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The one on my 1949 was cracked. It still worked, but you had to be a little careful. I ordered a replacement and I had to file the bottom off a little bit as it stuck out past the edge of the wood. It being a plastic part, it was simple to file into a better fit. One question I had about these is the screws that pull the plate up against the end of the stock, I had to sort of bend the plate in a curve to shape it – or there was a gap – so, fitting took a little while, and then I wasn’t really sure how tight to make the screws. In the end I had them pretty tight, tight enough that the plate fit without a visible gap between the end plate and the stock, but also tight enough that it made me wonder if there was a risk of causing the stock to crack or develop cracks.
Can overtightening the screws on the butt plate cause the stock to crack? I was going to mess with it some more, but then figured since it was on and appeared to be on correctly – I should just leave it alone and see if anyone had some input they could share.
It sounds like you may have purchased an aftermarket (reproduction) butt plate instead of a used original. Typically an OEM butt plate will align perfectly with the screw holes. Since the stocks were sanded with the butt plate in place there is always some variation when swapping from one stock to another but the hole spacing should always be consistent. All bets are off with the repro butt plates though. To answer your question, I would not tighten the screws too much, just enough to hold it secure.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
The holes were fine, what threw me is the narrow end extended past the wood about 1/16 of an inch and I had to file it down flush. The rest of it is about 1/32 small to the stock. The markings on the front and back are the exact same, I could not tell you if it was a NOS part of aftermarket, I just saw one and ordered it without thinking much about it. It’s better than the one that was broken in half, so I’m good with it. When I first put it on, I noticed the edge that extended past the edge of the stock that points down would sort of catch my shirt when I shouldered and then went to put the rifle down. Seemed sort of like a hazard, so – just saying what I did for other to find if they run into the same thing. I actually just used the file for my lawnmower blades – took about 15 minutes just going slow and taking my time.
I went back and checked the screws and there were not as tight as I thought, although – one thing to mention is I put the screws in with no butt plate to examine how the tension or pressure would be applied when tightened, and they get tight well before they would screw all the way into the stock, so they do put pressure inside the stock and not just a tension pulling down on the plate – not sure if that could ever end up cracking the stock, but it is something to be aware of.
For tight screws I rub wax on the threads to reduce the stress of installation. Rub the threads on an old candle.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Howdy,
I am a newbie here, but will add my 2 cents of wood screw threads experience. I know that furniture makers also used wax on wood screw threads for hardwoods, evidently with no long term harmful effects, but using a bar of soap, which I have also seen recommended, is an entirely different matter. About 40 years ago I fitted a steel grip cap to one of my stocks and used a dry bar of soap on the screw’s threads. I shot this rifle only on rare occasion. When handling this rifle after about ten years, I noticed that the grip cap was loose and rattled on the stock. I went to tighten the screw up and it just turned round and round in it’s hole. The soap had totally turned the wood into a soft punk! I had to drill the hole out, plug it with new wood and re-drill the screw hole. Now, I tap threads into the wood for all screws I seat in stocks with self-made taps for each screw size. I wouldn’t recommend soaping wood screw threads!
Clint
Hi Clint,
That is good to know! I have never heard of the soap trick but older soaps had lye in them which was caustic so maybe that is what contributed to the wood deterioration. I will stick to my wax method.
Thanks for posting.
Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
Hi JWA,
Thanks for your reply, and I agree that lye may have been the culprit!
I also wanted to address the flat butt plate/curved butt face issue too, but got in too much of a hurry. Some of the newer repro butt plates are made out of a material that can be softened by soaking them in boiling water for a few minutes. Once pliable, remove the butt plate and quickly dry it off and place it on the end of the vertically held stock. You can simply hold it in place using your hand and an old towel with enough pressure to make it conform to the curved butt face, or I lay a bag of lead shot across it. When it has cooled for 5 minutes, or so, the butt plate will maintain it’s curved fit and only light screw pressure will be needed to hold it in place.
Clint
Excellent tip! I had heard of people doing that with success but completely forgot about it (along with a million other things that have slipped my mind). Thanks for posting it as I am sure it will help someone in the future.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
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