injecting foam into plastic stocks

[ratherbefishin]

one of the main complaints about plastic stocks in the ''hollow'' feeling-has anybody tried injecting expanding foam into a plastic stock?[taking care not to over fill it potentially resulting in warpage]
I have a marlin 795 plastic stock that I replaced with a Boyds-I'm thinking it would be something to try with construction grade expanding foam they use to fill voids for weather proofing-it comes with a thin plastic tube

[STUMPJMPR]

I've heard of people doing that.  Leave the butt plate off and trim back or your stock will look like a guppy.

[ratherbefishin]

I'm thinking even putting the stock between two boards  in a vice would stop it bulging.

[STUMPJMPR]

I'm thinking even putting the stock between two boards  in a vice would stop it bulging.

It shouldn't bulge if you leave the back off.  I've seen people use that stuff around doors and nail the inside trim in place.  Bad Idea.  After it expanded you couldn't open the door.  If you leave one side open it just foams out.  You trim it back and good to go.

[ratherbefishin]

I'm going to try it-the main complaint everybody seems to have with plastic stocks is the ''hollow'' sound and foam should address that.If I screw up the stock-its redundant anyway,if it works-so much the better.The can of foam is pretty inexpensive

[bilmac]

There is a special type of foam made for doing around doors and windows that doesn't expand so much.

I had one of the hollow stocks once and I used the space for a survival kit. I could even get a space blanket in there besides matches etc. Replace the phillips screw in the butt plate with one for a flat blade that you could remove with a knife. It may still sound hollow, but I stuffed mine pretty tight to get as much gear in the space as I could.

[Doug B.]

I would be cautious with foam if removal of the buttstock involves removing a bolt where you wish the foam wasn't! Consider running a piece of PVC or some other tubing down over the bolt head before filling with foam. And yes, I would recommend the minimal expanding foam.

[mannyrock]

 
   I think you have a good idea, except that you should use the Non-expanding foam.  It is readily available at the big box hardware stores, right along side the expanding type.
 
   I used the Non-expanding foam to fill a dead space between my floor and the underside of my bathtub, in the forward part of the tub where the drain is.  (The metal tub was creaking very badly when you stepped into that area.)
 
   It worked absolutely great.  I just kept squirting it in the space, until the space was filled and it was coming out the entry space. Then I just wiped off the extra, and let it dry. 
 
   The area  is very firm now, you can stand on it, and the metal tub does not creak or give.  It also made the tub much more quiet.  And since there was no expansion, the foam did bend the metal or the tub or force the metal out of shape.
 
   Hope this info helps.
 
Mannyrock
 
 

[AtlLaw]

I did it to my only synthetic stocked sporting rifle quite a while back.  A remington factory plastic thing I put on the M-7 / 7-08 that I used for my spare rifle. 
 
Let me tell you, that expanding stuff EXPANDS!   
 
But, it did the job.   

[ratherbefishin]

Good points on protecting bolt holes,although they could probably be redrilled.I think the non expanding foam might be a good choice because all I want to do is fill the void and stiffen the stock.If this works, it would greatly improve the plastic stock and add minimal weight.

[gunnut69]

I've a laminated stock on a 721 270 I added a DBM bottom end to. The stock has been milled hollow to within an inch of it's life.. The forearm hollowing is very extensive and the buttstock is quite thin from the hollow within. The butt doesn't bother me all that much but the fore and is too flexible. The non-expanding foam sounds like just the ticket..

[tacklebury]

Personally, I'd think why not use foam packing material and store away a cleaning kit or a few rounds of ammo.  Packed well in foam and shoved in there.  You never know when a few extra rounds might come in handy or a cleaning kit if you dropped your gun into a swampy basin full of mud. 

[drdougrx]

Hate to be negative.  Sprayed the white stuff from home depot into a REM factory tupperware stock.  A year later I went to the range and the butt pad fell off.  The stuff ate through the screws. Not rusted..rusted through.  I was amazed!  I did spray it in and then screw the pad back on..maybe shoulda let it dry first...don't know. 

[ratherbefishin]

any experiance is not ''negative''-it helps anybody else decide how best to go about it

[quickdtoo]

Personally, I'd think why not use foam packing material and store away a cleaning kit or a few rounds of ammo.  Packed well in foam and shoved in there.

+1 That's what I've been using for years, either peanuts or soft foam blocks that come as packing(with Barnes Bullets for one!), it can be removed to access the stock bolt and there's no risk of ruining the stock or pad. 

Tim

[bilmac]

I've had the rusting rotting problem too when I've used it on a boat. Should have been a nice dry place, but it rotted wood and rusted out fasteners way faster than I thought should have happened.

[yooper77]

I use soft foam sheets with lots of walmart bags stuffing the voids full.
 
yooper77

[ratherbefishin]

I went ahead and used a non expanding foam,left the buttplate off,let it harden and trimed it[it does expand, minimally] and reinstalled the buttplate.The stock does not have that ''hollow'' feeling to it anymore-exactly what I