OEM stocks cracking and or breaking

[Rare Breed]

Thanks!!! i thought that would make a big difference

 

[Rob404]

All my Heavy calibers have double cross bolts. When I had my Jeffery built my GS bedded the stock and also added another recoil lug to the barrel

 

[colorado]

NOT undergunned, by any chance? Those feral rabbits can be dangerous critters, I've heard ...

I've stopped all the charges so far lol!

 

[cajunchefray]

I've stopped all the charges so far lol!

As a 500 Jeffery owner, probably a 1 shot stop? LOL!

 

[fourfive8]

All of above Lead sleds will break stocks. Usually good glass bedding with relief around action screws and tang will prevent most cracks. Cracks usually are result of driving of action screws and tang rearward during recoil... a wedging effect. Proper bedding of recoil lug (s) is important as the flattened surface is what takes and distributes the recoil force. Cross bolts also help but should not be the primary mechanical that helps prevent cracking from recoil. I do my own bedding and stock prep and all my heavy recoilers have two recoil lugs, two cross bolts and are glass bedded with pillars. Of course a rugged synthetic stock like an HS Precision won't crack no matter how it's treated, whether shot in a 50+# lead sled or not.

 

[uplander01]

Never ever use lead sleds, will certainly ruin a nice wood stock.

I’ve had plenty of 375’s without lugs, there isn’t enough recoil imo on a properly bedded 375 to worry about it. Get to the 40’s maybe, 50’s probably best to have some reinforcement in there. The only guns I’ve heard having consistent splitting and cracking problems are cz’s, and rugers. I’ve used mostly dakotas, and other full custom makers over the years and never worried about it at all. I’m not sure the “lugs” on dakotas are even functional, more decoration than anything. Proper stock design, inletting, pillar bedding possibly and or glass, etc imo eliminates these worries, and also action bolt uniform tension.——-that’s a whole other debate, but if your crunching wood over tightening, you’re going to break something.

 

[CBH Australia]

question please…i have two sleds for sight in only. the first is a caldwell with a solid butt end…I NEVER USE this due to fear of cracking a stock on my large bores. My second one which i use does not have a solid butt end…just a fork so that while rock steady i feel all the recoil in my shoulder which is fine yet i get the steadiness I need for sight in only…my question is doesn’t this prevent the stock from cracking due to the open end sled?

I think when they refer to sleds they are referring to the Caldwell "Lead Sled" or something like it where a heavy based rest with a solid butt stop is not allowing the shooter or other means to absorb some of the recoil.

 

[Bill Raby]

When I build a 4 bore rifle I have to make it to deal with a ridiculous amount of recoil. I always bed from the tang to the front of the fore end. I put a 5/8 inch or 3/4 inch steel rod through the stock from the breech to the butt plate. For a 4 bore I use a metal butt plate instead of a recoil pad and also bed the butt plate. Never had any trouble with it when done that way.

 

[Tokoloshe Safaris]

I have repaired and replaced many CZ stocks for CAMPFIRE most we broken again do to neglegence. The exception has been the ones that I replaced with Bell & Carlson stocks.

 

[sgt_zim]

My most recent acquisition was a CZ 550 in 458 Lott built in 2007 that I suspect is most likely unfired or at most fired very little meaning a box or less. This rifle doesn't have any crossbolts in the stock and that worries me. Some of you suggested that I have them installed, others have suggested that I purchase a synthetic stock. Being a relatively Nubie to larger bore rifles a.k.a 375 and above (probably less than 200 rounds fired in total) I'm curious about what other larger bore owners have experienced with OEM wood stocks cracking and or breaking. Does "bedding" prevent stock breakage? I've read about stock breakage on bolt action rifles but don't recall ever seeing a post about stock breakage on a double rifle even when/where really big bores are being used. Is there a reason for that?

What have your experiences been?

The stock on my 9.3x62 cracked right in front of the trigger. Who'd have guessed that might be an issue with that cartridge?

Anyway, I did buy a new (1/2" longer LOP) stock for it. The smith at Gordy & Sons here in Houston said he could repair it, but I opted for a new stock anyway, which he's bedding.

My 404J has a synthetic stock. Given my experience with my 9.3, if the 404 had had a wooden stock and no cross-bolts, I'd have had a pair of them added.

 

[tomiam]

I am also changing from original to Bell & Carlson stock. But the internal magazine box was bedded into the original stock. Does anyone know where I might pick up an internal magazine box for a CZ 375 H&H rifle?

 

[Riflecrank]

I got two of the first-issue CZ 550 Magnum Safari Classics "Premium Grade" rifles in 2006,
first catalog year for .505 Gibbs and 404 Jeffery, among others (announced as "coming soon" in 2005 catalog).
.458 Lotts had been around by 2005 catalog or earlier,
.500 Jeffery did not show up until 2007 Catalog.

I got the 404 Jeffery and the .505 Gibbs.
They had fancy wood and NO CROSS BOLTS,
not even the single one rearward of trigger like on the earlier ones with plainer wood.

That 404 Jeffery broke off at the wrist.
The .505 Gibbs survived.
Poorer grain flow through the grip on the 404 Jeffery.
Marble-cake wood in the wrong area.

CZ replaced my stock with their "Kevlar" version, same as the current B&C offering,
at my request as I wanted no more of their fancy wood.

CZ soon did better with adding cross bolts, it was a learning curve thing for them, DOH !!!
They soon stopped offering the .505 Gibbs too.
All of this is part of why they are no longer making those CZ 550 Magnum rifles.
Profit margin was not helped by stock replacements over the years.
By the time CZ-USA learned how to reinforce their stocks it was too late.


Getting my CZ-USA catalogs off the shelf was fun, years 2000 and 2005-2020 inclusive.
CZ-USA was established in Kansas City, MO in 1998.
I forgot about the 2005 catalog bragging on the CZUSA Model 3,
first CZ rifle made entirely in the USA, and G&A nominee for "Gun of the Year" in 2004.
It had stainless CRF short/WSM action with WinM70-style safety,
with fluted stainless barrel in "field grade American walnut" stock.
Also a chrome-moly blued and walnut version.

 

[Riflecrank]

I am also changing from original to Bell & Carlson stock. But the internal magazine box was bedded into the original stock. Does anyone know where I might pick up an internal magazine box for a CZ 375 H&H rifle?

See if CZ-USA in Kansas City is sitting on leftover parts for the CZ 550 Magnum.
I used to call them up to order replacements of the sheet metal magazine box over the telephone.
Should be pretty easy to fabricate from sheet metal as a last resort.
There were two main variations marked as either 375 H&H or .458 WM,
ribbed sides of box and smooth-sided box respectively.

 

[Riflecrank]

Here is the 2006, first issue CZ 550 Magnum .505Gibbs and 404 Jeffery as with OEM stocks:

Simply wood not do !
So I had an expert gunsmith fully glass bed with pillars and exposed cross bolts:

Yep, bad wood broke at the wrist/grip on the lighter-recoiling 404 Jeffry.
If only I had requested an axial bolt grip.
After that, here is how I order them or do them myself:

 

[Riflecrank]

Above highly reinforced laminate stock got used on a ".500 Jeffery Match" rifle that grew out of a 21-year accumulation of parts.
That stock weighed almost 3.5 pounds.
It is to be replaced by a 2.5-pound B&C stock for CZ 550 Magnum,
to make a 9-pound 500 Mbogo instead of a 10-pounder.

Love those B&C stocks.
You can drop your rifle into one and let it bed itself in the aluminum alloy bedding block,
no worries of breakage.
Fine tune by glass bedding the recoil lug(s).
You may want to just get rid of the barrel lug contraption on the CZ and just free-float the vestigial barrel lug in the recess inside the B&C forearm.
Or use a dab of epoxy bedding there too, however it shoots best.

 

[Nhoro]

I am also changing from original to Bell & Carlson stock. But the internal magazine box was bedded into the original stock. Does anyone know where I might pick up an internal magazine box for a CZ 375 H&H rifle?

Why don't you try and heat the metal magazine box with a heat gun/ paint removing gun. Maybe tape off the nearby finish first. Heat pops metal off the epoxy - it is just a question of how much heat is needed.

 

[tomiam]

Why don't you try and heat the metal magazine box with a heat gun/ paint removing gun. Maybe tape off the nearby finish first. Heat pops metal off the epoxy - it is just a question of how much heat is needed.

Great tips. I've connected with CZ-USA: no go, they've all been bought up. I've reached out to Tim @ Matrix Gunsmithing: fingers crossed. ... I love the heating things up tip. Going to go do that now!

 

[steve white]

NOT undergunned, by any chance? Those feral rabbits can be dangerous critters, I've heard ...

"Y'all are not gonna believe this..." is how most redneck lies start, BUT--when I was 15, I shot a jackrabbit a bit far back and was going to go give it a merciful stomp. About 3 ft from me the thing growled, lunged, and died with its teeth lightly closed over the toe of my Redwing boot! Wish I could have taken a picture. This happened in what today would be the heart of a residential center in the then sleepy little town of Rockwall, TX. (2A high school)
+1 on the stock bolt. I put a rear one on my Sako Safari.

Per above story...in retrospect, should have used a Lott on that charging hare?