How would you fix these cracks? Krag 1898 Stock

Looking at all three pics, I would replace the stock. If it was just the third, internal one, I would use wicking cyanoacrylate.

Is a sporterized beater? Or do you just want a functioning stock?

This is barbaric, but it worked for me. As long as the wood is sound, that is not rotten, spend an hour with a dremel tool and route out a lot of wood on the inside. Enough wood so the entire back of one crack is covered, plus some more to prevent more cracking. Then, cover the crack with something to prevent leakage and fill the hole with two part epoxy. I used Evercoat, everfix, Marine epoxy. Mix this up in a small cup and pour it in. It has the consistency of honey. You can mix in fiberglass fibers to thicken it, and the particles will make it stronger. Once that is cured, like a day or so, work on the next crack. Epoxy is stronger than wood, when bedding rifles, I route out a lot of wood.

Cast pillars with Bisonite



Route out an ungodly amount of wood around the pillars





Fill gap with two part epoxy. I try to create epoxy layers around a quarter inch if possible, but even an 1/8 inch is tremendously strong.

The cracks that can opened slightly then squeezed close can be repaired with any good wood glue. The crack that seems to run parallel with the wrist could be cross pinned.
Using a vacuum in the underside of a crack that seem to travel thru the wood will pull glue into the crack.

Drill holes like > https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/need-help-fixing-huge-hairline-crack-in-stock.861566/
Many photos

Slamfire gives you one way that can work but you will have to be VERY careful with a Krag stock as you have very little to work with under the receiver. There was already some issues with the inletting which is why it cracked in the first place so a careful glass bedding of the receiver while you are fixing the cracks might work but your clearances are minimal under the receiver. Make sure to fix the inletting too while you are at it. Given the probable age of the stock, the wood probably dried out and left the receiver room to recoil against the stock and the stock split.

@GunnyUSMC is one of the experts in stock restoration here and so I have put a notifier for him to join in.

My woodworking consists of a few rifle stocks but a lot more fixing wood furniture and the like including antiques. Take these as mere suggestions as there is a lot of information out there about this subject. This is stuff that has worked for me.

To fix the cracks for a shooting rifle that I see in the pictures, you are going to need some horizontal reinforcing inserts of some type (at 90 degrees to the crack) at several places along the crack fault line. I would advise using a resin product like Acraglass instead of cyanoacrylate (crazy glue), one because it can be colored to look very similar to the surround wood, two, it is a resilient repair and is very strong. You will need a variety of clamps or use the surgical tubing to draw the fixed stock crack closed and then deal with the squeeze out. Make sure to use some sort of covering of your stock surface (paste wax works with Acraglas or their release agent they sell) of some sort to cover places you don't want the acraglas to go (or whatever else you are using). More is better and release agent is cheap compared with an antique Krag stock.

A lot of things can be used for the reinforcement inserts including embedding fiberglass cloth in the acraglas, threaded brass rod (the old armorer technique), bamboo skewers (can be stained appropriately and a bit less noticeable than brass). Steel is not recommended because of rust issues but epoxy coated steel cabinet nails with ring shanks do a good job and if you pick black or brown ones, can be nearly impossible to notice. Acraglas sticks to all of these. Last, but not least, wood inlay bowties can be used to span the crack if you are good at inletting. These are often used on outside cracks because they are a bit more elegant. Some folks recess their rod fixes and then use a plug method to cover it as well and done correctly can be almost unnoticeable if you refinish the stock.

Crazy glue, under recoil stress, can sugar (break up into sugar like particles) and is better used in cracks without any stress on them.

I was gonna suggest pins also, wood, brass, nickel silver, or whatever pleases your eye. Search amazon for knife handle pin stock and they have alot of beatiful round stock with designs in all different sizes.

Glue use depends on how oily the wood is.
My experience has been that glues alone just can't be trusted to repair cracks.

The Ordnance method with or without glues is a proven permanent repair for gun stocks......

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...repair-pins/stock-repair-pin-kit-prod617.aspx

These actually pull the crack together and make a permanent repair.
You can also use small diameter long brass wood screws.
Drill with a bit the same diameter as the screw or pin shank size and the threads will tightly pull the crack together tighter then any clamping method can.

After pinning, cut the pins or screws off flush, sand level with the wood with wet or dry sand paper on a block, then color the brass with a drop of cold blue.
The pins almost disappear.

carbine85 said:

Does anyone have any experience with this? https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...hesives/hot-stuff-instant-glue-prod13081.aspx
I've never pinned a stock before and not so sure this is the one to learn on.

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Yes, I use it for non stress cracks. It is very thin but not great if you plan to fire the krag. It is a variant of crazy glue (as a generic term).

You do need to degrease and remove oil any place you are planning to use any adhesive. Some are tricky than others but acraglas is usually the gold std which is why you brownells has sold it for years. Premium wood glues can work but generally inferior fix over time due to gun cleaning solvents.

The biggest problem with a Kraft stock is that there’s not much wood around the action area.
The last Krag stock I repaired was a very nice stock that ended up needing about 14 repairs. All of which didn’t show once the rifle was back in the stock. It belonged to a member, Sandlaper, over at SRF.
The repair cost was right at $300. But Sandlaper was a great guy so, I told him to send me $100 to cover the repairs and shipping.
If you post more pics from different angles, I’ll give you directions on each repair.
I don’t take much repair work in these days, but I will be retiring in August and will start taking in some work.

carbine85 said:

Is that Locktite?

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No, it is what many call "crazy glue". A totally different material. Loctite is designed to not cure in the presence of air. I still would replace the stock instead of wasting time on an uncertain repair.

beag_nut said:

No, it is what many call "crazy glue". A totally different material. Loctite is designed to not cure in the presence of air. I still would replace the stock instead of wasting time on an uncertain repair.

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Have you ever tried to find an original Kraft stock?

carbine85 said:

I have and still looking. A lot of the Krag rifles have been sporterized and the proper stock isn't easy to find.
I'm planning on going to the Gunshow in Louisville this weekend. It's on my shopping list.

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Original replacement stocks are very hard to find and they are not cheap when you find one.
Most Kraft stocks will be cracked in the action area, but most are easy to repair.

That Hot Stuff glue is a cyanoacrylate that is thinner than water,,,
It will flow into a crack where thick glues like epoxys will not,,,
It will only bond if you can close the crack tightly.

It first hit the market in the mid-70's and became the glue of preference for RC Airplane makers.

It will not fill a gap but bonds under contact pressure.

When using it for airplane models you would put a tiny drop between the two pieces,,,
Then press them together as hard as you could.

When the bond happened you got a small puff of smoke,,,
I think that's why they call it Hot Stuff.

The only way to get it to fill was to take sawdust and pack it into the gap,,,
Then when you put a drop of it on the dust you got that same puff of smoke

My Pop started using it to repair carved wood trim on antique furniture,,,
The bond is very strong but only if you get that puff of smoke from tight physical contact.

Aarond

.

You have basically three repairs that have to be made. First would be the crack on the left side of the stock. You will need to drill into the stock from inside the action area to the end of the crack. The repair is the same as the one in the link that Boom Boom posted.
Next would be the crack at the tang the goes through the wrist. You will need to drill from inside the tang area, following the crack into the wrist. Pretty much the same as the other.
The crack in front of the trigger needs a channel cut across the crack just in front of the trigger and another in front of the screw hole forward of the trigger.
I do like working on Krag stocks and would be willing to do the repairs for you. PM me if interested.

aarondhgraham said:

That Hot Stuff glue is a cyanoacrylate that is thinner than water,,,
It will flow into a crack where thick glues like epoxys will not,,,
It will only bond if you can close the crack tightly.

It first hit the market in the mid-70's and became the glue of preference for RC Airplane makers.

It will not fill a gap but bonds under contact pressure.

When using it for airplane models you would put a tiny drop between the two pieces,,,
Then press them together as hard as you could.

When the bond happened you got a small puff of smoke,,,
I think that's why they call it Hot Stuff.

The only way to get it to fill was to take sawdust and pack it into the gap,,,
Then when you put a drop of it on the dust you got that same puff of smoke

My Pop started using it to repair carved wood trim on antique furniture,,,
The bond is very strong but only if you get that puff of smoke from tight physical contact.

Aarond

.

Click to expand...

The problem with using it on gun stocks is that it dries too brittle and doesn’t hold up to recoil over time.