So most of my post are in the reloading section, so decide to come over to this side of the house. I have a light 12 that the stock has been loose on for some time and every time I go to get it out, I put it back. Not that it won’t function, just don’t like it. So after watching art’s videos I decided to make one of those nifty tools to fix the lose stock. So a quick search of the field manual tells you that the stock tang screw is 1/4x40. I searched high and low for a threaded rod 1/4x 40. Everyone I talked to said “ are you sure it’s not 1/4x20. Ok hang up and call another place. Looked for a week and finally decided to visit my machine shop buddy to make one. Well when I told him what I was doing he said did you try mcmasters? Who the hell are they. Quick call and yes they have 1/4x40 threaded rods. Then I thought I needed a junk receiver( more on that later), just so happens a gunsmith buddy gave me a guy to call. Sure enough he had a receiver out of round. Someone tried to remove magazine tube and distorted it. Next was a trigger. Easy 20 bucks off eBay. Good thing I wasn’t expecting a usable one. Anyway it worked.
As the only part you need is the trigger plate. Note: make sure you know how thick your trigger plate is, some are thicker then others. If not you will have to adjust for that. Next I installed the trigger on the receiver and threaded the rod in to get the correct angle.
Next I needed a bushing that was 1/4 ID that I could run my drill bit down. Trip to local hardware yielded a steel bushing. Then I dropped the bushing on the threaded rod and brazed in place. Note: don’t braze the back as I did, you will then be using a file. Brazing the front( closest to trigger) is all you need.
Now it was time to drill out the hole in the stock. I used 3/8 drill bit. My hole was pretty bad. Then I super glued an oak dowl in the hole. Note: you ain’t got time to screw around. Insert it and check to make sure it’s flush on the other end. I let it dry for about 30 min and chiseled it off. Then put the jig on my stock and drill the 1/4 hole. Now on mine I didn’t need the special reamer that art talks about( maybe lucky). My screw goes in tight and sucked the stock right up. Anyway it’s pretty straight forward. The angle of the screw is critical, but with this set up there is no guessing. I don’t think you have to have a receiver. A trigger plate that you can braze the bushing too should work. You could always use your existing receiver, and another trigger plate. A5 day tomorrow with a tight stock. It was a good outing today with the 28. Cleaned the field with a straight 50. Gotta love the 28!
Well done Ranger. I order all kinds of stuff from McMaster for my work. When we talked about this project a few days ago I can’t believe I didn’t think about using just a spare trigger plate. Nice shooting too
Good post. This repair and making an “Arts” jig is on my list too. So in understanding you just used off the shelf 1/4” x 40 tpi rod and itbscrewed straight into the tapped hole. Interesting I would have thought it would be metric in line with other stuff on the gun.
Yep. I did order a tap and die along with it, glad I did as I chased the threads of the hole, they had a bunch of crude in them. If you look up the field service manual it list all the bolt size and pitches. The stock screw is one of two that’s not metric if I remember correctly. Not sure why John Browning came up with that, but I’m sure he had a reason. It was well worth the time and effort, no stock slap today.
Oh yeah by the way as I get zero opportunity to see any real examples of variances , about what year range or serial onwards would you look as a guide see the changes in thickness on the trigger plate ?
That’s probably a Rudolph31 question. All I can say that if you see the two side by side you will know which one is which. If you could only find the thin tang one and needed the thick, I think all you would have to do is shim it. The angle should not change.
I do know art mentions fitting the jap stocks, that it will sit to low in the stock and they correct that with a shim. I have one of those jap stocks on one of my Belgium guns. It was fitted by a browning service center and it obviously didn’t have a shim put in and looks like shit. As soon as I find a good matching round knob set it’s gonna go.
All questions answered thanks. Only have a 38 standard 12 so the pic clears that up , least have something to compare against. You would think around the time of speed load and hammer change etc be the period of a heap of mods Biggest headache for me will be a donor backend. I had perfectly good one in hand last year from a gun I bought and trashed for parts. Even though it was getting officially handed in and disposed with angle grinder put through it the Govt areas could not agree would not let me keep the back end to make a jig. It killed to destroy perfectly good Belgium receiver to appease Authorities but was only way around the legal things.
Auzzie: you could use your backend. It doesn’t get damaged. You only need a spare trigger plate. The other issue with the trigger depending on what year receiver your gun has, may be where the carrier spring is located, so be aware before you buy a used trigger plate if your gonna do this.
Yes Ranger I agree that will work fine. The big headache for me even then will have to go fishing for a trigger plate your side of pond and all the associated BS as certainly nothing here to be had. Mine is the old style where the carrier spring is anchored on the peg in side of receiver. Still can’t believe had exactly what needed but had to hand over to keep authorities happy.
