# Cutting down a synthetic stock?



## willfish4food

I'm looking for some knowledge about shortening a synthetic stock.

Some background: I'm short and consequently require a shorter than average length of pull on my firearms. For the longest time I've just dealt with the stock that's too long on my rifle because that was the way it came and it seemed like a lot of trouble to fix it. So I just tried to fit myself to the rifle instead of properly fitting my rifle to me. Recently, I was given my grandpa's deer rifle that was properly fit to him. If you look at him when he was my age, we're pretty close to clones as far as our physical build. What a difference a properly fitted stock made! Every shooting position I tried was more comfortable, cheek weld felt more natural and solid, I didn't feel like I was about to break my neck trying to get my eye behind the scope, and while I didn't time myself I felt like I was able to get into all shooting positions at least twice as quickly.

This is a picture of my grandpa's rifle. The LOP is right around 12 ½ inches. The picture makes it look like tape is not even with the trigger, but I've measured it several times and it is 12 ½ inches.








Here's my rifle with a LOP of right about 13 7/8 inches. Again the perspective of the camera makes it look a little off but I'm sure it's 13 7/8 inches. 








The current set up has a ¼ inch spacer and then the recoil pad. In order to take the LOP to where I need it, I plan to remove the recoil pad and spacer then cut on the fat side of 1 inch off the stock. I should have enough stock before I reach the sling swivel. I'll then take the remaining length off when I square the butt with a file/disk sander. The amount I take off will depend on which recoil pad I plan to go back with. 














I've done a good amount of research on how to properly cut the stock so as to not mess up any angles, and I feel confident that I can cut the stock properly and then obtain a proper fit on the recoil pad. Where I ran into problems is the hollow synthetic stock. When I took the pad off this is what I saw with the spacer. 








Remove the spacer and this is what I'm left with. You can see there are molded anchor points to screw the recoil pad into on the top and bottom of the stock. 








My biggest question is, how far back into the stock do these anchor points go? If I cut an inch off the stock will I still have something to screw into? The fact that there are two screw holes on the bottom where the stock is angled says to me that the upper hole is there in case you need to cut enough off the stock that the bottom hole gets cut off, but I'm not sure. Any help would be much appreciated.


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## Bax*

Can you remove the dampening material to feel how far back the holes go? If you do that, a toothpick should tell you how far it goes until it stops.

This is an interesting project. I'd be interested to hear what you find.


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## Lonetree

Don't worry about the mount points you will want to create new ones once it is cut down. I usually epoxy in blocks of wood for new anchors. This way you are not fighting existing holes, you put them where they need to be. You will want to fit them(wood block/s) tight, and really rough up the surface in the stock where the epoxy will attach to the plastic stock, because epoxy is not 100% compatible with thermoplastics. Take a dremel and put some good grooves for the epoxy to get into. Also recess these new blocks at least 1/16", from the new cut surface. 

Also you have two things going on there that make your grandpas stock more comfortable. As you know it is shorter, but the angle is different as well. the standard is like your synthetic stock, 90 degrees to the comb. On you grandpas it is less than 90 degrees, you are going to want to replicate that for the comfort. Just shortening the synthetic stock at its same angle won't feel the same.


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## Critter

You also have to realize that one has the cheek rest and the other one doesn't. The one with it will allow your eyes to more naturally see through the scope by raising your head to where your eyes will align with the scope easier. 

There is a lot more that goes into fitting a stock other than just length of pull.


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## DallanC

Buy a new stock, sell your old stock. Problem solved.


-DallanC


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## Springville Shooter

I did this once. I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood to fit the new butt profile and epoxied it into place on top of the dampening foam. I used a generous amount of two-part epoxy around the edges. I was somewhat skeptical about how long this would last but after 5 years it is still holding. Don't know if this is the best way but it has worked for me. I also filled all voids with expanding foam and shaved it for a perfect tight fit before installing the wood insert. Good luck. If the whole thing goes to crap, spend the $100 and put a nice Boyds stock on the rifle. It will be a vast improvement over the tupperware.---------SS


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## sagebrush

Dallanc or lonetrees suggestions are the ways to go about it


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## Lonetree

Critter said:


> You also have to realize that one has the cheek rest and the other one doesn't. The one with it will allow your eyes to more naturally see through the scope by raising your head to where your eyes will align with the scope easier.
> 
> There is a lot more that goes into fitting a stock other than just length of pull.


It wont be as big of an issue as you might think. The height from the bottom of the scope to the top of the comb will be very close. And while the synthetic stock will be symmetrical, the wood stock will be offset the bolt side, compensating for the cheek rest.

I have done something very similar with my model 7 when I put a synthetic stock on it. The cheek geometry ends up much the same, when modifying the length of pull and pad angle to be the same between the two.


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## Lonetree

Another thought: You did not mention what caliber it is, but you don't need as much pad with the synthetic stock. Short, firm pads are easier to work with and fit.


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## willfish4food

Wow! Thanks everyone for the great responses. I think I will try cutting my stock down and then use the epoxied wood blocks to attach the recoil pad. I'll also try to match the angle of my grandpa's stock as closely as I can when I cut mine down. If I mess up too bad, I guess I can try to buy a replacement. 

A replacement was what I originally thought of doing, but a couple of things kept me from doing it. First, the gun is a 300 win mag and I couldn't find any factory made long action youth stocks for a model 70. So even if I just replaced the stock I'd still have to cut it down; the only advantage would be I'd be cutting a wood stock instead of a synthetic. Second, a new stock is going to cost over a hundred dollars, but cutting mine will cost nearly nothing if I reuse the existing recoil pad and under fifty if I replace with a limb saver. Third, the action is bedded on this stock, but when the previous owner bedded it he oiled the stock instead of the recoil lug so the bedding material is stuck to recoil lug and not the stock. The rifle shoots fine, usually under 1 MOA or just over if I'm not focused. But the action will certainly not fit a new stock unless I remove the bedding material. Not sure how big of a pain that will be, but I kind of figured why go through the trouble if I can fix the LOP on this stock?

I guess another option would be to cut the stock off and put one of those slip-on recoil pads over the end. I'd prefer to have a more rigidly attached pad but if I mess the cut up would one of the slip-on kinds work?

Again, thanks everyone for the input. It has helped greatly. I probably won't have time to get to this until next week, so I've still got a little time to decide what I want to do.


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## DallanC

Your old pad wont fit too good as it wont match the new conture but you seem set on this. Good luck, get some commercial epoxy, that 300 is going to stress whatever you do.

And being bored, just a couple minutes of googling found:

http://www.armslist.com/posts/30188...r-sale--winchester-model-70-youth-rifle-stock

Or dig through any one of the following 100+ stocks:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Winchester-Model-70/Browse.aspx?Keywords=Winchester+Model+70&Cats=3032

-DallanC


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## Springville Shooter

Let me get this straight.....when you remove the stock, the bedding stays on the action? Throw up a picture of this if you will. Gotta say I've seen a lot of things, but never that. If it shoots sub MOA it's all good.-------SS


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## DallanC

Springville Shooter said:


> Let me get this straight.....when you remove the stock, the bedding stays on the action? Throw up a picture of this if you will. Gotta say I've seen a lot of things, but never that. If it shoots sub MOA it's all good.-------SS


I have... from a homebrew glass bedding job where the person forgot to put the releasing agent on the action surfaces... -O,- LOL!

-DallanC


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## Lonetree

DallanC said:


> I have... from a homebrew glass bedding job where the person forgot to put the releasing agent on the action surfaces... -O,- LOL!
> 
> -DallanC


Yeah, I've seen it as well. On that note, if anyone is ever in need of good silicone mold release for doing a bedding job, but does not want to buy a whole can(lifetime supply for most people), I always have a few cans in use. I'm in the Ogden area.


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## willfish4food

DallanC said:


> Your old pad wont fit too good as it wont match the new conture but you seem set on this. Good luck, get some commercial epoxy, that 300 is going to stress whatever you do.
> 
> And being bored, just a couple minutes of googling found:
> 
> http://www.armslist.com/posts/30188...r-sale--winchester-model-70-youth-rifle-stock
> 
> Or dig through any one of the following 100+ stocks:
> 
> http://www.gunbroker.com/Winchester-Model-70/Browse.aspx?Keywords=Winchester+Model+70&Cats=3032
> 
> -DallanC


Yeah, I saw that one on armslist. And since I live in Huntsville, AL now (about an hour away from the seller) I got really excited for about 5 minutes. Contacted the seller and the stock is for a short action so no go for me.

I hear what you're saying. I know replacing the stock is the best option for getting what I want. But if I can save the money, I'd rather save it. Where I'm at right now, if the project is going to cost 100+ it will get put on hold and I'll either not shoot this gun for a while or I'll shoot it with the longer stock.


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## willfish4food

SS here's a picture of everything when I pull the stock off. I guess saying he bedded the action is incorrect since all that's really "bedded" is the recoil lug. I've toyed with the idea of bedding the whole action, but it shoots fine, so I've never really given it any serious consideration. 








On the bright side, if I try to trim this stock an foul it up real bad, or shaping the recoil pad is much more difficult than I first thought, it looks like cleaning the lug for a new stock will be easier than I thought. I don't think the material is as stuck on as I remembered it being.


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## Springville Shooter

I have bench rest buddies who epoxy their guns into the stock. They have a lot more money than I do. I'm not sold on this making any difference anyway. 1000 rounds and throw the whole thing away. Your removable bedding job looks better than I envisioned. If it shoots, it's good.------SS


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## Lonetree

I'm following on the "bedding" job now. Some do this, seeing it being akin to pillar bedding in a way. On thermoplastic stocks that move more than wood, glass, or carbon, it sort of makes sense. The recoil lug never fits the stock good, nor does anything else. So you pick that point, and make that "0". Without a full aluminum block in there to tie the two bolt points together, a single point is thought to be better in thermo plastic, with everything else left to float. 

Many times it is epoxy on metal because epoxy does not take to thermoplastic as well as it does to metal. You don't have that problem with wood, glass, or carbon.

I have yet to try this, but have been tempted, especially given how easy it is. My only rifle with a plastic stock shoots great, so I don't really need to.

If you have to start over, you can grind off what epoxy you need to. A small torch can be used to degrade the epoxy to help remove it also.


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