Damage to stock

cavan shooter

Help

I hit the top of the stock on my Beretta 391.Its 5 yrs old and prior to this not a mark. I have a dinge and what I can only describe as a "bruise" I can suffer the dinge bit the unsightly "bruise" is a pain any suggestions, it is the discolouration that is annoying me.

I presume you are looking for a way to 'heal' the 'bruise'..

Can you post a pic? I know of some people who got rifles from the 1950s looking like new by sanding them down and then revarninishing them - painstaking work but worth in it in the end.. would that work in your case?

Rovi

I've heard tell of people using steam to repair stock damage, though I don't know how applicable it might be in this particular case.

Just throwing it into the mix, I'm sure someone who knows what they're talking about will be along soon.

Ned Muldhoon

Steam can be used to swell out blemishes etc in older stocks (either french polished or lacquered). Assuming your beretta is reasonably new, using steam would lift the stock finish off around the damaged area.
Assuming that the damage is just a compression indent on the wood:

Easiest method:

- Clean the damaged area with very light solvent
- Clamp the stock with the damaged part facing upwards
- pour a little water into the dint (doesn't matter if it's only a drop)
- Using a really hot soldering iron heat up the water. It will evaporate immediately.
- you will need to repeat this process possibly a dozen times to get a result.

I know this process involves steam - but it's directed to a very localised area. I've successfully carried out this process on a number of guns with no problems and very good results.

If you're not too happy about taking a red hot iron to your stock - any gunsmith can undertake this work.

cavan shooter

Thanks Ned

The wood on the stock is called xtra wood, don't even know if it is realwood or is that a trade name

Ned Muldhoon

xtra wood is still wood (like the finish on the 391 teknys), except that it has an extra laminate cover.from your description of the damage it sounds as though the laminate has lifted from the wood. You've three options here:

1. you can completely strip down the stock - remove the indent and repolish, but I wouldn't recommend it.

2. Drop it into a gunsmith to refinish the effected area - I wouldn't recommend you attempt this if you are not 100% sure you know what you are doing. The laminate can lift away from the damaged area and it will look 10 times worse.

3. If the imprinted grain on the laminate is not broken or cracked, swell out the wood using the technique described until the laminate grips the wood again. Had to do this on a Beretta onyx, very tedious but the result was worth it.

Nearest shop to you that could do this is possibly Ardee sports!

Mellor

A quick online search indicates that xtra-good a water transfer, not a laminate.

flanum

cavanshooter, before you try anything you might regret, id highly recommend the robinson brothers from milltown in cavan, a pair of auld boys that specialise in restoration work etc, my mate had a job done on his bozouki(instrument) and when we went to collect it there was tons of old rifles, shotguns, fiddles etc all repaired and looking better than new, these boys love woodwork! i dont have a number but ask anybody around belturbet or milltown and they will put you on to them! and they charge feck all too, they just love to restore things!

Double Barrel

Ned is this "X-tra grain" process a method of enhancing the wood by burnished or etching giving it "figure" that otherwise would not exist ? A kind of high tek version of faux finishing.

XCLUSIVE X-TRA GRAIN WOOD FINISH: ACCESSIBLE LUXURY
The Beretta AL391 Urika 2 Classic wood is enhanced by an exclusive, surface treatment for the wood grain on the stock and fore-end. This process is obtained from a new technology that highlights the color contrast of the wood resulting in a beautiful and rich pattern. http://www.beretta.com/index.aspx?m=74&idc=1&ids=77

Double Barrel

The Robinson Brothers have quite a following in the old furniture business.;)

cavan shooter

Many thanks for the posts, I spent a hour at it last night I have succeded in pulling the dent out considerabbly using a damp cloth and the tip of the iron (wife not impressed). The bruising around the dent caused by the varnish cracking??? has lightened considerably. I'll keep at it and let you know how I'm getting on, I was thinking of getting a furniture touch up pen.

Flanum thanks for the name it's always handy to have:)