Thought I'd share this here since a few of you might be in the same boat.
I bought a Savage 12FV last month, plus a few other gun-related purchases, so my finances were a little light. I knew that I still had bipod/scope/rail/stock to invest in this gun, but I want to shoot it now! So, the solution was to put a POS scope I already had on for the time being, bought an aluminum rail (usually prefer steel), a bipod from the classifieds here...minimal investment, but that still left the stock.
I knew I'd need an adjustable comb since the scope I had is a 60mm aperture, but those start at $350 it seems for this gun, and as I mentioned, my gun money budget was blown. So, I decided to cut up the factory cheap-o stock, and make an adjustable comb out of it.
First step was to fill the hollow stock with fiberglass (~$10 tub). Then, I leveled and plumbed the stock on a flat surface, and made a jig using some clamps and spray foam I had. Then I marked where I wanted to cut, and took it over to the band saw. Now I had a separate comb.
The next part is where it got tricky...how to make it adjustable, reliable, and keep it cheap? I found some kits on Brownells and Midway, but they were $80+. Doesn't make sense to use those. So, after playing around in the hardware store for a few minutes, I found that the threads on a knob they sold fit perfectly in a shaft collar, and a 3/8's rod fit perfectly in the shaft collar! So one rod, two knobs, and two shaft collars later, I'm out another ~$12.
Shaft collar for reference: https://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/images/ProductImages/8798616-23.jpg
So the next steps required some finesse...which I mostly accomplished. I'll admit...I didn't spend the time to make everything perfect, since this wasn't going to be a long-term fix (but it might have ended up that way, since it works so well, so far). I drilled a hole through both the comb and the stock so I'd have a good reference to boring out everything in line with each other. Then I bored out the comb holes to 3/8", opened up the stock holes to 1/2" so that the 3/8" rod would have some wiggle room in there, then bored the stock holes 5/8" to accommodate the shaft collars. Once I punched the holes in the side of the stock for the knobs, I JB welded some pieces of the 3/8"rod in the comb, and JB'd the shaft collars in the stock, and was ready for a trial.
I must say...so far it is SOLID. Even with it being raised up as much as it is. Pro tips in case you want to try: 1) fiberglass does not stick to plastic, Either find a different filler to use, or rough up the plastic enough to provide adhesion. 2) When you drill your pilot holes, build another jig for the stock to keep it plumb and level. I tried balancing a level while holding the stock freehand, and things got a little off. But it works.
Pics are as follows:
1) Jig I set up for band saw use, prior to spray foam
2) Cut stock with fiberglass filler
3) Hardware purchased and holes cut for it
4) Test fitment
5) All painted up
I bought a Savage 12FV last month, plus a few other gun-related purchases, so my finances were a little light. I knew that I still had bipod/scope/rail/stock to invest in this gun, but I want to shoot it now! So, the solution was to put a POS scope I already had on for the time being, bought an aluminum rail (usually prefer steel), a bipod from the classifieds here...minimal investment, but that still left the stock.
I knew I'd need an adjustable comb since the scope I had is a 60mm aperture, but those start at $350 it seems for this gun, and as I mentioned, my gun money budget was blown. So, I decided to cut up the factory cheap-o stock, and make an adjustable comb out of it.
First step was to fill the hollow stock with fiberglass (~$10 tub). Then, I leveled and plumbed the stock on a flat surface, and made a jig using some clamps and spray foam I had. Then I marked where I wanted to cut, and took it over to the band saw. Now I had a separate comb.
The next part is where it got tricky...how to make it adjustable, reliable, and keep it cheap? I found some kits on Brownells and Midway, but they were $80+. Doesn't make sense to use those. So, after playing around in the hardware store for a few minutes, I found that the threads on a knob they sold fit perfectly in a shaft collar, and a 3/8's rod fit perfectly in the shaft collar! So one rod, two knobs, and two shaft collars later, I'm out another ~$12.
Shaft collar for reference: https://cdn.mscdirect.com/global/images/ProductImages/8798616-23.jpg
So the next steps required some finesse...which I mostly accomplished. I'll admit...I didn't spend the time to make everything perfect, since this wasn't going to be a long-term fix (but it might have ended up that way, since it works so well, so far). I drilled a hole through both the comb and the stock so I'd have a good reference to boring out everything in line with each other. Then I bored out the comb holes to 3/8", opened up the stock holes to 1/2" so that the 3/8" rod would have some wiggle room in there, then bored the stock holes 5/8" to accommodate the shaft collars. Once I punched the holes in the side of the stock for the knobs, I JB welded some pieces of the 3/8"rod in the comb, and JB'd the shaft collars in the stock, and was ready for a trial.
I must say...so far it is SOLID. Even with it being raised up as much as it is. Pro tips in case you want to try: 1) fiberglass does not stick to plastic, Either find a different filler to use, or rough up the plastic enough to provide adhesion. 2) When you drill your pilot holes, build another jig for the stock to keep it plumb and level. I tried balancing a level while holding the stock freehand, and things got a little off. But it works.
Pics are as follows:
1) Jig I set up for band saw use, prior to spray foam
2) Cut stock with fiberglass filler
3) Hardware purchased and holes cut for it
4) Test fitment
5) All painted up
