Warped stock on CZ 527

[Oldnamvet]

I have a CZ 527 in .22 Hornet that is a real tackdriver - most of the time. Over time the stock is slowly warping so the barrel is no longer free floating on the right side. This affects accuracy and is frustrating. I tried shaving down the barrel channel to free it up and then refinished the channel. This worked for a while but the problem is back. I am no stranger to woodworking but, aside from cleaning and minor work, I have very little experience. I know that it is due to humidity changes and, as a woodworker, I know that some movement of wood is inevitable. What is the best way to go to deal with this situation? Or should I chuck the stock and try to find a dealer who has synthetic stocks that would fit? All suggestions appreciated.

Tom

 

[Sam]

Not a fun situation at all.
Assuming that you want to keep that stock:

:banghead: I would get it as dry as it is liable to get in your area, do any scraping needed to get clearance and then coat the inside of the barrel channel with a coat of the thinnest epoxy/fiberglass resin I could find.
Follow by refinishing the exterior with special atention to the endgrain to ensure that it is well sealed.

Sometimes hollowing or severing the grain wood internally will reduce warping if the grain is running in the right direction but you must use care to make sure that it is thick enough to prevent being crushed.

As a last resort you can pull it straight and inlet and glass bed a hardened steel bar into the forend, heavy but it works.

Personally I would invest in a new stock.

Sam

nice thing about living in New Mexico, out here aliens are more common that warped stocks.

Sam

 

[Jwar88]

That is just a bad piece of wood. The best way to deal with it would be to find a syn stock or adapt another one to the rifle. Otherwise you can reinforce the inletted area of the stock with epoxy resin and embed fiberglass or aluminum rod into the barrel channel. Once you essentially seal the inletted area of the stock with resin bedding material it should stabilize. This is a good argument for laminated wood stocks.

TC

 

[Oldnamvet]

*sigh* that is what I was afraid of.

I have made enough tabletops and other furniture to know that wood is going to move when the moisture content changes. With most of my stocks, it isn't enough to matter. Anyone know a good source for synthetic stocks? I'll probably try some fixes without a whole lot of confidence that they will work so I will need a backup plan (place to purchase a new stock).

I used to live in El Paso many years ago and knew what it was like to have stable lumber. Not so in Michigan.

 

[Jwar88]

You are right about the moisture affecting the wood, but if you reinforce and seal the stock well enough it will work! It is a lot of work to do but I used to enjoy it.

Also, once you remove some material from the barrel channel to make room to epoxy laminate in the reinforcing rods, the tendency of the wood to warp again will be zero. It won't be able to compress the epoxy, it is basically non-compressible.

Also, I don't think that steel is necessary, unless you want to add some weight. After you are all done, sand and seal the entire stock with a polyurethane-epoxy finish and no moisture will be able to enter or leave, so the stock will be stable.

I used to do this to all my hunting stocks before the syn stocks were readily available. I used broken fishing rod pieces. (I always seemed to have some of those... I glassed in the action and free floated the barrel to make sure that my cold barrel zero was always stable.

It sounds like you may have the woodworking skills, so go for it.

TC

 

[Sam]

Go ahead and try, it can't hurt anything and you might save the cost of a new stock.
Don't know of anyone making synthetics for the Mini yet.

Sam

 

[Spinner]

Boyds make both walnut and laminated wooden stocks for the CZ 527. Price on the laminated stock is $65.42 (choice of nutmeg or pepper) and the walnut stock is $60.58

http://www.boydboys.com/BrowseEbus/JRSCZ.asp

Spinner

 

[Oldnamvet]

Thanks Spinner

I hadn't known about them. Now I can give fixing it a try without wondering what I will do if I botch it.

Tom

 

[Spinner]

No problems. I don't know the quality of their products but I've been tempted for a while to sample them. From what I've seen of their webpage their woodwork looks good and seems reasonably priced.

Something to bear in mind anyway.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Spinner

 

[Spinner]

Hey Oldnamvet

How'd you get on with the stock on the CZ? Did you try straightening it, or did you go ahead and buy a new stock from Boyds?

Just curious to hear how you got on.

Spinner

 

[Oldnamvet]

Got started on straightening it but due to home duties it will probably be Christmas before I get it done.
Meanwhile, I just got back a .22 LR barrel for my T/C contender that I had rechambered for .22 Hornet. So the ammo will not go to waste. Now to just find time to get to the range!

 

[Standing Wolf]

Thanks, Spinner!

I've got a CZ 452 .22 caliber plinker that's a sweet shooter, but irredeemably ugly. I checked Boyd's a few months ago. Now it seems the company has replacement stocks. Hooray!