[grsjax]

I found a neider buttplate and would like to use it on one of my rifles. How hard is it to shape the butt for the neider plate? What would it cost to have a gunsmith do it?

[krs]

Aren't those pretty? Fellow named A.O.Neidner, wasn't it?

I did one years ago and it was, umm, labor intensive.

They're being made with CNC machines now, for cheap. The originals were handmade, one at a time.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=332&title=NEIDNER%20BUTT%20PLATE%20&%20GRIP%20CAP

[dfariswheel]

Shaping is, as above, labor intensive.
Takes more than the normal woodworking skills, and requires some special techniques to get a tight no-gap fit.

How much to install depends on the gunsmith, and many simply don't have the skills either these days.

[dirtyjim]

i've done several of them & they're not that difficult. jim carmichel's book do it yourself gunsmithing even shows how to do it step by step. the book can usually be found on amazon for under $15.

the was i do them is very similar to the way its shown in the book. i trace the curve onto the stock using a piece of stiff paper pressed up against the buttplate. then cut it with a coping saw. then i drill two holes for keeping the buttplate in position while i'm scraping the buttstock to fit the buttplate. i use a wood screw thats the same size as the holes & about 2" long while i'm fitting the plate. i cut the heads off & slot the end of them like action inletting screws. for most of the fitting i use a half round wood rasp to get it close then a scaper & inletting black to finish it.

the only part thats tricky is the widows peak at the top. i use a scraper & some palm chisels for it. on your first attempt at it i would inlett the widows peak about 1/16" below the top of the stock incase you mess up & have a small gap. if you do get a small gap you can wet the wood & pound it into the gap & close it up. if you cut the widows peak flush with the top you would have to fill it with epoxy.
once it's fitted to the stock i start on the buttplate screws. i use as large a diameter screw as will fit through the hole in the buttplate. buy a pack of slotted wood srews about 1" long. the heads will be to large to use as is but thats part of doing it right. go through the pack untill you have two screws that end up with the slots pointing staight up & down. then take a needle file or slotting file thats the same width as the scew slots & deepen them to the bottom of the screw head. put everything back together then file the heads of the screws flush with the buttplate. blue the screws & your done. you don't have to go through all that trouble fitting & aligning the screws but the extra 30 minutes it takes is well worth it