.17 Remington Project Rifle

[marksman]

Have done the same thing with a howa 308 and the difference it made was amazing

When I was researching how to DIY bedding for my last job, I saw a lot of guys doing BIG jobs - either pillars or the entire action filled with epoxy. And then I came across an older gent in his gunsmithing shop, who showed the above method, and explained why he did it this way. He said that if it is fixed at the front and fixed at the rear, then filling the middle with epoxy did not achieve anything. To illustrate his point, he showed a factory bedding job on a high grade rifle - this is how the factory did it. On a sporter rather than a benchrest rifle I reckoned that was good enough for me. The previous stock on this rifle was bedded the exact same way by a previous owner or gunsmith.

very good advice and your bedding job looks very good
if like with mauser 98's the rear tang has a piller from factory or you put one in yourself there is no need to bed the tang unless the fit is not a good one
IMHO you are doing a great job with the rifle and the barrel has come up in good order
that 3 shot group is all you need
good on you for having a crack at it

[GQshayne]

DSCN1167.JPG (2.25 MiB) Viewed 9172 times

A bit of touching up with the stripper was needed. Interesting the previous finish did not bubble up like I have seen previously. Strange.

DSCN1168.JPG (1.96 MiB) Viewed 9172 times

My new Ryobi linisher. Handy for this job.

DSCN1169.JPG (1.13 MiB) Viewed 9172 times

This is a Limbsaver "grind to fit" recoil pad. With common rifles you can buy pads that fit perfectly, but not for mine. This pad gives a very nice result, just a lot more work! I have used one before, so knew what I was up for, hence the linisher. I used a different method this time, and ground it to shape when fitted to the stock. Obviously you have to be very careful this way, but getting the profile to match the stock is much easier. So slow and steady is the go. I needed a 220-240 belt to finish it, but only found a 120 at Bunnings, so I had to finish it off by hand. More work!

DSCN1170.JPG (2.21 MiB) Viewed 9172 times

DSCN1171.JPG (2.32 MiB) Viewed 9172 times

Recoil pad turned out well, so now on to the stock. After a light sand a good steaming, it came up pretty clean. A few dings in it were able to be removed, so now it will need sanding with various grades of paper and then finished off with 0000 steel wool before the Tru Oil can be applied. Some time consuming work now, to be done when time permits.

[GQshayne]

Have done the same thing with a howa 308 and the difference it made was amazing

When I was researching how to DIY bedding for my last job, I saw a lot of guys doing BIG jobs - either pillars or the entire action filled with epoxy. And then I came across an older gent in his gunsmithing shop, who showed the above method, and explained why he did it this way. He said that if it is fixed at the front and fixed at the rear, then filling the middle with epoxy did not achieve anything. To illustrate his point, he showed a factory bedding job on a high grade rifle - this is how the factory did it. On a sporter rather than a benchrest rifle I reckoned that was good enough for me. The previous stock on this rifle was bedded the exact same way by a previous owner or gunsmith.

very good advice and your bedding job looks very good
if like with mauser 98's the rear tang has a piller from factory or you put one in yourself there is no need to bed the tang unless the fit is not a good one
IMHO you are doing a great job with the rifle and the barrel has come up in good order
that 3 shot group is all you need
good on you for having a crack at it

Thanks Marksman - so far so good!

[GQshayne]

Stock has had a lot of work, and is now getting the final coats of oil. Looking good I reckon.

But there is one problem that I am yet to fix. I am not liking the factory bolt knob.

DSCN1174.JPG (2.23 MiB) Viewed 9156 times

DSCN1175.JPG (2.26 MiB) Viewed 9156 times

Here is my LSA55 bolt, which is much better. It is one piece, where the M55 has the plastic knob that screws on.

DSCN1176.JPG (2.21 MiB) Viewed 9156 times

So the plastic knob needs to be deposited in the rubbish bin, and a nice replacement fitted instead. Some googling turned up nothing I wanted to fit, so I will have to make something. Hopefully, whatever I make wont end up in the bin as well.

[GQshayne]

Commencement of custom made handles (two). I made a prototype as an experiment to see what I could do, with what tools I have - no lathe. So it has to be done by hand. So that rules out a couple of ideas, as they were too hard to make. Prototype was ok, so Dad asked me to make him one as well. Having decided on a method, I am using an old gidgee fence post as the donor for the timber. It is prevalent in the west where I learned to hunt as a boy, so I have preferred it to something else for sentimental reasons. I think also it will look good, as it is as hard as stone and has a very tight dark grain.

DSCN1181.JPG (2.1 MiB) Viewed 9127 times

In order to have a thread in it, I have filled a hole with JB Weld, so that it can be drilled and tapped to suit the bolt handle.

DSCN1182.JPG (2.05 MiB) Viewed 9127 times

DSCN1183.JPG (2.1 MiB) Viewed 9127 times

So far two prototypes are going in the bin, but the other two are looking good so far. Ready for oiling now.

[marksman]

very clever

[GQshayne]

very clever

Thanks. I had a look to try and just buy one, but I am not keen on the "tactical" style of stuff which is most of what I saw for sale. None of it was any better than the plastic knob I wanted to replace.

And then I spotted a Blaser timber bolt handle. I did not see another one on any other brand of rifle at all, but of course many owners would have done it, I just did not see one with my googling. Without a lathe at my disposal, I had to think about what I could make too, so steel was out. But timber was a good idea I thought, so a dark piece of hardwood to match the grip cap etc on the stock would suit. In looking for a suitable piece of timber, I remembered the gidgee fence posts we had brought back from out west some years ago. It is "serious" wood this stuff. When it gets old and hard you cannot cut it with a chain saw. We used a drop saw with a tungsten blade in it! LOL

My first prototypes turned out ok, made with the grain of the timber. But the blocks above have been cut cross grain, and with the shape of the handles, much more figuring is now visible. Harder to make, but turned out well. Shed looked like a sawmill, with offcuts and sawdust everywhere, all to produce two small handles that fit in the palm of my hand. LOL

I am putting the final coats of oil on the stock, and these handles, so when that is finished I will put up a pic of the finished wood.

[GQshayne]

Final coats of the Tru Oil have gone on the stock, following my method of applying many light coats with a soft cloth, and some rubbing to get a smooth finish on each coat. Finish has turned out well. With all the work on the stock, the timber is now improved over how I bought it, but photos will not really show that. It was pretty good before, so really only imperfections have been removed and surface improved through sanding, steaming, rubbing with steel wool etc. Looks good.

But, it now has what I call the "Rigby Look", and that is very glossy. Great if you like glossy, but I prefer a satin finish. The standard method for Tru Oil is to use Gun Stock Conditioner to give a satin finish, but I have found that a bit average. So I am trying something different this time. Some googling turned up lots of people using Tru Oil on guitars and furniture, and one method they favour is a carnuba wax finish. Birchwood Casey sell a wax to be used after Tru Oil, but I have none of that so I will try some carnuba. I have done a test piece which looks promising, so after another week of curing time, I will give that a try.

This is how Tru Oil turns out "off the gun".

DSCN1185.JPG (2.32 MiB) Viewed 8967 times

DSCN1186.JPG (2.08 MiB) Viewed 8967 times

[marksman]

beautiful stock, great work

[Stix]

Sorry to repeat myself...but thats a nice piece of wood GQshayne..

Looks like you done a great job so far...

What aboutt pics of the bolt handle & how you did that...?

Be great to see it all together...

[Bill]

Looks like all that rubbing and sanding paid off mate, I use to enjoy using Tru oil but changed over to a furniture makes Tung oil for a more satin finish.

I would have been tempted to remove the white line spacers.....

[GQshayne]

Thanks fellas. I will take a pic of the bolt handle after I have done the final finish on the timber. Most probably this weekend. If it turns out how I want, otherwise it will be re-oiled and try again. I did not take progress pics of it, but I did it by hand, with sandpaper and initially with the linisher.

I like the white line spacers! LOL No thought to get rid of them, even though the one on the butt makes it a lot harder to do a new recoil pad. As for oil, I would consider another one next time, but the Tru Oil works well. Maybe.

[GQshayne]

I tried something different on this stock, and have finished it with a wax finish. I think it now looks like many factory timber stocked rifles you see now. No doubt the process is different, but it is less glossy than it was before with just the Tru Oil, a bit lighter in colour, and very smooth.

DSCN1187.JPG (2.16 MiB) Viewed 9225 times

Bolt handle is quite understated, but in comparison to the original one, I like it a lot better. And it is a personalised piece, something that cannot be bought, and made from timber collected from where I have hunted in western Qld - gidgee.

DSCN1174.JPG (2.23 MiB) Viewed 9225 times

DSCN1188.JPG (1.97 MiB) Viewed 9225 times

DSCN1190.JPG (2.17 MiB) Viewed 9225 times

Having completed the woodwork to my satisfaction, I went back to the trigger which has a small amount of creep. Obviously, if you can shoot a sub moa group it is not bad, but my other Tikka has none at all. So more work needed. After some more polishing of the trigger without a total result (improved, but not 100%), I decided I had to remove the sear, which I was hoping to not have to do. But I managed to remove and re-install the assembly and have it function as intended, so all went well. And no more creep.

So next job will be to polish up that old metal work. As you can see in the photos, it is a bit shabby, but does not have any major pitting. So it should polish up well. I have resurrected much worse than this, so should not be a problem. Polishing will be in preparation of a two colour Cerakote job. Once again when time permits. But I have said that a few times, and work is progressing quicker than intended. My stuffed elbow is preventing me doing any harder work, which is more important, but I cannot do. So at least the rifle is progressing nicely.

[GQshayne]

This magazine has a plastic insert to suit the smaller cartridge, which has to be removed for Cerakoting. Took a bit of thinking to work out how it came out. The .222 mag is my dad's for a reference for re-assembly.

DSCN1191.JPG (2.14 MiB) Viewed 9163 times

I have used JB Weld to plug a few holes that are not required before coating. This works quite well. As you can see the barrel is partly polished here. I was going to take a couple of pictures when it was finished - but I forgot. Just as well no-one much is interested anyway. Everything has been done, bolt, mag, barrel and action, mounts etc, all by hand with file, sandpaper, and steel wool. Takes time, but comes up perfect. This is only done with about 240 and some 400 paper, but JB had to be filed flat before continuing.

DSCN1192.JPG (1.59 MiB) Viewed 9163 times

[GQshayne]

Now waiting for material to arrive at the coaters, then the rifle will go in. Should be done soon! Pretend Xmas present to myself.

[marksman]

its coming along great GQ
the waiting is the worst part hey

[GQshayne]

its coming along great GQ
the waiting is the worst part hey

It is being done a lot quicker than originally planned actually. But that is not a bad thing. I bought it in June, so six months or so by the time it goes back together.

[GQshayne]

Something I forgot to mention. This is now the fourth time I have sanded a rifle back for coating. I reckon three of those had rust UNDER the bluing. So it looked good, but as soon as you rubbed the bluing back a bit you could see corrosion underneath. I am doing old rifles of course, so newer stuff would most probably be fine, but anyone doing an old rifle should keep this in mind. I think it is worth the effort to rub them back. You can remove any imperfections, and makes sure there is no hidden corrosion.

[GQshayne]

Still waiting for my coating to be done, but these things happen. I am told he is hoping to do it between Xmas and new year, in conjunction with another job using the same colours. Taking time to get the colours in, as the distributor has been ill. Or something. Anyway, these things happen, so must be patient.

The original stock I have no use for, so it was always going to be sold off later. But I had intended to re-finish it first. No point trying to sell an old, well worn stock to some that already has an old, well worn stock. Better if it is tarted up a bit, and given that I have had some practice with doing stocks, no big deal.

As you can see from an earlier photo, the standard M55 stock is not a bad thing. Not a lot of grain, but stained nicely.

DSCN1137.JPG (2.23 MiB) Viewed 9125 times

I decided to strip it back to bare timber to see what it was like underneath. I reckon compared to the Deluxe stocks it obviously has less figuring, but also I think they are finished to a lesser standard. Basic finishing, and then stained and a grain filler and sealer used before the final coating. When I stripped it back, there was a lot more open grain than the fancier stocks I have done, and it took more work to bring it up to similar standard. I have decided to put the work into the timber, no stain, and no filler. So lots of sanding, wet sanding, and rubbing back, to get a nice finish

So far it is looking quite nice, and something different to a standard M55 stock. Getting rubbed back again here, ready for final coats. The rubbing back with the ultra fine 0000 steel wool is probably the hardest part. Plenty of effort, and it takes about an hour and a half each time. Gets a good sweat up!

DSCN1206.JPG (2.27 MiB) Viewed 9125 times

DSCN1207.JPG (2.13 MiB) Viewed 9125 times

[deanp100]

Hi mate. What wax did you use on the deluxe stock?
Cheers
Deano

[GQshayne]

Hi mate. What wax did you use on the deluxe stock?
Cheers
Deano

It was just a Kitten auto wax Deano. From the reading I did, anything that uses carnuba wax is suitable, with people using auto products as well as furniture products. I have not tried one of the specialist gun waxes - Birchwood Casey make one though.

[deanp100]

Interesting. Your finish has a nice glow to it. I have played with a few of the furniture waxes and they were a bit underwhelming. I have always liked a bit of shine on my wood, and the waxes never produced it. I will have a look at the car waxes, it may be the next big thing.
Cheers
Deano

[GQshayne]

Interesting. Your finish has a nice glow to it. I have played with a few of the furniture waxes and they were a bit underwhelming. I have always liked a bit of shine on my wood, and the waxes never produced it. I will have a look at the car waxes, it may be the next big thing.
Cheers
Deano

No doubt it will depend on what you are putting it over too. On the stock above, I rubbed the stock back with steel wool before waxing it, so it was quite flat to start with. If you put it over a glossier finish it would no doubt be different, likely a lot brighter. I found an old article that suggested rubbing over Tru Oil "with a hard carnuba wax", and polishing it quite hard. That would be another alternative.

https://www.ssaa.org.au/stories/hints-tips-gunstock-refinishing.html

[Am88]

Kind of would like to find a Deluxe stock now for my lsa55, just a bit more shape to it. Also like the car wax idea, I have a few products at home I think that I could look at that I have for my car, I have tried dubbin before but did not like it at all, the stock on mine has been stripped back and then finished with equal thirds of BLO, turps and spar varnish, quite a few coats, may try some wax over the top and see what sought of finish I can get.

[GQshayne]

I used a liquid carnuba based wax. No sure about others, but reckon they would be similar.

Plenty of options to try for sure. I have only ever used Tru Oil, but there are a lot on the market. Birchwood Casey make a Gun Wax, so that would be an option too. I will have the M55 stock finished in a day or so, so I will put up a picture when it is done.

[GQshayne]

Here is the original stock, with an "off the gun" Tru Oil Finish using my method. From here, there a few options to finish it depending on preference, but seeing as I do not need it, it will be sold. No point me picking the finishing touch, so I will leave it to the new owner to make it satin, waxed etc.

DSCN1235.JPG (2.32 MiB) Viewed 8899 times

DSCN1233.JPG (2.13 MiB) Viewed 8899 times

[GQshayne]

And here is the old stock compared to the Deluxe stock I have for it.

DSCN1231_LI (2).jpg (2.83 MiB) Viewed 8896 times

DSCN1232.JPG (709.95 KiB) Viewed 8896 times

[GQshayne]

Here are a few photos of the completed job. Cerakote is Cobalt on the barrel and action and Gloss Black on everything else. Just a subtle contrast between the two, which works well.

DSCN1237.JPG (765.46 KiB) Viewed 8896 times

DSCN1238.JPG (1.01 MiB) Viewed 8896 times

DSCN1239.JPG (2.29 MiB) Viewed 8896 times

DSCN1236.JPG (2.32 MiB) Viewed 8896 times

DSCN1240.JPG (2.23 MiB) Viewed 8896 times

[GQshayne]

What started this project was the thought that I would get a matching rifle for my old LSA55, in .243. So here they are side by side. I decided to make them slightly different, so Cerakote is different colours, and stock finish is different too. Scopes are both Meopta Meostars, but the .243 has a 2-12x50, and the .17 has a 2.5-15x56. And a fancy hand made bolt knob.

Stock colour is not as pronounced as it seems in the photo, as the LSA55 is in less light.

DSCN1229.JPG (2.18 MiB) Viewed 8896 times

[marksman]

what a top job