Butt stock and fore end re shape

[diego naveira]

Buddies, I was considering re shapeing the butt stock and fore end of my handi.
I´ve some ideas regarding the shape. I am quite classic and don´t like boarback nor montecarlo stuff. Anyway, I´d like to know some others opinion.
As I never worked on any rifle stock, I´d also like to know what tools/materials should I buy to carry on this endevour.
 
Thank you all,
 
Diego Naveira

[quickdtoo]

The best place to start is in the FAQs and Help sticky, see Reshaping Stocks. 

Tim

[Jimbo47]

Those standard Handi stocks have a lot of extra wood on them to work with, and all you need is a good wood rasp and some varieties of sandpaper from course to fine and in between and a stain of your choice and a bottle of Tru-Oil and you should be all set.
On the stock, start at the receiver end and shape it down in that area to just a little over the size of the receiver and then just work back to the butt plate from there.
Let your imagination take control and look at some of the examples in the Handi pictures section of the FAQ's and you can get some ideas, but just take it slow and try not to get ahead of yourself  (once you take it off you can't put it back) and you should have a nice looking custom stock, that you will be proud of.

[WyomingWhitetail]

That is a question i have. is there a reason that the stocks are left so much bigger than the reciever where they meet. I haven't messed any with a customizing one yet but always thought that it would look a lot nicer if the wood reciever joint was flush.

[Jimbo47]

This is just my theory on that and I'm sure someone probably has the more correct answer, but I believe it's because the stocks are made as a one size fits all and the tolerances and size of the bolt hole are exaggerated.    The stock is a pinch fit meaning it's not going to be in the exact close tolerance spot from rifle to rifle and it's just the amount of pressure applied to the stock bolt that actually holds the stock in place.
The stocks are assembly line made, and then when it comes time to assemble the rifle, it's less time consuming to not have to line up each and every stock during assembly and probably why these rifles are less expensive than others.
Just my thoughts on why, but I understand where the original makers of the Handi Rifle were coming from.

[quickdtoo]

Not all H&R wood stocks are so proudly fitted at the frame, they've varied over the years a lot, here's an example of two BC stocks, the top one is a 2005 on my 45-120, the other is on my 2007 38-55.



But a little wood working can make them much nicer as one our members here did on the stock he sold me for my 35 Rem.

Tim

[Jimbo47]

I like it!
 
Just might do that with my 45-70 I'm putting together! 

[JB White]

I'm going to take a guess here, but I can think of a few reasons why the timber might be left proud where it meets the receiver.
1. It's in the way the stock fits into the metal with a sort of ball and socket type arrangement. If the wood were fitted tight, shrinkage over time would leave sharp exposed metal edges.
2. If the wood were fitted tight, given the dimensions of the receiver the wrist would feel too small for a good number of shooters.
3. If it were fitted close, the cost of the rifle would be much higher than it is as that takes extra time and time is money.
Pretty much boils down to speed of production as mentioned above.
Diego, should you choose to reshape the wrist or pistol grip, take notice of the buttstock hole and its relationship to the surface in that area. If you drop the comb detail into the wrist area for asthetics you risk thinning too much and creating a weak spot that may split over time. Be sure to leave enough 'meat' for the sake of structural integrity. "Pallet wood" stock blanks aren't exactly selected with fine detail in mind.