22 Hornet Ruger #1 stock too long for wife

jski

Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
2,292
Location
Florida
My wife has taken over a 22 Hornet Ruger #1 I inherited. Gorgeous rifle but the stock is way too long for a 5’3” woman.

How best to remedy this? Best would be 2 stocks, one for my wife and one factory stock but who can reproduce that beautiful stock custom fit for my wife? Then there's simply cutting the existing stock to size.
 
Last edited:
EBay may be the place to go for a take-off Ruger No. 1 stock.

Boyd’s Gunstocks may also make custom-length laminate stocks for the No 1, I would try them too.

Stay safe.
 
More than 60 Ruger #1 stocks available on just the first page of EBay starting at $100.

You might want to see how it shoots before dumping money into it, I’ve seen a couple of #1 Hornets that were traded around that couldn’t be made to shoot well no matter who tried.
 
If you buy another stock, you’ll probably need to cut one of them down.

If you have a table-saw, not too bad to do.

Back when all I had was a radial saw, I build a jig like this and it works well. Just don’t move or slip once you start your cut.

A really fine saw blade is needed and can be expensive in and of themselves. Tape helps to keep fine splintering down.



There are several way to cut off excess. You can use a hand saw and flatten any high spots with sandpaper wrapped round a big mill bastard file or other flat object.

Takes patience anyway you go.

Kick pads are another tale especially soft ones like rubber or Sorbathane. Wrap the entire stock up so the rubber dust doesn’t get on the wood as it can be hard to get off some finishes. I like Kick-eese. Here’s their vid:


After getting off as much excess pad as possible with a belt sander or rough garnet paper on a block sprayed with WD40, then go finer using wet-or-dry paper. Wear a mask - nasty.

There were times when I thought paying a smith a couple hundred would have been a good investment. Now, after a bunch, it’s pretty easy. That first one I remember all too well …..
 
I watched the video. I agree with not using a dremel but for a different reason. I have three dremels and every one of them will run slower than the recommended speed but the sanding drums are too small and they lack power at slower speeds. Kickeez pads are a pain to sand to shape IMO compared to the rubber ones but are worth the effort. They also tend to deteriorate quicker than the rubber ones too. Maybe it's the intense sunlight and lack of humidity here that does it.

I haven't cut off a stock for sometime now. I originally used a radial arm saw and shims but switched to a miter saw after buying one. A 10", 80 tooth, blade makes a very smooth cut. Wrap the cut line with masking tape before sawing. Before the power saws I got my dad to saw them off with a handsaw. He was a wizard with one.
 
Last edited:
Concur with Ebay for spare stock which may be cut down.

When you attach the buttplate, put packaging tape over the stock and then blue painter's tape. then take to the sander to fit. If you touch the painter's tape, that's a warning to back off. Replace the painter's tape and continue with caution. When you're done remove the tape and enjoy.
 
Larry Feland can do the stock work, but it will be pricey…it will also be good. If you are going a custom stock, give Larry a call.

 
I found this on eBay and it looks like an excellent candidate. I sent some questions to the seller but it appears to be a Ruger #1 factory stock in good condition.
1692162142762.png
 
Last edited:
Called Larry Feland. Long backlog of work.

Are there others you guys could recommend that do excellent work?
 
So, just a rough estimate on having a smith to do the work:
Cut to length, fit new buttplate/recoil pad. $250
This stock looks to have been refinished and the checkering is not sharp. You would want to send in the forearm and have that finish matched as well. Strip, rechecker, seal and refinish minimum would be $350? So, $600 Minimum? For first class work, I’d recon $800?

New rifle $1400?

Be curious to see how it goes. Please follow up w/ pics.
 
Last edited:
So, just a rough estimate on having a smith to do the work:
Cut to length, fit new buttplate/recoil pad. $250
This stock looks to have been refinished and the checkering is not sharp. You would want to send in the forearm and have that finish matched as well. Strip, rechecker, seal and refinish minimum would be $350? So, $600 Minimum? For first class work, I’d recon $800?

New rifle $1400?

Be curious to see how it goes. Please follow up w/ pics.
Does that $800 include the price of the above butt stock? You’re simply saying: bad idea?

BTW, search about the web. Didn’t see any $1400 Ruger #1 chambered in 22 Hornet. Maybe missed one.
 
Last edited:
The other option is to use mineral spirits to remove any varnish/lacquer, apply a linseed oil finish, and have the butt stick cut to size. Then live with it as is. Just a thought.

Yeah, I bid and won it.
 
Last edited:
That'd be my way. You can get a checkering file to restore the peaks, but that takes a light and steady hand and is easy to mess up w/o experience. Strip it (stronger the better), mask off the checkering, and apply your finish. Razor arount the masking and pPull the masking off the checkering and use checkering oil there. When I've used Linseed, I've heated it and the finish has lasted many years. Tru-Oil has harders and is pretty easy to use. Brownell's has a slew of finishes as well.


Below is a Miroku stock about 1/2 way through an oil finish. If you're interested, I can tell you what I use. Beware that's it's about 15 coats to finish.
 

Attachments

  • Toms Miroku 001.jpg
    Toms Miroku 001.jpg
    120.5 KB · Views: 3
That'd be my way. You can get a checkering file to restore the peaks, but that takes a light and steady hand and is easy to mess up w/o experience. Strip it (stronger the better), mask off the checkering, and apply your finish. Razor arount the masking and pPull the masking off the checkering and use checkering oil there. When I've used Linseed, I've heated it and the finish has lasted many years. Tru-Oil has harders and is pretty easy to use. Brownell's has a slew of finishes as well.


Below is a Miroku stock about 1/2 way through an oil finish. If you're interested, I can tell you what I use. Beware that's it's about 15 coats to finish.
I would think that using a tooth brush dipped in mineral spirits for the checkering would be best?

Are you saying mineral spirits in subpar for this job? If not mineral spirits then what?
 
Last edited:
Talked with my local Ace helpful hardware man and he said I’ll definitely need something more “aggressive” than mineral spirits. He understood my problem (stripping the finish off a gun stock) and recommended this:
1692380067450.jpeg

He said there are more “aggressive” products but they all contain methylene chloride.
 
My wife has an 1100 with the same issue, she is 5'3" on her tip toes. We did the ebay deal as well. Mine was a little beat to hell, but it really did not matter. She was able to shoot the gun. She knows that the original stock, and that is as valuable to her as the "action" itself is nice and safe.

First couple times out she had me switch it in and out after she finished shooting. Now she just lets it live in the stock, but I do catch her looking at it when we go to get the stuff to bust clays.

Good on you making this into something your wife can do and keeping it "true to itself".
 
How might I remove this Ruger cap from the stock!
1692416870589.png
Does that Ruger insignia pop off by some means?
 
To provide more details to what I posted earlier:

Determine her length of pull.
Determine the butt pad width.
The above is used to determine where to cut (length of pull minus thickness of butt pad).

From the trigger, mark the length of pull on the stock.

Cut the stock on a bandsaw/tablesaw (set up a guide for straightness) to shorten the stock.

Check with machinist square that it is level.

Find the centerline (you can do this with a washer on a string) and mark it on the toe and heel. Attach the buttplate/recoil pad such that is is centered.

Now apply package tape around the stock. This is the heavy, clear plastic tape. Then cover with blue painter's tape.

Take it to a belt sand and carefully sand off the excess. If you touch the blue tape, stop, check the package tape. If it's OK, reapply painter's tape and sand off the excess.

When it is done correctly, there should be no need to refinish the stock.
 
I would think that using a tooth brush dipped in mineral spirits for the checkering would be best?

Are you saying mineral spirits in subpar for this job? If not mineral spirits then what?
No, in fact stripping the checkering is paramount. What I am saying is that the peaks of the checkering are worn down - not sharp and therefore not grippy. If one wants to restore the checkering, there are checkering files to rework the "grooves" and restore the points. This, however, is a job that can be really messed up very easily. Just a caution.

Here's the file:
Does that $800 include the price of the above butt stock? You’re simply saying: bad idea?

BTW, search about the web. Didn’t see any $1400 Ruger #1 chambered in 22 Hornet. Maybe missed one.

No, not the cost of the stock. Just the LOP and the finish restoration.

Here's some #1:



Here's the file:
https://www.brownells.com/tools-cleaning/gun-tools/stock-tools/no.-131-checkering-riffler/

The first stock I did was a pre-64 Model 70. The stock had been tied to backpacks and was rough looking, to say the least, but there were no actual gouges in the wood. Just dents that are easy to remove with a clothes iron and a wet cloth. The checkering was a mess with dents and flat checkering. Once everything was stripped using Kleen Stip only in the orange paste, then the checkering work started on the grip and forend. Superfine and scary work but a joy when completed. Then the checkering was masked off; I believe I've sent a photo of stock to you before. All the dents were successfully raised, stock sanded, raising the grain w/ water, resanding, and finally applied an oil finish using products that I believe I've also sent to you. That stock took about 15 coats which were dried in a dust-free enclosure. A very fine blade was used to "break" the overspray on the checkering masking. Then the masking was removed and the checkering was finished using checkering oil which is not a stock finish.


Another site that might be helpful.

dembart is the best and had checkering finishes.

You have to decide if all this work, or any parts of it, are worth your time and effort. The first few stocks are a sweat no doubt depending on what you take on. If you have the bucks, then spend them.

Happy to help w/ anything else you might need.
 
Back
Top