Fitting an Action into a Different Stock Model

[Downwindtracker2]

I ran into difficulties fitting a Swedish Mauser M96/38 into a Husqvarna 1600 stock. A HVA 1600 is a small ring Mauser so it shouldn't have been too difficult. The stock had the graceful European fast handling shape and was a beautiful dense piece of  black walnut. Well worth the effort. ( I will take some lessons from it)

I used the rear screw as the reference point.  The front screw and recoil lug were about 1/8" closer, I didn't measure , I just fitted.  OK, I'll rely on the glass bedding to both fill and reinforce the area. I had Husqvarna commercial FN actioned 30-06 that split the wrist behind the tang, A common problem on beech stocked Huskys. So I well aware of the need to reinforce. A M98.   Mauser recoil lug isn't the largest and the M96 is smaller yet.  It was here I ran into problems. I wanted the brown coloured  epoxy to go up the sides to fill in the stock differences.as well as backing up the recoil lug. In fact i was counting on the epoxy ahead of the recoil lug to take some of the load. I know gunsmiths will be screaming at me, but epoxies have some pretty amazing uses in industry. To make epoxy structural, I used G-2 epoxy and mini fibers. When using epoxy as glue unless you have tight fitting joints you need mini fibers to make it strong enough for gap filling . Here is where I made the mistake, normally I use a 1 to 1 ratio, epoxy to mini fibers, I should have used a stiffer 1 to 1.5 or even 1 to 2. .. But I was leery of too stiff a mix as I had an action sit up too high and had to redo it, grinding it all out.  I use small sized Quick Clamps instead of the surgical rubber tubing. They aren't very forceful so I didn't get the squeeze I wanted. I will still use it, but it is less than my standard. Or my standard when I was younger. Chuckle.  

 

Maybe someone can learn from my mistakes. 

[Dr.Hess]

Grind out the epoxy where you don't like it and do it over.  No big deal, really.

[Downwindtracker2]

I do not think I'll be going to that level, it's a sporter on a gunshow find stock.  But I might fill the gaps with filler., though more likely to say good enough. Epoxy filler is made with micro balloons instead of mini fibers . they are much easier to sand. West makes some pretty good instructions on the uses of epoxy.