Kimber montana stock repair

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Well I noticed the other day that my recently purchased used Montana has a crack in the stock behind the rear trigger guard screw on one side. It’s about 3/4 inch long and runs vertically up towards the action. Kimber quoted me $475 to replace it and I’d have to send the rifle in, so that option is out.
Being a welder, I’m naturally inclined to grind it out, patch it, then sand smooth and repaint. Is this the best way to fix it, short of replacing the whole stock? I’ve got some Acra Gel bedding compound and may as well bed the action while I’m at it.
 

Wapiti1

WKR
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Post a photo of the crack. That is an odd direction for a crack. You'll likely need to reinforce it for a sound repair.

Jeremy
 

Murtfree

Lil-Rokslider
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Odd place for a crack......any pictures available after the metal work is removed to see the Direction and how far it travels on the Inside. I’m sure it can be repaired. You may want to try the Acraglass liquid or something like Devcon that has a better bonding/adherence strength. Never had much luck with the Acraglass Gel for repairs....just my 2 cents. Others may have better advice
 
OP
CApighunter
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Odd place for a crack......any pictures available after the metal work is removed to see the Direction and how far it travels on the Inside. I’m sure it can be repaired. You may want to try the Acraglass liquid or something like Devcon that has a better bonding/adherence strength. Never had much luck with the Acraglass Gel for repairs....just my 2 cents. Others may have better advice
Here’s the inside. It’s visible only on the outer part.
97BC4DC0-3792-44FB-BE11-999C9521B769.jpeg
 

Wapiti1

WKR
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Was Kimber not willing to warranty the stock?

That is where I thought it was. I would suspect a fall cracked it there rather than poor metal to stock fit. Often, you have to fix two issues: the crack, and the reason it cracked. Double check that putting the bottom metal in and snugging the action screw does not open the crack. If it does, then you will have to figure out where the bottom metal is binding and fix that as well.

To repair this, you can't just V it out and epoxy it. There isn't enough tensile strength in epoxy for a vertical crack like that. You'll need to put a fiberglass patch on it for the most strength. These stocks are a glass/kevlar shell over foam. Basically, you'll need to replace that section of shell.

To do it, grind with a dremel, file, or other grinder just until you are through the shell. The cracked part should be about 1/4 to 1/2" wide exposed core foam. Now you want to feather the edges so you have a long bevel sloping to the crack. It should be about 3/4 to 1" on either side. You are just sloping the shell material so you can get good coverage and a lot of bond with the repair patch. At the top of the crack do the same, but only 1/2" up the side. Judging by that crack, you should have minimum a silver dollar sized area ground and beveled.

Get some chopped glass cloth. You can find it at autoparts stores often in a kit with resin and some tools. You can also use clear long cure epoxy as the resin. Clean the area to be patched with alchohol, acetone, etc. apply resin, apply glass, apply resin, and repeat until you have built up the patch higher than the level of the stock. Wrap with saran wrap to give it some tension (just snug, not super tight), and let it cure.

The portion of the crack in the trigger guard recess should be included in the bevel, and you'll use a dremel to clean it up when done, and maybe a little skim coat of epoxy to bed the bottom metal.

After it has cured, sand it level, prime and paint.

At this location, you might not have foam under the skin, but I think you'll see foam on the side. If not, V it out the same and apply the repair patch. Don't go too deep and chase the crack. 1/4" is deep enough. If you chase it, the repair will need to be really wide.

Consider pillar bedding it at this point as well to take some stress off that portion of the stock.

Jeremy
 
OP
CApighunter
Joined
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Messages
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Was Kimber not willing to warranty the stock?

That is where I thought it was. I would suspect a fall cracked it there rather than poor metal to stock fit. Often, you have to fix two issues: the crack, and the reason it cracked. Double check that putting the bottom metal in and snugging the action screw does not open the crack. If it does, then you will have to figure out where the bottom metal is binding and fix that as well.

To repair this, you can't just V it out and epoxy it. There isn't enough tensile strength in epoxy for a vertical crack like that. You'll need to put a fiberglass patch on it for the most strength. These stocks are a glass/kevlar shell over foam. Basically, you'll need to replace that section of shell.

To do it, grind with a dremel, file, or other grinder just until you are through the shell. The cracked part should be about 1/4 to 1/2" wide exposed core foam. Now you want to feather the edges so you have a long bevel sloping to the crack. It should be about 3/4 to 1" on either side. You are just sloping the shell material so you can get good coverage and a lot of bond with the repair patch. At the top of the crack do the same, but only 1/2" up the side. Judging by that crack, you should have minimum a silver dollar sized area ground and beveled.

Get some chopped glass cloth. You can find it at autoparts stores often in a kit with resin and some tools. You can also use clear long cure epoxy as the resin. Clean the area to be patched with alchohol, acetone, etc. apply resin, apply glass, apply resin, and repeat until you have built up the patch higher than the level of the stock. Wrap with saran wrap to give it some tension (just snug, not super tight), and let it cure.

The portion of the crack in the trigger guard recess should be included in the bevel, and you'll use a dremel to clean it up when done, and maybe a little skim coat of epoxy to bed the bottom metal.

After it has cured, sand it level, prime and paint.

At this location, you might not have foam under the skin, but I think you'll see foam on the side. If not, V it out the same and apply the repair patch. Don't go too deep and chase the crack. 1/4" is deep enough. If you chase it, the repair will need to be really wide.

Consider pillar bedding it at this point as well to take some stress off that portion of the stock.

Jeremy
Awesome info, thanks a ton! Kimber said they wouldn’t warrantee it due to it being more than a year old. The rifle came from Alaska so I’m sure it’s had a rough life, wouldn’t suprise me if the previous owner fell on it. The crack doesn’t change due to tightening the bottom metal but I am able to make it opens hair by flexing the stock. Looks like I got a project ahead of me this weekend.
 
OP
CApighunter
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I wonder if you could flex it a little to open the crack, then get some JB weld down into it. I’ve repaired quite a bit of stuff with JB weld, it just flat out works.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Maybe if I thinned it down like realunlucky suggested, but the crack only slightly opens when flexed. I don’t think I could get much epoxy into the crack without removing material.
 

Murtfree

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
174
Maybe if I thinned it down like realunlucky suggested, but the crack only slightly opens when flexed. I don’t think I could get much epoxy into the crack without removing material.
It sounds like from what you are describing, this crack hasn’t weakened the stock very much and could probably be repaired as AK Troutbum and realunlucky have described. Or you could use a more liquid epoxy like standard Acraglas 2 part or a similar 2 part liquid epoxy that can be purchased at the local hardware store. If it is that strong that you can’t open the crack significantly and the crack doesn’t ”travel” through the stock any great distance, the repair may not take that much work. JB may work if you heat the stock with a hairdryer or heat gun at a distance and work the epoxy with a popsicle stick or tongue depressed into the crack as you have it flexed open as wide as possible; maybe a knife blade, small brad or a similar shim can be placed in the crack after you flex it to keep it open until you work the epoxy in; it should only take a few minutes. Epoxy when heated lightly will usually liquify but if heated too much/too fast it can sometimes harden almost immediately, ie use a hair dryer sparingly on low if you use heat. After its worked completely into the full depth of the crack you can take out the shim and let it spring back Into place which will squeeze out the excess epoxy. You can wipe off any excess epoxy with a paper towel dampened with vinegar which will clean up the area before it hardens and you won’t have to do any sanding. After it cures you can test it to see if the bond has held, I am betting that it will probably hold. But if not, you didn’t loose anything since you can go back to the route of cutting out the crack with a Dremel and filling it with an epoxy putty product like Devcon and doing the filing/sanding routine. You can see a repair I did using that method under “Tale of a Bergara” thread
 

Murtfree

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
174
It sounds like from what you are describing, this crack hasn’t weakened the stock very much and could probably be repaired as AK Troutbum and realunlucky have described. Or you could use a more liquid epoxy like standard Acraglas 2 part or a similar 2 part liquid epoxy that can be purchased at the local hardware store. If it is that strong that you can’t open the crack significantly and the crack doesn’t ”travel” through the stock any great distance, the repair may not take that much work. JB may work if you heat the stock with a hairdryer or heat gun at a distance and work the epoxy with a popsicle stick or tongue depressed into the crack as you have it flexed open as wide as possible; maybe a knife blade, small brad or a similar shim can be placed in the crack after you flex it to keep it open until you work the epoxy in; it should only take a few minutes. Epoxy when heated lightly will usually liquify but if heated too much/too fast it can sometimes harden almost immediately, ie use a hair dryer sparingly on low if you use heat. After its worked completely into the full depth of the crack you can take out the shim and let it spring back Into place which will squeeze out the excess epoxy. You can wipe off any excess epoxy with a paper towel dampened with vinegar which will clean up the area before it hardens and you won’t have to do any sanding. After it cures you can test it to see if the bond has held, I am betting that it will probably hold. But if not, you didn’t loose anything since you can go back to the route of cutting out the crack with a Dremel and filling it with an epoxy putty product like Devcon and doing the filing/sanding routine. You can see a repair I did using that method under “Tale of a Bergara” thread
I guess this response is a little too late
 

_Scooter_

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 11, 2020
Messages
140
Location
Northern CA
Maybe if I thinned it down like realunlucky suggested, but the crack only slightly opens when flexed. I don’t think I could get much epoxy into the crack without removing material.

Wonder if you could flex it open and inject it with a syringe and needle. If you got the epoxy thin enough you could easily inject it into the crack.
 

SDHNTR

WKR
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
6,202
Geez, you’re a glutton for punishment! I hope the repair works after all your trouble. Ida chucked that bugger into the can and had McMillian on the phone in less than a minute.
 
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