Filling Holes in Plastic Stock

[B. White]

I have an FNAR I have been meaning to mess with for a while and make it a little lighter. It had the pistol grip and I replaced it with a Browning Shorttrac stock, but the I couldn't find a forend to match still in production. I removed the rail pieces I have no use for off of the existing forend, which leaves holes where the inserts were. I don't want to redneck it up too much, so before I fill with marine tex and paint, is there a better method anyone has used?

 

[bullethead]

One of the various bedding material kits or an epoxy should do it.

 

[Jester896]

I used this on a recoil pad backing plate I needed to repair recently and it worked out pretty good.


I was able to shape and blend it pretty good

 

[B. White]

I used this on a recoil pad backing plate I needed to repair recently and it worked out pretty good.


I was able to shape and blend it pretty good

Was it runny at all when mixed, or thick enough to be workable and hold shape once you got it in place?

 

[Jester896]

a little runny at first but after a couple of minutes it got thicker. It sets in 15 minutes.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

You can always use a little masking tape as a fence to hold regular old JB weld in place/ keep it from running through the holes if its a little runny. Ive used JB to fill existing bolt cutouts when converting right handed synthetic stocks to left handed for bolt action rifles.by fencing it in with tape. Made a perfect mold.

 

[Big7]

There is a 99% chance that stock is Nylon.

You can get rod stock cheap from McMaster Carr, MSC and maybe even Grainger.

Drill it out and go the next nominal size up if you have to and plug it with the rod then file it close and finish sand it.

A drill will work with 1 pass as the hole will shrink a little if you don't keep running it through there.

Another alternative is to ream the holes and I probably have a reamer you can use.

Either way, that's the best way to fix it no doubt.
You can use some permanent LOCTITE for threads or they make special for press fits and for bearings and so fourth.

Or... You can UPS it to me and I'll fix it for what the plastic rod costs and no charge for my time and you'll be done with it and have a professional job. Easy peasy.

 

[rosewood]

You can buy some of the casting resin die at Hobby Lobby and mix in the clear epoxy to darken it black if you choose that route. There may also be some black epoxy available, but I haven't looked.

As Big7 says, nylon rods are available at Grainger if you have one nearby. Seems like a 3' stick is like $2 or less. I ended up ordering multiple sized ones in black and white. Make good punches when moving some gun sites. A 3-4" long one less than you bore size is a great way to test out a firing pin. Drop in bore, cock gun and fire. If the rod shoots out, the firing pin is working.

Also, those same nylon rods can be cut and put in a 10-22 as a recoil buffer. Cost you like 30cent and folks sell them on ebay for like $10.

Rosewood

 

[Jester896]

the product I posted is black

 

[Liberty]

I used this for a quick front lug and tang float on a plastic stock. It starts out like Play Dough and is almost black. The job turned out well.

 

[ryanh487]

Why not just use filler screws with a little blue locktite? Then if you ever decide to mount a varmint light or something that requires the rail you can still use it.

 

[B. White]

Why not just use filler screws with a little blue locktite? Then if you ever decide to mount a varmint light or something that requires the rail you can still use it.

That would probably be ok for the two front small holes with threaded inserts. The two rear holes on each side are about .3 with a looser bushing/insert and a nut on a square plate that goes on the inside. This insert is so loose it will fall out without something on the outside (rail) to clamp it between the screw head and nut. Not sure why they used different sized holes and why they are so much bigger than the hole in the rail pieces. Finding different threaded bushings and screws is probably more trouble than it is worth for this.

I have no desire to mount anything to a rail up front. This is a heavy barrel and balance is just forward of the mag as is. Anything else up there makes it not very handy unless using a tripod. I have the nuts, bushings and rail pieces put aside. If someone else ever wanted to go back to the original config it should be pretty easy. My night vision stuff is already on ARs, so this is just for paper or deer.

 

[B. White]

I went ahead and used the JB weld plastic bonder and filled high, then trimmed down with a single edge razor blade. It was pretty easy to work with and looked fine when done.

I like the rifle, but always have hated black and could never figured out why it has a matte barrel and the plastic was shiny black stuff. Couldn't make myself reassemble like it was and decided to go ahead and give it a redneck 10 min paint job after I reattached the swivel studs. I'd prefer wood, but I can live with this a lot better than it was.

 

[Railroader]

Nice work, I can dig it!