Cracked stock repair question

[Sneakon]

Not so much a question, but I need direction/suggestions on how to repair a left hand TC Renegade stock.  Can't find a replacement.  The crack runs from the top of the stock through the barrel channel and ends in the grip part of the stock.  I think I figured out how to post pictures.

[Loyalist Dave]

OUCH!  Well I've seen that type of crack before..., it was in a Pedersoli Bess, and it was fixed once before I got to it, so I was fixing the second crack.  I figured out that whoever drilled the circular hole for the sear lever, drilled it a tad too deep.   So I cut off the tip of a dowel that fit the hole, just a small disk of hardwood to reenforce the repair.

Now I took a 3/32 drill bit, and drilled several holes in the wood perpendicular to the crack, from the top down.  Then I used Brownell's Bedding Compound and 1/8 wood doweling in the holes, and a couple of clamps, to set the repair.  I installed the disk I mentioned above, which was about 1/8" thick, and used the bedding compound on it as well.  I had to shorten the seer lever tip just a bit, but it still covered the internal trigger slot completely..., and the repair has held ever since (2008).  

Now in your case you might want to allow the compound a dowels to stick up just a bit, and then sand them flush.  You probably will need to refinish the stock a darker color, to cover the repair or make it less obvious.  IF you can open the crack a bit, you might put some bedding compound in there too, but that's risky for if you put too much pressure..., you may break the stock apart.

FYI it's only a wild arsed guess that the hole was too deep thus weakening the stock a bit too much..., but the repair has held, and couldn't hurt as long as you don't change the interior area so much as to mess with the moving parts of the lock.  

LD

[pathfinder]

Not sure about the deephole theory,but it's an easy repair.Spread the crack open,force 24hr epoxy in the crack untill it's coming out of EVERYWHERE, grease up the barrel REAL good in the breach area,assemble the gun without the lock,wipe off excess epoxy with an alcohol soaked rag as it seeps out,then leave it for 2 day's. You dont want to clamp the stock together without the barrel in it to avoid a different stress set up. You can put in a couple of dowels perpendicular to the crack if it'll make ya feel better. I have 3 original dbl barrel shotguns that I've fixed in this way over 20 years ago and they get HARD use and they still are as good as when first fixed.

[B.Habermehl]

I agree wth Pathfinder, except I use a heat gun or a hair drier to warm the joint after the initial application of epoxy. This will allow the epoxy to further penetrate the crack. Now apply the clamps or heavy rubber tubeing to close the gaps.   BJH

[Sneakon]

Thanks for the info guys.  When I was looking closer at how the barrel fits the stock, I noticed the that the tang measures 15 16ths, but the barrel is 1 inch.  My guess is that this could be a problem, so I'm looking for a 1 inch tang for the TC Renegade.