Salvaging a solid, but really poorly done stock

[JDHasty]

I’ve been posting quite a bit on this project.  There are a lot of photos and I’m trying to describe what my thoughts are and basically stepping through why, what I’m doing, how I do it and what tools I’m using.  Feel free to ask any questions or ask me to expand on anything. 

https://www.rimfirecentral.com/threads/stevens-44-1-2-target-rifle.1336049/

I’m a bit further along than in the second photo.  The basic pattern would not be my first choice, but ya gots what ya gots to work with. 

I will take this all the way through the finishing process.  The finish on it is really bad, it’s never going to be on the cover of Guns Illustrated, but it’s going to finish up nicely. 

It will be a really good subject for illustrating how there is hope for almost any solid stock, no matter how ugly it looks. 

[JDHasty]

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[JDHasty]

Ended up looking pretty nice looking outfit.  Put a Tasco #706 12X on it. 

[mountainman]

Love the sharpness of the shadow line! Good job buddy!!

[JDHasty]

Thank you. 

The pin hole in the hammer is a bit wallowed out, at some point we are going to see if we can bush it.  On my Stevens 414 Armory the pin hole was so close to the edge that we just went ahead and made a new hammer for it.  Might have to go that route on this one.  It’s working fine, but it never hurts to fix something you know needs fixing.  I have a double set tang and ball and spur lever, but it’s for a pistol grip.  It would be nice to stumble across parts and upgrade this one. 

[mountainman]

Is that an Unertl on top?

[JDHasty]

It is a Tasco #706 12X

In the 1960s Tasco was having their scopes manufactured by Hakko in Japan.  Very good to excellent quality scopes.  They came out with an entire line of externally adjustable target scopes that included the #705 6-18 Variable and in fixed power 12 up to 24 IIRC.  Had they not cheaped out on the mounts it would have been much better for them. The reception they got was tempered by that.  Regarding the glass, it's darn good.  The mounts are a little sketchy, but not as bad as a lot of folks make them out to be.  I have a couple of them in 12 power #706.  Steve Earl makes first rate mounts for them though.   

In the late 1970's early 1980s we could finally afford Leupold fixed power 24X Benchrest and 6.5-20 Variables and put away our externally adjustable target scopes for varmint shooting.  Glad I kept some around.