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Hivernant
posted
I am putting together an old CVA Mountain rifle kit (barrel stamped Made In USA).

I have all the parts but the lock. I am planning on getting a RPL from ToTW.

My question, as I am putting the patch box in, barrel escutcheons and the breach I see a very sloppy fit, the barrel is also very sloppy (It really looks like I did it Frowner )

Is it possible that because this is a thirty some year old kit that the wood has shrunk? If so, how do I unshrink it?


anything worth shooting is worth shooting once.
 
Posts: 126 | Location: Demokratik Republik of Washington | Registered: 29 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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how much is the gap/shrinkage???? Might just need to lightly spray it with warm water,swell it back up some...Then again,, you might have to some inlay around the parts!!!!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Walking Crow,
 
Posts: 1839 | Registered: 11 February 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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One side of of the barrel touches. The other side has about .032 gap.


anything worth shooting is worth shooting once.
 
Posts: 126 | Location: Demokratik Republik of Washington | Registered: 29 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
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You mention the wood possibly being shrunk but the fit of wood to metal as sloppy. Are the inlets in the wod too big for the parts or too small?
 
Posts: 43 | Registered: 22 October 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of captchee
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quote:
Originally posted by Huntinguy:
One side of of the barrel touches. The other side has about .032 gap.


WOW that’s quite a bit . I would say you go t the wrong stock for your barrel . But then if that’s the case the other parts still should fit
If its shrinkage , then you should see the same size gap on most all the parts . You maybe able to swell the wood up some by dampening the stock with a moist rag . But past that if you get it to wet it may crack and split “IF what your seeing is actual shrinkage now “

The wood choice on those old CVA rifles was never that good. Most times very soft .
Inletting often was not the best either. So you could be seeing a combination of simply poor inletting and wood shrinkage
 
Posts: 687 | Location: Payette ,Idaho | Registered: 23 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hivernant
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It is the original stock. All the parts were still in the box, save the lock, with the plastic still over it.

(I also got two pistol kits with it, and captchee - you are correct about the inletting. One of the pistol kits even had the tang bent about 7 degrees and the factory hole drilled in it such to make me think it came from the factory that way.)

Yes, all the parts have a fair amount of clearance around them.

The wood is not the best. I may try the damp rag thing and see if that works.

My plan is to get this up and running for hunting season. (Then... I have another stock I over inletted that will fit a 15/16 barrel very nicely. But, that one is way too much work for the time I have at the moment)


anything worth shooting is worth shooting once.
 
Posts: 126 | Location: Demokratik Republik of Washington | Registered: 29 September 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Greenhorn
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I suspect your stock inletting was sloppy from the get go.

I just about have a fowler finished that has had enough shrinkage to make me suspect the stock blank wasn't fully seasoned when I started the project. Instead of making my inlets loose, my shrinkage tightened my inlets for the most part. The wood did shrink away from some of the butt plate, tightend on the return but made the metal stand proud on the rest of butt plate.

My lock inlet was so tight that I pulled a chip off the front of the molding taking the lock out. It was a perfect fit before the shrinkage.
 
Posts: 47 | Registered: 04 March 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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IF the wood shrank, wouldn't all of the inletting become tighter? Wouldn't the barrel channel become much tighter as the wood sides became closer?

Just a though.

Load fast and aim slow.
 
Posts: 1726 | Location: Pacific Northwest | Registered: 08 March 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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This is an interesting thread. I don't mean to high-jack it but I have a somewhat similar issue with a Pecatonica replacement stock for my TC hawken. I bought it and had it laying around for more than a couple years before I ever started to work on it.

I fit the tang, that went OK. Then started on the barrel - the fore end was so twisted I couldn't begin to lay the barrel in the channel. I filled a 5 gal bucket with water and stuck the fore end it in overnight and was able to manipulate it enough to lay the barrel in. I stuck the barrel key in and let it dry out which seemed to take care of the issue.

However, now (months later) I am still working on the project, and the fore end has seemed to twist back again - not to the extent it was before but you can see that the barrel does not lay flat in the channel again. I suspect I'll need to give it the water soak treatment again but a little concerned about it continuing to return to a "non-conforming" state somewhere down the road.

How this applies to your CVA stock issue, I don't know but I just pose the situation to see if someone thinks these types of stock problems have a remedy and, if so, what those may be. I wish you success in your project.
 
Posts: 721 | Location: TriCities, WA | Registered: 25 January 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
Picture of captchee
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Normaly white finger , shrinkage will effect between to outside areas .
So with a barrel channel , the shrink will happen between the side of the barrel inlet and the outside of the stock . As thinner areas dry faster then thicker areas , they then have the tendency to pull away. IE the barrel channel opens up .
Also what can happen is that a part will begin to stand proud where it was once level to the wood .

As to your Pecatonica stock Dave .
As a rule I never leave a stock that has the barrel channel cut , without the barrel being in it Or a ridged plank of wood tightly wrapped to the top of the stock . If you don’t , your very likely to have the forestock either twist or bow.
Once you have the barrel mounted to the stock , you shouldn’t see it twist anymore
 
Posts: 687 | Location: Payette ,Idaho | Registered: 23 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Great explanation Captchee.

Load fast and aim slow.
 
Posts: 1726 | Location: Pacific Northwest | Registered: 08 March 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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Thanks Cap. I'll soak it once more and put the barrel in for keeps (once I get it shaped and finished).
 
Posts: 721 | Location: TriCities, WA | Registered: 25 January 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Booshway
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When ever I take the barrel out of my PA/KY long rifle I put a broom handle in the barrel channel and use large rubber bands, cut from Inner Tubes, to hold it in place.That helps to keep the stock streight till I replace the barrel.
 
Posts: 1839 | Registered: 11 February 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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