My Savage project is done!

[swingset]

Here's my completed 12FV in .223

I took the factory cheapo stock, sanded it, shot with self-etching primer, two coats of base primer, then gunship-gray and black to make the night-camo. I sanded the bedding block a hair, it wasn't relieved far enough, took the trigger down to parts and polished all the bearing surfaces. With the accutrigger at it's lowest adjustment, it weighs in just over 1.7 pounds, breaks clean as glass with little creep. The bases are Weavers, the scope is my old Tasco world-class 8x56 with the 3-bar Ajack reticle (my favorite for hunting).

It's shooting .875" groups with Win 55gr. jhp's, might do better once I get a good handload worked up. It's now a sub-$500 raccoon and varmint killing machine!

 

[Braz]

Looks good Swingset!

I am thinking about painting my 10FP's stock. I've been playing with some camo patterns and an crinkled asphalt finish. These things can shoot, can't they? Have fun.

 

[cool45auto]

Looks real good!

 

[Sisco]

Looks good!
I prepaired my stock much the same as you did, different paint scheme though. Check the "25.06" thread for a pic.

 

[tango3065]

Can u please give me step by step instructions on how u painted it and what kind of paint was used,it looks great>

 

[BusMaster007]

That's excellent. Real nice job.
To see it better, I copped it and lightened up. If it's OK, I'll leave that in the link, with your permission. Lemme know if you want it removed...

 

[QuarterBoreGunner]

Nice work- I plane on re-finishing a synthetic M1A stock in the near future, and I like your camo job; I may have to copy it.

But what the heck is ‘self-etching primer’?

And did you just tape mask the camo pattern or use some sort of stencil?

 

[cratz2]

Excellent! Good picture too.

I have a Savage 308 I've been thinking about doing this to. Except I might go arctic camo and I'd probably do the barrel to as it's stainless.

Don't have another one of those scopes, do you? I'd like to give one a try if I could find one. Or I could use my Kalinka.

Anyway, fine job. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Quack]

OK, one thing that i noticed in the pic is that you have the Harris bipod mounted in reverse...

 

[swingset]

Thanks for the kind words. I didn't know if anyone would care for the camo - but it does look good at night!

Quack - I know about the bipod being reversed. I prefer them backwards. I can flip the legs down when easier from shooting position when they're back towards me. I always put them on like that. Bugs the crap out of my brother who shoots with me alot. Must be the second reason I did it!

As for the hows and why's of painting:

Self etching primer is a nasty, stinky primer that really eats into a prepped surface. Auto body guys use it. Really bonds to the surface, and accepts paint better than regular primer. I used Sherwin Williams 988 primer for my stock. I warn you tho, it's nasty stuff. Don't EVER use it without a respirator, even outdoors.

I sanded the stock with emery cloth and then a 800 grit paper. Cleaned it with alcohol prior to shooting the primer, to get grease and stuff off it.

The top paint is just standard Testor's Model Master military flats. Nothing special. It works good, sprays easy and holds up well. I shot it with a Pasche VL airbrush, 2 light coats deep. I used hi-tack friskit paper (adhesive masking stuff from an art supply store) to cut the camo pattern, but masking tape would work just fine too.

I finished it off with 3 coats of Sherwin Williams poly-satin finish, and then hit it with Meguiar's yellow wax and buffed out the shine. Hopefully it will give it some protection from solvents and such. It's a pretty smooth overall job, seems really tough.

I'm not exactly an artist - so if you're thinking of doing it, don't hesitate. It's easy, really.

 

[Longbow]

swingset,
Very nicely done! ' love the camo pattern, ' mind if I copy it?!

 

[swingset]

Longbow - don't mind at all.

It's a loose copy of a "Razzle" pattern of German WWI uboats. Theirs was 3-tone, but the same splinters. I've seen it done as a night camo a few times, and it works really good in low light.

If you're in the dark, against a woodline or anything vertical like tall grass or shrubs, that camo really disappears. Me, I just like the way it looks!

 

[Longbow]

Thanks! I know it'll be perfect w/ my ninja outfit!
Now, all kidding aside, is that the original wood stock, just reshaped? or you got the plastic one in there?

 

[swingset]

That's the original synthetic stock on there. It shot so good with it, I didn't dare replace it with wood. That's a lesson I've learned the hard way. When they shoot, don't mess 'em up!

Plus, it's really meant to be drug around and used, so synthetic makes sense. I really tore up my last varmint gun with a wood stock and always vowed I'd not tear another one up.

 

[Longbow]

Thanks for the heads up on wood stocks! That possibility never came to me. I like the looks of their wood stocked rifles and thats what I'm wanting to get. But now that you told me your experience, I think I'll just get the synth one and maybe try to reshape it , but I don't know what material to use. I've heard marine putty's (hardens like plastic?) works great for that kinda work, but I have no experience w/ those. Oh well,.. I'll probably just take the plunge and get an after market stock.
I'm thumbing on my Brownell's catalog right now.....

 

[swingset]

www.rifle-stocks.com will do customs for you.

Wood stocks are fine if done correctly, but I wouldn't replace synthetic that's not binding the barrel with a wood that potentially might. Not worth it unless I'm after the aesthetics and in this case that's a back seat to functionality.

Wood takes some work to get right, is all.

 

[Sisco]

I had the self-etching primer applied at a body shop. Cost me a twelve pack.