Southern stock architecture

[marc]

Hello all; this is my first post on this forum. I am getting ready to build a southern/Tennessee mountain rifle for hunting. This will be my first build starting from a plank. I have a nice piece of rather plain maple to make the stock from. Before I cut into it, I would like to run my planned stock architecture by all of you to see how many glaring mistakes I have made. I am planning to cut it out plenty oversize and whittle it down to fit me. Length of pull will be 13 5/8, drop at heel 4, drop at comb 1 1/4 to start with. Side panels will be cut out big, and the shape finalized after I have the lock (probably a Davis Late English, maybe Chambers Late Ketland). I know the barrel is a bit short, but I want to reuse a 36" Douglas barrel I have. I have thought about spacing the lugs as though it was a 42-44" barrel and make the space to the front lug shorter to make it look like the barrel had been shortened, i.e. drill and plug the original "pin holes" 4-6" ahead of the real ones. Keep in mind this is first and foremost a hunting rifle, but I want to make it as correct as I can.

[Dennis Glazener]

I took the liberty to fix your image link. It did not have the .jpg file on the end. The link sent me to your photo host and that photo was the only one I saw so I assume its the correct one.

I like the looks of the rifle architecture but the drop at the heel seems quite a bit. Most of my Gillespie mountain rifles have at the most 3 1/4 inches some a little less.

If I were you I would go with the Chambers late Ketland.
Dennis

[marc]

Thanks, Dennis! I appreciate your help and your advise. I have always shot well with about 4" of drop. Maybe instead of trying for a Soddy-Daisy look, I should go for the Gillespie style. Then I could reshape the back trigger into one of those laid-back ones.

Marc

[rich pierce]

Nice drawing; wish you'd do some for me!
I have tried the "leave some extra wood" method and found it very laborious.  Not sure how others do it but I cut the blank to inlet the barrel leaving full thickness below the barrel while inletting the barrel.  Then once the barrel is in I cut the fore end, make the groove and drill the ramrod hole leaving full thickness of the blank beneath the ramrod hole till that is drilled.  Only then do I profile the stock and try to get it within 1/16" of final by sawing.

[Mike Brooks]

it's going to bite, not enough drop at the comb.

[greybeard]

I have always felt there needs to be at least 1/2 to 3/4 inch of wood on the underside of the stock to act as backup when drilling the rr hole.  Barrel tight in the stock as well.          Cheers   Bob

[Ron Brimer]

   Mike Brooks is right. even in a small cal.
      RON B

[marc]

Thank you all for your kind input. It is an easy thing to reduce the drop at heel; I can always make it a bit deeper if I don't care for it. I am leaning to keeping the comb drop at 1 1/4". This too is easy to increase if needed. Most of the guns I find most comfortable have a drop at comb of 1 3/8-1 5/8". The 1 1/4" is a roughed out measurement, and I can easily increase it.

I make my drawings in either Qcad or TurboCAD. I am always happy to help someone out if I can.

Thanks,
Marc