, or make it yourself. Pics of yours would be nice.
I have a Vickers Martini Mark I, from ~1925. Amazingly accurate for a 90 yr old rifle.
It is extremely unlikely you will ever find an original stock. Will probably have to have one made, or make it yourself. Pics of yours would be nice.
The fore stock is there, but everything from the trigger back is gone.
I love the strange and the wounded rifles, this one fits both areas. It must of been in someones basement or barn for years, because its going to need some TLC and lots of to be a shooter again.
I've always wanted to make my own stock, this looks like the project to start on.
I love the strange and the wounded rifles, this one fits both areas. It must of been in someones basement or barn for years, because its going to need some TLC and lots of to be a shooter again.
I've always wanted to make my own stock, this looks like the project to start on.
DeadeyeDave
CGN Regular
- Location
- Norseman Capital of the World
I mentioned your Vickers to my local gunsmith and he might be interested in making a stock. He keeps kicking himself that he didn't pick up the one that Epps had listed for a long time last year. I'll PM you his telephone # and you can talk to him directly if you are interested. He likes these types of one off projects.
If you've done a few wood working projects in the past then there's just no reason at all not to have a go at it. Plan the operations so you work the mortise and barrel channel out first. And remember that Accraglass or other good epoxy products are your friend. Just try to leave enough wood to ensure you have continuous grain passing through the receiver and into the neck of the stock.
It's good to try to learn to do it right though instead of relying on resins as fillers. Some spots NEED to be done right to look good. This will apply especially to the bedding in of the lever to the stock. On You Tube check out the Midway USA/Larry Potterfield videos. There's one about inletting a tang style action into a new stock which involves carboning the tang with a kerosene stick (use a cheap table candle. It's a tad slower but FAR less sooty in the shop) to carbon up the tang and use that for marking and parring away the wood slowly in little steps. I've used that same method a couple of times now with great results. It's not a full on detailed "How To" but for anyone with any wood working under their belt it's more than enough to understand the method.
And yes, I know the Vickers isn't a tang style action. But the fitting of the tang is similar to what you'll be doing to fit the lever if it's a pistol grip style action instead of the straight stock. And if nothing else all of Larry's videos are very helpful. His series on checkering is all anyone can ask for.
Having been in your position a couple of times now I strongly urge that you start out with a test run using clear spruce lumberyard wood. It'll serve you well for both setting up your steps in the best order for mortising and inletting as well as exterior shaping. Only having about $2 worth of wood invested you'll be less fearful of taking that extra few rasp strokes. I've seen this many times. Folks have a hard time thinking in terms of ovals and swooping curves. So their first couple of gun stocks come out all blocky and boxy looking. Working with a cheap piece of wood encourages you to cut more away and refine the shapes.
And there's NO DOUBT AT ALL that training your mind into the 3D shaping of a rifle stock is very much a case of practice. So spend some time on the construction wood stock getting it just right before you launch into an expensive piece for the final stock. You can use it for a while but it won't be that strong and it dings and marks too easily. But hey, it's only a .22. But the upside is that you'll get a feel for where you should have left more wood or where you want to take off a little more or how you want to raise or lower the comb. So it's sure time well spent. And on the pine or spruce trial stock it's fair game to add material with wood putty or Bondo to build out areas and then try it again.
Once it's all done THEN go and buy the $80 slab of fancy stuff to make the final stock. And use the lumpy looking bodged up trial stock as your shaping guide.
So yeah, DO IT!
BCRider, its like you were reading my mind. I know the chances of me screwing it up are great, but its a .22 that anything I do will be better then what is on there now. I'm not looking at selling it or turning it in to a musuem peice. I'm looking at having some fun and in the process do a bit of learning. You are very correct a cheap piece of lumbermill wood is just what I'm going to use. I'm thinking knowledge I already have, the internet, helpful nutz here and knowing that if I screw up its only my time and $20 of wood.
Sounds like I have a winter project.... another one...lol
Sounds like I have a winter project.... another one...lol
