Author Topic: Adding weight to a rifle  (Read 1483 times)

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Offline TDK

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Adding weight to a rifle
« on: February 28, 2005, 07:14:14 AM »
Interested in purchasing a Tikka rifle. The model I was interested is the previous generation not the new T3 Lite models. I think there is a 1 1/4 lb difference between the two rifles. I would assume the extra weight would help in recoil and it seems to feel more substantial to me. Is there a way to increase the weight of the T3. Thanks.

Offline jhm

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2005, 11:43:16 AM »
TDK :  You can add a mercury recoil reducer into the stock, and add a harris bi-pod to the fromt along with scope should bring the package to a hefty load. :D    JIM

Offline TDK

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2005, 06:16:11 PM »
Quote from: jhm
TDK :  You can add a mercury recoil reducer into the stock, and add a harris bi-pod to the fromt along with scope should bring the package to a hefty load. :D    JIM


JHM will this affect the balance of the rifle? What would be the reduction of the recoil and is this a diy project? Looked on the net to see for any installation instructions and it seems straightforward by drilling the appropriate size for the reducer. Would the hole weaken the stock? Thanks for the help.

Offline gunnut69

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2005, 08:20:16 PM »
I can't speak from experience with the T3 but the recoil reducers add weight and if you can drill a straight hole they work well.  There are some problems with their use in synthetic stocked rifles..  If the weight is split evenly the rifles balance can be maintained.  If it's not quite to your liking the balance can also be adjusted!
gunnut69--
The 2nd amendment to the constitution of the United States of America-
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

Offline jhm

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2005, 04:00:02 AM »
TDK :  I have never myself put one in a synthetic stock so I cant give you any suggestions about them, however their will be a slight balance change but nothing so drastic as to not use one, Mercury should be able to advise as to it being a home project or a gunsmith project on the synthetics. the correct hole is a must however a friend of mine over drill on one and he wraped 2 face take around it and it stayed in place until he was ready to remove. :D    JIM

Offline varmintmaster

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weighting a gunstock
« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2005, 09:27:55 PM »
An old trick to weight a gunstock is to use lead shot.  there are a few ways a person can do this.

1. You can find and use some sort of plastic tube as close in size are the diameter as the hole int he buttstock that holds the buttstock screw. You take the plastic tube and fill it with lead shot and cap it off, you can also use duct tape to do that if the tube does not have its own cap. I tend to make them long and then if it is too off blance I can progressively cut the tube shorter until it evens out the balance of the gun. Then I stuff that tube in the buttstock hole under the buttplate of butt pad.  Then I shove a tight piece of stiff foam, like they use for seat cushions etc intto the hold right behind that lead filled tube, then replace buttpad ot buttplate and there you have it.

2. for a more "Permanent" attachement of weight, you can mix some epoxy with lead shot and drill a hole in the buttstock and pour it in.  But before pouring it inside which will make it pretty much permanent, I usually pour it in loose and then put my buttpalte or butt pad on to try the feel of the wieght, and even pack a gun around for a day to get a feel for how it is balanced and weighted.  Then, if the wieght is correct for my liking, I mix my lead shot and expoxy and pour it down the hole I drilled out and then set the stock upside down verticly to let it dry.

A word here about drilling hole sizes.  It is much easier for apparent reasons to start off drilling your holes in the buttstock small in diameter and shallow in depth while adding loose shot until you get the correct weight you want to achieve in the gun while gradually making bigger or deeper drilled holes in the stock. The holes for any particular gun might be longer in depth and smaller in diameter or the opposite, which ever works. Of course the smaller the hole the stronger the stock, sop bare that in mind while drilling also.

3. You can also just drill a hole in the buttstock where you want to weight the stock or just use the buttstock screw hole, and then just pour loose lead shot into the hole then pack a piece of stiff foam tightly into the hole so as to keep the lead shot form bouncing and shiftign around, and replace your buttpad to buttpalte.

Now as far as the front to the stock, You can use lead shot or go to a tire shop and buy some of that taped sticky-back lead they use for wheel weights.

You can take the stock off whether it be of wood or synthetic, and you might have to use a dremel tool to remove some plastic under the forearm section or anywhere in the front part of the stock under the barrel in the barrel channel, and remove amounts of wood or plastic slowly once again same as th buttstock. ( Some Synthetic stocks do not need dremeled out to do this)

Once you have done this, you just tape or lay some of the sticky wheel weight lead tape inside the barrel channel making sure it is low enough so as not to disrupt the gun barrel resting correctly in the barrel channel once the action is restocked again.  You also can mix lead shot with epoxy and do it that way for a more permanent touch, or lead shot held in place with a strip of stiff foam, or get a can of that spray expanding foam and shoot a small about just covering the lead.  If oyu ever wanted to removed this sprayed on foam, as most know, it readily and easily is taken off and removed.

Main thing as with most things with gun, go slow and check twice or more like Santa  :wink:

Hope this gives you as well as others more ideas if not for now, then for future use.   :grin: :D

"If it burns Gunpowder, I'm all for it" Varmintmaster
Just like Teddy Roosevelt said, "Walk soft and carry a BIG stick"  Preferably one with a big bore. If it doesn't Thump your shoulder or wrist when ya pull the trigger, it won't Thump what you're shootin at either.

Offline KN

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2005, 02:02:52 PM »
I have used varmintmaster's #2 method on several rifles both in the butt and in the forearm area. Only I use fiberglas resin instead or epoxy. In the forearm I drill some small holes at different locations to insure that my cured mixture won't "pop out". On some stocks it may be necessary to mill out the area below the barrel channel to accommodate the mixture.  KN

Offline varmintmaster

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relieving wood under barrel channel
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2005, 02:41:23 AM »
Hey :D , Thanks KN for adding the part I forgot to add about milling out an area under the barrel channel.  I was thinking it, but I didn't type it out correctly  haha.  Was thinking under the barrel channel but I just said channel hahaha. Thanks for adding that to what I said, without you adding that some poor soul might be wondering " How in the heck do I add this lead and get my barrel to lay back down in it's bedding  :)  That fiberglass resin is a good idea too.  I had thought of it befoe but never had tried using it.  :grin:

Have a great day everyone, you all are a great bunch.

"If it burns Gunpowder, I'm all for it" Varmintmaster
Just like Teddy Roosevelt said, "Walk soft and carry a BIG stick"  Preferably one with a big bore. If it doesn't Thump your shoulder or wrist when ya pull the trigger, it won't Thump what you're shootin at either.

Offline KN

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2005, 12:29:03 PM »
varmintmaster, I once made a complete forend for an Encore pistol out of fiberglass resin. Molded it, then machined/sanded it to the desired shape. It looked great and added a lot of heft to the pistol. Mounted it to a 444 marlin barrel and it lasted 3 shots before it cracked into two pieces. I kind of thought it might but had to try it out any way. The reason I was doing it was I couldn't come up with a good way to machine the correct barrell channel contour, so I moulded it into the fiberglass resin using an old barel. Good experiment even though it didn't work out. Maybe with a deferent plastic.   KN

Offline varmintmaster

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Adding weight to a rifle
« Reply #9 on: December 19, 2005, 01:03:02 AM »
Hey KN :D
Yea anything is a fun experiment when it comes to guns as long as it's safe.  I love to try new things and gain new knowledge, and love to pass along anything I have tried before too.

 "If it burns Gunpowder, I'm all for it" Varmintmaster
Just like Teddy Roosevelt said, "Walk soft and carry a BIG stick"  Preferably one with a big bore. If it doesn't Thump your shoulder or wrist when ya pull the trigger, it won't Thump what you're shootin at either.