Buttplate Restoration with Epoxy

When two teenage boys brought me a much-used Remington Model 514 single-shot takedown rifle for restoration, I had to give some serious thought to the practicality of such a request. The action and barrel were badly rusted, the stock showed the ravages of hard use, and the front sight was missing entirely. The buttplate’which clearly bore the name "Remington" The Remington Model 514 was made from 1948 to 1971. This particular rifle originally belonged to the boys’ grandfather, who had owned the gun as a youth.

The grandfather had passed away, and the restoration of the old rifle would be a surprise Christmas gift for the boys’ father. Under the circumstances, I felt compelled to take on the job, and I felt it was worth a little extra effort to preserve the original appearance of the old Remington. Performing the Repair To repair the buttplate, I used Pro-Bed 2000 resin material sold by Score High Gunsmithing (9812-A Cochite SE, Albuquerque, NM 87123).

Many other epoxy-based glass bedding materials will work just as well, but the Pro- Bed 2000 has a black texture that closely matched the original buttplate. It also can be checkered to closely

Right top: Pro- Bed epoxy is available in black or brown to match the color of a gunstock. In this case, the black material was a good match for the color of the buttplate. Right bottom: The soft epoxy can be worked into all the corners and edges with a pointed stick. match the buttplate. First, it’s necessary to cleanup the edges of the damaged part. This is best done by following the checkering line, and leaving the surface square and clean.

I used a Dremel tool with a 1/8-inch bit to clean up the edges of the part and roughen the inner surfaces. This ensures a better bond of the epoxy material to the plastic buttplate. Having prepared the part, I used a thin piece of sheetmetal formed to the outer configuration of the buttplate. This form was held in position with small brads, tacked to a flat, wood surface. The stock screws were used to hold the buttplate precisely in position against the form strip.

Release agent was then applied to the wood surface and the inside of the metalform. This prevents adhesion of the epoxy material at these points. After the release agent set up, I mixed a sufficient amount of the epoxy material to fill the void. I placed some of the epoxy material on the underside of the buttplate before attaching it to the board, then filled the form with epoxy, making sure it was pushed against the sides of the broken buttplate and against the form.

A pointed applicator helps to work the epoxy material into all the corners and edges and eliminate air bubbles. The checkering of the repaired area can be done either before or after the epoxy has set up completely. I did some experimenting on a test surface, and decided it was easier to work with the epoxy material when it was nearly cured, but still soft enough to tool easily with apiece of steel that was pointed to match the original checkering grooves. Absolute perfection here is not necessary.

All you really have to do is to replace the missing material, and produce a pattern that helps to disguise the repair. The part can be removed from the board and the form removed after allowing ample time for the epoxy to set’usually 8 to 10 hours. If necessary, the side of the buttplate where the form was applied can be cleaned up with a flat file or fine sandpaper. As a final touch, I applied a light coat of stock finish to the repaired part to give it an even, low-gloss sheen.

Conclusion Preserving the collector’s value of a gun such as this old Remington Model 514 sometimes requires a bit of ingenuity, particularly when parts have to be fabricated or rebuilt. And it’s not always easy to charge the customer for what your time is really worth. But there’s a great deal of satisfaction to be had in coming to the rescue of an old gun.

And then, of course, there’s the added fulfillment that comes from knowing you’ve helped to maintain a family heirloom and helped to give a family a happy Christmas. I