Stock Installatiuon troubles...advice needed

[ottergt]

Hi everyone! I'm hoping that you all might be able to offer some help here.

So I disassembled my first 81 ('39 in .35 Remington), gave it a good deep cleaning inside, and got everything reassembled ...except I can't get the fully seated and installed. The stock fit very snugly and evenly to the receiver when I bought it (it is the original stock to the gun by the serial #), but it was very difficult to remove, almost like it was stuck in place. I was able to pull it off after a few hard pulls. There was some corrosion on the spring tube, so I cleaned that off, thinking that was causing to the be stuck in place. With everything in place, the stock will not fully seat (gaps are larger and also not even... left side has a V margin bottom to top). I could close the gap a bit by standing the rifle on the butt plate and pushing downward, but not enough. Everthing would spring back apart).

So I looked through the forum, and found this:
viewtopic.php?hilit=stock%20installatio ... 8a3317992e

I tried gently scraping the bottom of the hole in the stock with a screwdriver...got a little bit of gunk and small wood shavings out, but not much. Did it a few times, but it didn't really help. So I took it all back apart (left all the little parts in the receiver, but removed the bolt return spring and trigger/mag asy out of it. Stock slid on nice and snug, although still a bit of a V margin. Then tried with the trigger and mag asy held in place by hand (no pin or bolt)...as I pushed the stock on, the trigger asy would move out of the way, away from the bottom of the receiver.

I took the trigger asy out, just installed the screw through the receiver, and installed the stock..and of course there is no contact. I put the trigger asy back in the receiver, just using the screw to hold it in place and installed the stock...same thing, it will compress on and be "stuck", then a little jiggling and it springs apart a bit. With no stock in place, the stock bolt passes through the tang on the guard and threads eaesily into the boss on the recoil spring tube.

Based on what I did, I feel like the lugs on the stock have an abnormal interferece with the lobes on the trigger guard where the bolt passes through. Im not sure why it was OK to start with, unless the stock had swelled over time (which was why it was maybe stuck in place to start with), and now that it is free it doesn't want to fit in the same space? I was going to use some dykem to see if/where there is uneven pressure...but before I do, do any of you all have any words of wisdom, or ideas on something that I might be missing? Thanks in advance for the help.

[Hibby83]

Morning OTTERGT.

You have encountered a very tight tolerance fitting stock to receiver fit rifle.

It fit before you took it apart. Don't mind my incoming caveman* opinion. Have you tried continued pressure while trying to insert and spin in the stock screw? There has been 2 autoloading rifles that I had difficulty getting back together. I used heavy pressure pushing butt & receiver together/a SOLID strike with my palm to fit buttstock and receiver together.

Of course, you don't want to damage your buttstock/rifle in any way! Take warning with the measures taken, you don't want to have the stock screw mis-aligned and cross thread "if it doesn't feel right STOP." Use sound judgement and commonsense, good idea with the dykem* REMEMBER you can't put back what was removed, be sure of what you're doing. I hope you get it back together soon without incident.

[ottergt]

Hi Hibby83.

No worries! Your thougths echo my own..."It fit before I took it apart." Yes, I've tried a lot of downward pressure (rifle vertical, buttstock on the bench) while trying to get the stock to seat further and get the bolt started, and tried lightly (and moderately) striking the butt of the stock on the bench in that vertical position (trying to be careful so I don't damage the stock)...no luck. And definitely being careful to not cross thread that stock bolt.

I guess the upside is I'm getting really good at taking everything else apart

[9.3shooter]

Is this more a problem with the 81 as to the 8? I have two 8's right now, a .25 and a .32. The .25 has an aftermarket buttstock, but the .32 is original to the rifle, still has the SN in the tang slot.

Having never had the stocks off before I decided to have a go at it.

The .32 was on real good! I gave the comb several strikes with my hand, which achieved nothing. So I found a piece of thick foam and smacked that with a wood axe handle and two or three whacks got it started, finished with the heel strikes.

The .25 with its Fajen stock while perfectly fitted, not by me, came right off with one light heel strike.

Both guns looked good inside, pulled the springs and cleaned inside the tubes and put a little griz on the springs and put them back in

Both stocks went right back into place with no issues whatever, dropped the screws in and tightened them up.

[ottergt]

9.3SHooter,

I'm too much of a newb to saw for sure, but I don't think there was any differences in how the stock mates to the receiver on the 8 vs 81 (someone chime in please if I'm wrong). I think it may have more to do with how each stock was fitted orginally (variation piece to piece) and how much the wood has swelled or not over many decades based on what conditions the rifle has seen. I picked up another 81 (1950) in 300 Savage unexpectedly (found it at a local Bass Pro shop, there was a 10% sale, I had a bunch of points saved up, blah blah blah) that needds to be disassembled to get the magazine indicated spring tab back in position...so that stock will be coming off soon too. Hope it goes back on easily!

[MinnesotaDan]

I have a Model 81 in 25 that had the same thing happen. I still don't have that stock back on like it was. I am hoping to try again soon, maybe the magic solution will be revealed here soon.

[9.3shooter]

Maybe I just got lucky!

Minnesota Dan, you have a Unicorn 81 in .25 Remington? Have never seen one listed anywhere. A rare find!

[Roger]

Yes I agree about Dans m81 in 25 Remington. I have seen it in person,and it looks perfectly legitimate to me. Quite a rarity for sure. As to the M81 stock removal/reinstallation, I’ve only had problems with the 81s, None with the M8s. My opinion is that the steeper angle of the pistol grip stock is more difficult to get to reseat. I use carpentry clamps to squeeze the tangs together on them. With great difficulty I must say.Just my opinions here .Good luck with your project.
Thanks for your time
Roger

[ottergt]

Hi Roger,

Thanks for the suggestion about the clamps. I’m not sure that will work…the top and bottom tangs are already flush to sub flush with the wood…unless maybe I’m not understanding your method. I’m going to use some layout fluid to see if I can find the interference. I’ll try sticking the receiver in the freezer and see if that provides enough clearance. Then I’ll try the clamps. I’ll keep everyone posted!