K31 stock questions

[K3]

I just picked up one of these excellent rifles. The action and barrel are pristine. The stock OTOH has some pretty serious cracks, a couple of which go through. The worst is right underneath the magazine release.

I ordered an unfinished replacement stock for $165, about what I payed for the rifle, so I can always replace if meed be.

What I am wondering is, is the accuracy and shootability going to be adversely affected by the cracks in the original stock?

 

[bl4ckd0g]

Your answer is a probable "yes". There's a how-to on the swissrifles.com forum that could answer your question.

 

[ROMAK IV]

Do a real thorough accuracy test,and see. The K-31 stock is supposed to float the barrel. Often, triggers and actions can be affected if the stock is craked and prevents the action from being tightened. I always check the screws on the stock to make sure they are tight, especially on Moison Nagants and SKS's.

 

[Soybomb]

The K-31 stock is supposed to float the barrel.

Fwiw the k31 barrel does not float.

 

[jpwilly]

Well it depends. The cracks may or may not interfear with the accuracy. Consider the practice of bedding the action. Is the stock cracked in that area? It will probably help to make the rifle less accurate. If its in the handguard probably not. Post a range report for us with the cracked stock then with the other stock and let us know what you find. Thanks!

 

[K3]

Will do. If I remember, I'll take pictures of the cracks and post them. Got plenty of GP-11 on the way, so range time should not be a problem.

 

[Slamfire]

Without pictures it is impossible to evaluate the stock cracks.

I would not recommend firing any rifle with stock cracks until the cracks have been repaired. Cracks propogate.

However a cracked stock can be fixed. I fixed several cracked stocks with Acura Glass available from Brownell's. Acura Glass is an epoxy glue and I have no doubt that there are a bunch of clear, free flowing epoxy glues that would work just fine. I have found that shops that cater to boats, “Marine Supply Stores” have can upon cans of fantastic high grade epoxy glues. Boat owners have a lot of wood and fiberglass that must be repaired after ramming Great White Whales.

What you want is something that will flow into the crack. Just a thin layer of this stuff is actually stronger than the wood.

I will apply masking tape covered with johnson’s paste wax around the crack. With tape you can peel the mess off later and epoxy won’t adhere to the paste wax. Just don’t get the paste wax in the crack. Then spread the crack and try to get the epoxy to wick into the crack. When the crack is well coated, I will clamp the part reasonable tight. I don’t want all the glue to ooze out, but I want a glue joint that is hard to find.

When the stuff cures to a gummy level, peel the tape off, scrape off excess glue with a plastic sharp edge. If you wait too long it will take a dremel tool to grind the epoxy away.

Depending on where the crack is located, this should work.

I had a Garand stock that a slamfire incident cracked the stock from the lower ferrule through the pistol grip. It was my first and most crude glue job. But it worked. Then I decided to use that stock to learn how to route all the wood and glass bed a Garand action. While my bedding job looks like extra crunchy peanut butter, the crack and the bedding job worked fine. Shot good scores.

Then I bought a nice stock and had that bedded by a pro.

I bought a bunch of M1903A3 stock reinforcing bolts. These look like long thin brass screws without a head. I think they were drilled into the stock. I have not used them yet, but something like that might help reinforce a glue joint.

Don't dump or damage the original stock until you get that replacement stock in hand. My experience with aftermarket replacement stocks is that they take hours upon hours of fitting work. You had best be darn good with chisels, rasps, sandpaper, drills and bedding tools. You may decide early that repairing the old stock is the best way to go.

 

[El Barto]

I got a K98 from AIM (I think) and when I was doing the initial cleaning, I noticed a small crack on the right side of the stock, near the rear of the receiver. I wanted to make sure that the stock was sturdy and so I flexed the stock to see if the crack went all the way through the wood. I didn't bend it over my knee or anything, just held it in both hands and bent it at the crack. Well, the stock split neatly and easily along the grain.

I used Gorilla Glue to put it back together but I haven't shot it yet. It looks good, but I can't verify the stability yet.

 

[U.S.SFC_RET]

K31 stocks can be made to relieve the slight pressure off of the barrel as they did on the K11. Float? Yes. The barrel does not lay in the stock. The receiver screws are tightened or loosened to achieve the tightest groups possible. Technically speaking you can get the barrel to float by adjusting the screws and using locktite "blue" locktite.