islandhopper
01-21-2016, 08:27
I have a 1903 that hasn't been shot yet, but I am planning on remedying that very soon. The front of the stock seems to touch just at the tip on the barrel end as it should, and there is clearance at the rear, where the tang meets the stock. The receiver to trigger housing fit seems just right as well.
However, the receiver is a bit snug from both sides. I can feel it snug down into the stock when I tighten the trigger housing bolts. In other words, it doesn't just "drop in" and sit flat like I've seen with other stocks. That said, all of the other stocks I've dealt with are old, very worn USGI stocks with compressed wood.
The sides of the stock in-between the cross bolts is the area that is slightly tight to the receiver (the areas just above where the receiver has a flat area on the bottom and begins to become round - maybe a 1/4" up from that flat area). It is tight enough that when you set the barreled receiver into the stock, it doesn't sit flat in the stock but rather has a slight front to back tip to it. It seems that the left side, just in front of the cutoff for about an inch and a half or so is a little tighter of a fit than on the right side. When I tighten the trigger housing screws, it pulls the receiver down correctly and tightly and everything functions as it should.
My questions are:
1. Is this an okay fit/normal for uncompressed wood, or will shooting the rifle like this cause the stock to crack on the sides from recoil? Part of me thinks that the snugger the better, to keep everything in place, and I don't want to go relieving wood to cause a loose fit. However, I also could see that with recoil, there is the potential for damage if the wood is pressing up against the sides of the receiver in such a thin area (my guess as to why they put stock bolts in the stocks in the first place).
2. Also, should there be clearance at the back of the rear handguard where it meets the fixed rear sight base (like with a Garand rear handguard) or does this not matter? I would prefer not to crack the handguard.
Thank you all very much for your consideration.
However, the receiver is a bit snug from both sides. I can feel it snug down into the stock when I tighten the trigger housing bolts. In other words, it doesn't just "drop in" and sit flat like I've seen with other stocks. That said, all of the other stocks I've dealt with are old, very worn USGI stocks with compressed wood.
The sides of the stock in-between the cross bolts is the area that is slightly tight to the receiver (the areas just above where the receiver has a flat area on the bottom and begins to become round - maybe a 1/4" up from that flat area). It is tight enough that when you set the barreled receiver into the stock, it doesn't sit flat in the stock but rather has a slight front to back tip to it. It seems that the left side, just in front of the cutoff for about an inch and a half or so is a little tighter of a fit than on the right side. When I tighten the trigger housing screws, it pulls the receiver down correctly and tightly and everything functions as it should.
My questions are:
1. Is this an okay fit/normal for uncompressed wood, or will shooting the rifle like this cause the stock to crack on the sides from recoil? Part of me thinks that the snugger the better, to keep everything in place, and I don't want to go relieving wood to cause a loose fit. However, I also could see that with recoil, there is the potential for damage if the wood is pressing up against the sides of the receiver in such a thin area (my guess as to why they put stock bolts in the stocks in the first place).
2. Also, should there be clearance at the back of the rear handguard where it meets the fixed rear sight base (like with a Garand rear handguard) or does this not matter? I would prefer not to crack the handguard.
Thank you all very much for your consideration.