How To: Reworking CMP/Dupage/Boyds M1 Garand Stocks

[ptf18]

Im checking the new rear hand guard and it seems a bit long. I lined up the clip cut out with the old hand guard and the rear end of the new guard is about 3/16" longer. Should I just cut it off to the same overall lenght of the old one? SHould the rear hand guard be able to slid fore and aft a bit? I think I remember something about the op rod notch also.

[JR1987]

Old topic but I had a question, how much wood should I remove from under the barrel on the stock? Do you want the barrel to rest on the wood at all?

[Orlando]

The barrel doesnt normally contact underneath but usually if it rubs it will be on the sides of the barrel channel. Look at first picture
You can assembly the action in the stock with the rear handguard removed and slide a piece of paper under the barrel
There should be no contact

[JR1987]

Alright, thank you. I reworked a stock with my new knife and it was a bit sharper than I thought and removed a lot of wood a little fast. I put some grease the wood to see if it rubbed on the barrel and it did not. So that is a plus. I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't negatively effect my accuracy.

Great topic by the way. I reference it a lot. All the work I did on my stock came from your topic here. Everything works smoothly now. I was surprised how much I needed to work the stock to get perfect function. Well done.

[Oh Mr. Wilson]

Originally Posted by JR1987

Old topic but I had a question, how much wood should I remove from under the barrel on the stock? Do you want the barrel to rest on the wood at all?

You do want to make sure the op rod in not contacting the barrel channel or the stock on the right side. I doubt your od rod will be hitting in the bottom of the channel but it's worth checking.

I'm in the process of fitting a nicley striped birch stock and rear guard to my Mini-G. On these Mini-G's the op rod is bent a little differently then a Garand and the stock channel has to be deepen for clearance, not much but some.

I used a black Sharpie marker to coat the op rod on the bottom and the side where it comes up and out the stock to the bolt. I fully assembled the rifle then rack the slide many times pulling on the op rod handle in all directions, up, down, in & out. The ink transfered to the wood and showed up very well. I just sanded the ink off, repeated the process until I had a good amount of clearance everywhere. She passed the tilt test just fine but I also wanted to make sure the op rod wouldn't hit during live fire. I took the Sharpie with me to the range and repeated again firing a couple clips of ammo, I didn't find any signs of the op rod touching the stock. Now I just have to stain and oil, I can't wait to get this finished and see those stripes POP!

[saltydog452]

If it passes the 'tilt' test, no additional inletting need be done? Mine has a CMP stock. I'd imagine the top wood would be replacement also?

Thanks. Garand rookie with lots to learn.

salty

[Lt. Moreau]

Orlando and others,

I know this thread has been down for a while, but I just got a CMP Special Garand and wanted to ask some clarifying questions.

First, would you confirm that I should check for the sliver of light between the receiver bottom and the top of the stock (from 1 1/8" forward of receiver heel to just behind receiver legs) when the rifle is fully assembled? When my rifle is completely together with the trigger group inserted and the trigger guard locked down, I can't see any light, but I can see a little sliver when the barrelled action is the stock without the trigger group.

Second, what is the "tilt test" and how does one do it?

Third, how do you check if the rear handguard is contacting the barrel so you know if you need to relieve it?

Fourth, how would you recommend re-doing the finish on the spots that get sanded? I want to do the traditional BLO + Turpentine and then finish off with some of Tom's 1/3 mix, but I didn't know if I should stain the spots first. I'm curious about your thoughts.

Fifth and last, I've read there should be a little clearance between the rear handguard and the receiver. How much are we talking here? I can see a little light between them, but can't get a dollar bill or piece of card stock between them... Any thoughts?

Thanks so much for your help and patience at my barrage of questions. This has been SUCH a useful thread as I start to tune my Garand. I'm new to these rifles and have so much to learn.

Cheers,
Lt. Moreau

[Rondog]

Second, what is the "tilt test" and how does one do it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlIoxbtdPXY

Fourth, how would you recommend re-doing the finish on the spots that get sanded? I want to do the traditional BLO + Turpentine and then finish off with some of Tom's 1/3 mix, but I didn't know if I should stain the spots first. I'm curious about your thoughts.

Just my opinion, but if you have a Boyd's stock with that hideous stained "finish" on it, I'd sand or strip that all off first to bare wood, myself. I had a set like that until just recently, and I thought that color was awful. Looked to me like it was dipped in a vat of stain. I dreaded the thought of working with it, plus, it was a huge stock....very fat. I now have a Dupage set with the thinner WWII profile, and it's bare unfinished walnut. I'm looking forward to finishing this one! Stocks are supposed to have some color to them, but I can't stand the thought of it just being "brown", with no grain character showing.

[Orlando]

Originally Posted by Lt. Moreau

.

First, would you confirm that I should check for the sliver of light between the receiver bottom and the top of the stock (from 1 1/8" forward of receiver heel to just behind receiver legs) when the rifle is fully assembled? When my rifle is completely together with the trigger group inserted and the trigger guard locked down, I can't see any light, but I can see a little sliver when the barrelled action is the stock without the trigger group.

Withtrigger group lock in place and action installed in the stock you should be able to see a small sliver of light between the stock and reciver starting approz 1 1/8 inch from the back of the heel extending up to the receiver legs

[Rondog]

Originally Posted by Orlando

Withtrigger group lock in place and action installed in the stock you should be able to see a small sliver of light between the stock and reciver starting approz 1 1/8 inch from the back of the heel extending up to the receiver legs

Orlando - are you talking about this sliver of light being in approx. this area here?