SmevSIG

I have an old Marlin Model 90 shotgun, 12ga O/U, circa 1953

At the top of the buttstock on both sides where it meets the receiver, large chunks have been split off with the grain. This is undoubtedly due to recoil. They are approximately 1/4" thick and running with the grain are about 2.5" long, extending along the upper tang.

I have fortunately been able to retain the pieces. (Once I was shooting clays in my field up north one day and returned to the cabin. In cleaning the gun later that night I noticed a chunk missing. I returned to the field the next morning and went to each of the spots I'd stood while shooting. Thankfully, it was early spring and the grass hadn't really started to grow yet. On my hands and knees after well over an hour of searching, I found the sliver of walnut.) The chunks fit back in place perfectly as the grain has not been deformed.

This has happened repeatedly, and I've tried various glues over the years. The stock finish is not glossy; it was likely done with some sort of oil. I suspect that this treatment has soaked into the wood rendering most adhesives completely ineffective.

My only apparent recourse is to wipe the edges to be bonded with solvent and re-glue them, then drill perpendicular to the fractures and pin them with thin brass rods to be filed and sanded flush. I will also sand the forward edges where they meet the receiver to provide some relief for future shooting.

Anyone out there have any alternative suggestions before I try this?