doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Treasures under the buttplates (Pics)

SDH,that's a fantastic find of the extractor's. Forgive my typing been of line for some time do to health problems and its not the same anymore, very difficult to type but I like to read the forums. thank's for the reply.

And those two "signatures" of classic stockmakers aren't exactly chopped liver, either! Great finds!

I was excited to check after reading this, but I guess just lead for me...

Back when I was collecting Marlin rifles, I bought a 45/70 Lever action..cant remember the Model #' Took the cap off the PG and found a Gold five dollar California trade coin..worth more than I paid for the rifle...Interesting gun..had a bullet hole through the butt stock. if it had been shouldered or half way mounted? dead dude

I took a chance on a nice G grade Lefever a couple years ago that appeared to have a split in the buttstock, and the buttplate bulging outward from the butt. Because of the split, I got it for a very very good price.

When it arrived, I pulled the buttplate and found a hole filled with lead shot, just as I had suspected. The shot had expanded as it oxidized, and split the wood. After I dug out the old shot, it was very easy to apply some Titebond II wood glue and pull the crack completely closed with rubber tubing to clamp it. Then I turned a close fitting dowel of walnut, and glued that in the hole to further strengthen the stock. The deformed buttplate was easily returned to normal shape by putting it in very hot water and bending back to its' correct curvature.

Get the lead out of your butts if you have it! I have seen many split stocks. Even on some high on newer guns due to swelling lead in the butt used for balance.

Never figured out if the lead expanded or the wood contracted over a 100 years. Had a Parker VH made in 1900 that had a whole drilled and filled with lead and yes it indeed did crack. One of the best buys ever. Bought that gun for $400. I had it restored and it is now in the hands of a duck hunter in Maine who bought it from me on this forum more then a few years ago.

Thank's for the info. I can't believe that I let so many slip through my hands when I was younger. Rich

tut, I think that if the wood would shrink the lead plug would actually become looser.
terc

tut, lead dioxide does occupy more volume than the lead it replaces, and Brian Dudley is correct... it can and will split gun stocks. I've seen it several times, and that's why I was pretty sure the Lefever I bought would be easily repairable. We also see the same thing happen with iron oxide when rusting re-bar expands and breaks concrete.