Howa stock damage?

[fkritzinger]

Good day all...

I have a question for the informed and wise fellows on the forum. I recently did a bedding job on my howa 338wm. It has the boyds laminated thumbhole stock.

When I disassembled the rifle the first time, I noticed that the laminate came apart immediately behind the front takedown screw. The stock has alluminium pillars installed, and looks liek somebody did what i can only assume would be a half @ssed cross bolt installation by putting a pice of 6mm threaded rod and epoxy in behind the pillars. despite this, the section of laminate the width of the alluminium pillar still managed to come loose (and shift back a few mm) from shooting. So to mee it looks limke the whole action was loose in the stock before I did the bedding job. the epoxy also came loose, and it, along with the piece of bolt seemed to have moved back.

I applied some wood glue, and tapped the loose piece back forward to where it looks like it belongs, and the same for the epoxy with 'cross bolt'.

However, this is remaining in the back of my mind.... should I rather have removed the epoxy and bolt, and redid it while I was at it. Or should I rather remove this mess and install a PROPER cross bolt?

Are cross bolts something I can purchase at my local gun shop? or will I have to have 2 made?

assuming you suggest I replace with proper cross bolts, should the cross bolt be touching the back of the pillar?

Just 'fixing' the 'cross bolt in epoxy' and bedding the action, and tightening everything nicely afterwards seems to have improved my groups significantly. so should I continue to mess with this, or just leave it be?

I am cunfused

[zakiwi]

Dude ... Post some pictures. A pictures speaks 1000 words...

[Bonedoc]

That is probably the factory laminated stock, not the Boyds one. They all have the rod/epoxy jobbie.

If you have done a decent job with your bedding, problem should be solved. Otherwise you will have to look at decent cross bolt or have a bedding block machined to fit the action.

As it is shooting well, your problem seems solved. Just inspect your bedding every 50-100 shots to look for cracks etc.

[gary-t]

Hi

I am not sure if Howa laminated stocks are boyd stocks. They may be copies or cheaper mass produced boyd stocks. I have 2 Howa rifles. 1 has an after market Boyd stock and the other has the Howa laminated stock.

The Boyd stock has 2 cross supports and the barrel cut outs differ in size.
see pic (off google)



The Howa stock does not have cross supports, only the half @ssed threaded bolt epoxy'd in
The barrel cut outs are all the same size. (pic from google)



I would take the stock back to the dealer and demand that they repair the stock professionally or replace it. Threaten to name and shame. Howa rifles are not supplied as complete rifles They come in as barreled actions and the stocks come in separately. Apparently this allows for lower import duties. The dealer should be able to provide you with a new stock.

[fkritzinger]

Lol @Zakiwi... I hear you... this is more of a "should I have done it different" post... so no pics from before I did the bedding... in retrospect. perhaps I should have taken some...

@Bonedoc... Apologies, I was under the impression the Howa thumbhole was a Boyds stock. either way. it is the Factory standard Howa Thumbhole stock. If that bolt/epoxy is factoy standard, I must admit, it looks very unprofessional! As fot leaving it, and see how it holds up, it is kind of what I am thinking too... it seems all good now, been behaving since the bedding was done. so I will just open it all up when I clean her after the next range session, just for aquick inspection.

As I said, this was kind of an afterthought... did I actually do the right thing... but it is done, now only time will tell...

I think if I open her up and the bedding is cracked or loose, or the same piece of wood moved again, I will consider cross bolts.

[fkritzinger]

@gary-t interesting, my stock does NOT have the vent slots on the forend of the stock, but the rest of the stock shape is the same, grip, thumbhole, comb, etc... but similar to the 'factory' stock in your pics, no external cross bolts, and just the internal thread stock and epoxy...