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Joined: Feb 2016
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Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,134 Likes: 309 |
I'm looking at an old French 16 bore...love the gun but the metal looks "proud" from the stock to me from pics. I'm completely inexperienced with this. How much of a problem would this be? Advice appreciated:
Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch
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Joined: Mar 2002
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Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 7,693 Likes: 450 |
Buy it as a shooter and don't worry about it.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 582
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 582 |
The uneven relation of wood to metal (metal not uniformly proud) suggests more to do with shrinkage than, say, more than one refinish: thus the wood could be unstable, and move more when it got to Virginia. Also, the wood near the top of the head looks weathered, like the gun spent time on a back porch. It could split on firing, the bearing surfaces having voids. Or it could last 50 years in regular use.
Only you know if it's worth the gamble.
Mike
Tolerance: the abolition of absolutes
Consistency is the currency of credibility
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 159
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 159 |
Hmmm. Well shrinkage isn't unusual but by my experience (40+ guns around 100+ years old) that's rather large. I can't say much about the wood quality from the photograph but I'd suggest that at a minimum you "bed" the action if you intend to shoot it in a sustained manner. Boxlocks are prone to splitting internally at the head (where the metal meets the wood) and a gap like that will only add a hammer effect to the force. I wouldn't be surprised if it already were. Jeremy
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 349 Likes: 2
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 349 Likes: 2 |
I have remedied a similar situation, but with the metal proud at the bottom of the action, by fitting very thin, tapered wedges of wood glued to the inside of the stock inletting and bearing against the outside edge of bottom strap, and then glass bedding the entire head of the stock. My repair is not invisible, but it is on the bottom of the gun, and it does look better (to me, anyway) than the proud metal. And I suspect that a better craftsman than I am could make that type of repair invisible, or nearly so.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,600 Likes: 13
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,600 Likes: 13 |
I would want to have the gun in hand or at least have better pictures before I made any determination.
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 5,021 |
Argo, you can trade that old polaroid of yours in for a camera that actually takes colored pictures. You know you can do that right?
You know better than I that French guns are absolute top tier game guns and joys to hunt with, restock it if you eventually buy it, the original wood is shot.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,960 Likes: 89
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,960 Likes: 89 |
Glass bed it and shoot it. Doubtful the gun is high enough quality to justify replacing stock. In fact, that old wood is probably superior to most of the junk available today if it's not cracked.
When an old man dies a library burns to the ground. (Old African proverb)
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,120 Likes: 191
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,120 Likes: 191 |
This problem of proud metal can be lessened by wedging but the external corners are always a problem when doing this. The only advice I will give is to do this type of work you do have to be a very skilled wood worker. A simpler method is to add a walnut veneer to raise the timber level then adjust the colour to match the rest of the stock.
The only lessons in my life I truly did learn from where the ones I paid for!
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Joined: Feb 2016
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Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 3,134 Likes: 309 |
Last edited by Argo44; 06/19/17 06:48 PM.
Baluch are not Brahui, Brahui are Baluch
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