Unfired 430 Stutzen on the way!

[avator]

So, what's your plan? Was any insurance purchased with the shipping carrier?

[eyeguy74]

Looking back on the pictures from the auction site, I firmly believe that this rifle was damaged during shipping.

Would you be so kind as to post a link to the auction?

THANKS!



HM

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335388931567?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=s64byr6zr_2&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=J_yKmubARqq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

[eyeguy74]

So, what's your plan? Was any insurance purchased with the shipping carrier?

I’m not sure yet if the seller had insurance.
I have two options I’m weighing at the moment. One is to have it repaired and the other is something Hector is working on.
I’m not sure if I can share the specifics, so I’ll let him chime in if he’s ok with that.
Either way, I think the seller will have to fight it out with USPS and ultimately reimburse me for the expense I incur.

[eyeguy74]

Luckily, I had stuffed all the packing material right back into the box immediately after pulling the rifle out. Thankfully, I pulled the rifle out of the bedroom as my wife was going to bed, so I could look it over quickly before I let the pups out for the night. I went right out to the side of the road and grabbed the box from the rest of the trash, just in case. Turns out it was likely a very smart move.

You were gonna throw the box away ??
What a novel idea..........

I was. It wasn’t the original DIANA box, so nearly no need to save it.

[Hoosier Daddy]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

[eyeguy74]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

I know I used to have some somewhere, but I know exactly what you're speaking of. That's actually a great idea!!

[Hoosier Daddy]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

I know I used to have some somewhere, but I know exactly what you're speaking of. That's actually a great idea!!

Buy some new stuff.
 It gets old and dated....even if you keep it in the freezer as recommended it gets janky over time.
 

[eyeguy74]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

I know I used to have some somewhere, but I know exactly what you're speaking of. That's actually a great idea!!

Buy some new stuff.
 It gets old and dated....even if you keep it in the freezer as recommended it gets janky over time.
 

I still have my fingers crossed that Hector will have good news for me, but if not, it’ll be a trip up the road for the thinnest CA I can find with hopefully a needle tip applicator. If that doesn’t work, I have a contact for a trusted woodworker.
Luckily, there are options, and all seem to be able to provide a happy ending.

[longhunter]

And, that's is exactly why I always ship with the action removed from the stock.
Also makes for less postage on a smaller package.

[Yogi]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

I know I used to have some somewhere, but I know exactly what you're speaking of. That's actually a great idea!!

Buy some new stuff.
 It gets old and dated....even if you keep it in the freezer as recommended it gets janky over time.
 

I still have my fingers crossed that Hector will have good news for me, but if not, it’ll be a trip up the road for the thinnest CA I can find with hopefully a needle tip applicator. If that doesn’t work, I have a contact for a trusted woodworker.
Luckily, there are options, and all seem to be able to provide a happy ending.

Yup!  And it will be stronger than before....

-Y

[Denby95]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

I know I used to have some somewhere, but I know exactly what you're speaking of. That's actually a great idea!!

Buy some new stuff.
 It gets old and dated....even if you keep it in the freezer as recommended it gets janky over time.
 

I still have my fingers crossed that Hector will have good news for me, but if not, it’ll be a trip up the road for the thinnest CA I can find with hopefully a needle tip applicator. If that doesn’t work, I have a contact for a trusted woodworker.
Luckily, there are options, and all seem to be able to provide a happy ending.

Yup!  And it will be stronger than before....

-Y

Thats not necessarily a good thing. If it were to break again, you'd want it to break on the original break, not create a new break.

I would avoid CA glue (Cyano acrylate) as the polymer chain scissions and yellows over time. Be aware when you place any adhesive into a porous material this may a non reversible treatment. And if it darkens the wood and yellows over time from UV/IR exposure, it could make the repair unsightly. Now there are significantly better adhesives in terms of aging properties within the cellulose nitrate and acrylic copolymer families, specifically thinking even the 30/70 mix of Methyl Methacrylate and Poly methyl methacrylate but that comes from a museum objects viewpoint (previous profession), not a wood working one. A professional in air rifles like Hector will provide you the best guidance, or a wood worker in rifle stocks.

You purchased an unfired gun, and therefore expected essentially a brand new gun, with the stock broken especially on a gun of this nature where the unique stock was a big part of the selling point, you'll need to decide if a gun with a broken stock, even if repaired was what you wanted considering your initial purchase expectation of a brand new unfired gun.

[Mark 611]

Those cracks were in the pix! of the auction! their faint but their there, there! sorry my friend! https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2Y8AAOSwkXRmP8hU/s-l1600.webp

[eyeguy74]

Those cracks were in the pix! of the auction! their faint but their there, there! sorry my friend! https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/2Y8AAOSwkXRmP8hU/s-l1600.webp

Had to jump on the laptop to view them up close. It sure does appear that there's a crack there!!
I'm really torn at this point. I certainly had no plans to turn around and sell it. I tend to lean towards passing things like this on to my son when I'm gone. To him, I think the value would go beyond money.
The seller will have to pony up some money to make this right. How much remains to be seen.
Now, there is the option to have a custom stock made. 

[eyeguy74]

Bummer for sure.
If you have a legit hobby shop near by there is high quality CA glue. The "thin" is the molecular weight of water.
It will "wick" in to cracks and bond stronger then the original wood.

I know I used to have some somewhere, but I know exactly what you're speaking of. That's actually a great idea!!

Buy some new stuff.
 It gets old and dated....even if you keep it in the freezer as recommended it gets janky over time.
 

I still have my fingers crossed that Hector will have good news for me, but if not, it’ll be a trip up the road for the thinnest CA I can find with hopefully a needle tip applicator. If that doesn’t work, I have a contact for a trusted woodworker.
Luckily, there are options, and all seem to be able to provide a happy ending.

Yup!  And it will be stronger than before....

-Y

Thats not necessarily a good thing. If it were to break again, you'd want it to break on the original break, not create a new break.

I would avoid CA glue (Cyano acrylate) as the polymer chain scissions and yellows over time. Be aware when you place any adhesive into a porous material this may a non reversible treatment. And if it darkens the wood and yellows over time from UV/IR exposure, it could make the repair unsightly. Now there are significantly better adhesives in terms of aging properties within the cellulose nitrate and acrylic copolymer families, specifically thinking even the 30/70 mix of Methyl Methacrylate and Poly methyl methacrylate but that comes from a museum objects viewpoint (previous profession), not a wood working one. A professional in air rifles like Hector will provide you the best guidance, or a wood worker in rifle stocks.

You purchased an unfired gun, and therefore expected essentially a brand new gun, with the stock broken especially on a gun of this nature where the unique stock was a big part of the selling point, you'll need to decide if a gun with a broken stock, even if repaired was what you wanted considering your initial purchase expectation of a brand new unfired gun.

I'll skip the glue and take it to a gunsmith who has experience with this sort of thing.
The stock was pretty much the entire reason for the purchase. An unused gun was a good part of it too. I want so bad to keep this gun due to its rarity, otherwise it would be going back. I'm sure someone more competent than myself can make this stock as good as new once again. I'm willing to put a few more dollars into it provided that its mostly or all the seller's money.
Ultimately, there comes a point where you just have to walk away from the whole situation and start the search all over again.

[KWK]

I would repair my own but If I were you I would send it here

[Mark 611]

Now we probably know what has caused the stock damage, I would also be checking the cocking lever and the barrel and the housing that the cocking arm locks into and make sure they're not bent or cracked! and the area where the cocking arm is attached at the receiver, IMO if the cocking arm slammed up hard enough to crack the stock usually theirs other damage to go along with it 

[eyeguy74]

Now we probably know what has caused the stock damage, I would also be checking the cocking lever and the barrel and the housing that the cocking arm locks into and make sure they're not bent or cracked! and the area where the cocking arm is attached at the receiver, IMO if the cocking arm slammed up hard enough to crack the stock usually theirs other damage to go along with it 

Sounds like it’s time to disassemble and inspect the rest of the rifle. If I find anything else, that’s it. I’m done. Anything beyond Hector’s attempt or sending it to Mike McKeown for repair just can’t be justified.

[eyeguy74]

I carefully disassembled the rifle and took a few pics. I expected the crack to emanate from the screw hole, but it isn’t even close. The barrel and cocking lever are equally spaced and the cocking lever locks evenly back into place with just a little effort. The trigger is tight and precise with nothing out of the ordinary to speak of.
I guess the only thing left to do is fully cock it, assess how everything operates, then fire a single shot through it.

[eyeguy74]

I’ll also add that the screw holes appear to be round, free of cracks, and not oval like a hard impact might indicate. The pic of the oil inside the stock is also round. I would think that a mechanism damaging strike might show movement of the oiled area.
I’m still very wet behind the ears, so I could be completely off.

[Denby95]

If you're intending to return the gun to the seller, I would not disassemble or mess with it any further...