simple question

[bjmac]

Were any original long guns made with a two piece stock? I'm referring to the kits that you see advertised now, like the old CVA's. Thanks 

[Dave B]

There are examples of English fowlers that were made with intentional take down stocks. There is an exceptional Griffon fowler that has a diagonal joint in the forearm and the removal of a wedge key the barrel can be removed with the forestock as a whole unit. I have an original longrifle barrel that has two wedge tenons only a couple inches apart. I believe that it was for a take down stock. So it was done back in the day but it was not done very often at least to my observation.

[Jim Kibler]

There were a few rifles made as take down stocks as well.  The William Montague in the Williamsburg collection comes to mind.

[Acer Saccharum]

Some of the looooong barreled guns, as in Hudson Valley Fowlers, used a spliced on forestock, usually ahead of the rear RR pipe. This was not a takedown, but a means to be more economical with wood and labor.

[sidreilley]

 I have a picture in my files of a Robert Wogdon rifle (circa 1780) with a full length, two piece stock which would allow it to be broken down into a case the length of the barrel.   

[Dave Dolliver]

My antique Swedish 1842 military rifle has a 2 piece stock.  It's made with a slanted (side view) splice in the fore end.  It's apparently birch wood; maybe they couldn't get long enough pieces to make a 1 piece stock!

Dave Dolliver

[Jim Kibler]

Dave,

With anything but highly figured wood such as burl, wood was available at any length needed for a gun.  They were just being frugal.

Jim

[B Shipman]

bjmac, are you looking for justification for a 2 piece stock? Rare, so I suspect this is the case for something you've already gotten rather than something you want to do. Could be wrong but probably not. There are better bargains. If you've got it , do the best you can with it. If not, go for a full piece. Just a no holds barred comment with your interest in mind.

[bjmac]

The reason for my post was that I, in fact, bought an old CVA kit at a flea market for $30.00 and am using it for practice. (carving, inletting, etc.) My thoughts were that I would rather bung up a cheap practice piece that one of the beautiful walnut stocks that I have!! Then, as I was looking at an auction site I kept seeing these "Kentucky Rifles" that are Spanish and all show the stock in two pieces separated by a brass spacer. Some of the kit guns that are available today show the same design element and I wondered if there was some precedence for it. It appears...NOT

[T*O*F]

My antique Swedish 1842 military rifle has a 2 piece stock.  It's made with a slanted (side view) splice in the fore end.  It's apparently birch wood; maybe they couldn't get long enough pieces to make a 1 piece stock!

Just a bit of trivia to throw a wrench in some collector's perceptions, that some of you may not be aware of!!  There are a group of people who collect nothing but "duffel bag guns."  During both world wars, soldiers ran across many nice European guns and purloined them as war trophies.  They sliced the forestock so the gun would fit into their duffel bags and then spliced them back together when they got home.

[Dave Dolliver]

This Swedish gun was brought to Ballard (a Scandinavian neighborhood in Seattle) by my source's father in 1905.  He was told he needed it to protect himself from the red Indians that take your hair!  Didn't need it for that so made a floor lamp out of it!  The stock splice is original.  About .75 cal., rifled; back action, Spencer type perc. lock.

Dave Dolliver

[Dave B]

So Dave,
For some reason this struck me funny. This was a rifle made into a take down Lamp.  Possibly made to  hide the fact that he was unarmed while traveling. 

[Jerry V Lape]

I would think any antique with a two piece stock would require very careful assessment regarding the splice being an in use repair.