Working on Stevens 200 stock

[Spades777]

Hi guys, new here to the forum. I posted in the member intro forum and I was pointed to here. So heres my post from there: http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f65/hello-new-york-41542/#post277733

I'm wondering if you fine fellows can help me out.

 

[geargrinder]

Adding weight will help with recoil. I've filled the butt with BB's before. It helped some.

Many have added all sorts of rods and stuff to stiffen the forend. It will help some. The problem is that you will only stiffen up to the recoil lug. That is the place where most flexing will occur.

Working on the factory plastic stock is fun and somewhat rewarding but is widely regarded as polishing a turd.

 

[bigngreen]

I've been polishing a turd also. I JB Welded an arrow down the bottom of the forend from front to just into the recoil lug area then bedded the action and pored the left over to the top of the arrow, this stiffened up the forend but it still flexes a little. I shot some screw into the grip and top of the stock and built up the grip and cheak peice with some epoxy putty then painted.
This weekend I going to put some window urithain into the butt stock to add some wieght and take the ringing sound out of it. And when I get it perfect I'll have the money for something else.

 

[Spades777]

Ok I getcha guys. Thanks for the info. So how should I go about putting this metal rod into the forend?

 

[foreign]

carve out the webbing in the fore end. drill some random holes at different angles onto the stock from inside.(try not to go through). cover the right length bar, rod ect in epoxy and drop it in. then cover it in some more epoxy and there u have it. i did it with my remi sps stock. epoxied 3 carbon fiber arrow shafts into it since of the bipod i was getting some funny results as the forend flexed under recoil and touched the barrel. it worked. shes far stiffer now..
enjoy the tinkering. but remember that if its not broken dont fix it. thats my fatal flaw,

 

[BigUglyMan]

I'm leaving mine alone - at least the forend. Damned thing shoots under 1/2" at 100 yards with 180 Noslers (30-06) so there's no sense in messing with it. I may fill the stock in with expanding foam, but that's it.And paint. All 200s need paint.

 

[MachV]

I tryed the steel rods and arrow shafts in the forarm of a Savage FV many years ago only to give up and put a $79 laminated stock on it. The only way you are gonna really stiffin up a Stevens stock is to put the shafts on the outside and blend them in, otherwise the forearm will be stiff but it will still flex @ the recoil lug!
As for weight you can do like someone else said and drill a lot of holes in the forearm and fill with lead shot and epoxy. Put a bread bag in the stock and you can fill it up with whatever and take it back out if want/needed.
After being down this road more than a few times I would just make sure the stock is not hitting the barrel and bed the action in, put on a better recoil pad and shoot the thing till you are good at it. Naw thats a lie I would butcher the stock and revamp it to whatever I had on my mind at the time, god only know how it would turn out

.

Not a one of my Savage/Stevens are bone stock, some only have been bedded and trigger worked over while others are complete redoes from the action out

This little Stevens started out life as a 223 but is now a 204. I cut the forearm down to the checkering and moved the bipod stud back 2½". It now shoots off the bipods a LOT better. I will add a better recoil pad after the doggin season this year and put a 708 barrel on it for an easy carying goat gun...unless I give in and just buy another Stevens with a .473 bolthead???