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Converting a Winchester Model 21 Side by Side from Pistol to Straight Grip | MidwayUSA Gunsmithing - YouTube
Channel: MidwayUSA
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Converting the stock on a shotgun from a pistol聽
grip to a straight grip design is an easy process,聽聽
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let me show you how it's done. This is聽
a Winchester Model 21 built in the early聽聽
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1930s. About 30,000 were made before production聽
was moved to the Winchester Custom Shop in 1959聽聽
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after which another few thousand guns were聽
made. Most Winchester 21's left the factory聽聽
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with a pistol grip stock, a single trigger,聽
and a beavertail forend. This early gun has聽聽
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a pistol grip stock but it has double triggers聽
and a splinter forend. British guns typically聽聽
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had a straight grip stock like this聽
William Jeffries and Sons box lock.
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Since the American market had聽
a preference for pistol grips,聽聽
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English manufacturers often incorporated a pistol聽
grip stock for guns sold in America. Pistol grips聽聽
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have also been retrofitted to straight grip聽
guns like this William Kashmore hammer gun.
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This Model 21 is mechanically sound as I聽
previously tightened up the forend which was聽聽
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a little loose. The stock has been refinished at聽
some point so this gun really isn't a collector's聽聽
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item and converting the stock to a straight grip聽
design just makes it a little classier like this聽聽
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original 20 gauge model 21 made in 1974. To聽
convert the stock to a straight grip I need聽聽
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to remove the entire pistol grip and weld on a聽
piece of metal at the end of the trigger guard聽聽
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for a new longer tang like on the 20 gauge. Then聽
I'll need to refinish and rechecker the stock. I聽聽
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begin by disassembling the gun. The trigger guard聽
tang is secured by one screw. Now the tang can be聽聽
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lifted free of the stock and the guard rotated 90聽
degrees and removed. Next the upper tang screw,
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the trigger plate tang screw, and finally the聽
trigger plate screw are removed. Wrapping the聽聽
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frame with the plastic mallet will loosen聽
the trigger plate and the buttstock can be聽聽
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slid off the receiver. I use a piece聽
of masking tape on both sides of the聽聽
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stock to extend the tow line through聽
the pistol grip and along the trigger聽聽
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guard inletting. This serves as a guide for聽
removing the pistol grip. Since it's only a聽聽
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small amount of wood a Nicholson #49 cabinet聽
makers rasp quickly removes the pistol grip.
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Although I could use a handsaw or even a bandsaw.聽
As I get close to the tape I check my progress.聽聽
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The line between the toe and the trigger-guard聽
should be perfectly flat. Before I round off聽聽
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the toe line I need to weld the extension on聽
the trigger guard and inlet the new longer聽聽
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tang. Inletting the guard at this point allows聽
me to shape the wood to the metal. A piece of聽聽
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mild steel slightly thicker and wider than聽
the trigger guard is welded on using a TIG聽聽
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welder and the new longer tang is shaped聽
to duplicate the original factory straight聽聽
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grip guard. The hole for the additional聽
guard screw is drilled and countersunk.
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Looks pretty close to the original.聽
With the stock back on the receiver,聽聽
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the trigger guard is turned in and then聽
adjusted slightly to lie flat against the聽聽
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stock. I'm using a pencil that's been聽
sanded flat on one side to mark around聽聽
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the guard. The flat surface will provide聽
a more precise outline of the guard. A
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series of small chisels is used聽
to cut the inletting. Smoking the聽聽
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guard helps me see the high spots as聽
the metal goes deeper into the wood.
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Scraping away the areas where the聽
metal makes contact allows for a聽聽
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nearly perfect fit. Now the hole for the聽
new guard screw is marked with a shop-made聽聽
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punch and then pre-drilled before the聽
screw is turned in. With the guard in聽聽
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place the toe line of the stock is shaped聽
using a straight edge to check along the聽聽
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sides of the stock. This will ensure a聽
smooth radius from the toe to the wrist.
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I'm going to add flutes to the comb of the stock聽
like on the 20 gauge. The flutes are laid out and聽聽
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I also want to sharpen the nose of the comb. A聽
series of files are used to rough in the flutes,聽聽
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tape serves as a reminder and top to cut the聽
flutes to long. The radius at the nose of the聽聽
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comb on the 20 gauge is about the same as that聽
of a quarter. Before sanding I need to give some聽聽
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thought to the checkering. The wrist is about four聽
and a half inches in circumference, which is about聽聽
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right so I can't just sand off the checkering as聽
that would make the grip look and feel too small.聽聽
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I start sanding by wrapping 150 grit paper around聽
the block then secure it with masking tape. A firm聽聽
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backer will ensure level sanding and prevent聽
waves in the wood that would show up in the聽聽
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finish. Notice I sand with the grain never across聽
it. The next step is to fill in the checkering. I聽聽
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clean it out with finish remover and follow up聽
with acetone to remove any remaining residue.聽聽
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Then a mixture of epoxy and sanding dust saved聽
from this stock is buttered into the checkering.
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Once the epoxy hardens I filed it flush聽
with the surface of the surrounding wood.
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The action is out of the stock to prevent聽
scratching the metal so I need to be especially聽聽
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careful to stay away from the edges this is all聽
we need to do with the checkering for now. Next,聽聽
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I sand the wrist then the side panels.聽
I want the edges around the panel's to聽聽
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be nice and crisp so I'm careful not to sand聽
close to the receiver as the wood should be聽聽
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slightly higher or proud of the metal. The聽
stocks are sanded through 320 grit raising聽聽
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the grain after each sanding. I wipe the stocks聽
with a damp paper towel and dry them with a heat聽聽
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gun. The compressed wood fibers are raised with聽
this process and the next sanding removes them.聽聽
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I'm going to stain the stocks using a pre-64聽
Winchester type stain. This gives the stocks聽聽
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a nice reddish-brown tint which resembles the聽
original factory color. The stain is brushed聽聽
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on and wiped off and the stocks are hung to聽
dry. Next, I seal the wood which helps prevent聽聽
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moisture from soaking into the grain. I'm using聽
Laurel Mountain Forge stock sealer mixed with聽聽
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stain to give the wood a darker color and聽
blend the color of the buttstock with the聽聽
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forend. I brush the sealer liberally onto the聽
stock completely coating all surfaces and keep聽聽
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the wood wet for about 20 minutes then I wipe off聽
the excess and allow the stocks to dry overnight.
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The buttplate is reinstalled to keep from聽
rounding over the sharp edge when sanding.聽聽
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I thinned the finish with mineral spirits聽
to make it easier to work with. A selection聽聽
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of wet or dry sandpaper is used. The last聽
sanding was with 320 grit so I'm starting聽聽
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now with 400. I squirt on a generous amount聽
of finish and sand it in giving this finishing聽聽
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process its name sanded in finish. Sanding聽
creates a fine slurry of finish and wood聽聽
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dust which fills the grain of the wood.聽
The excess slurry is wiped off before it聽聽
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hardens going across the grain leaving the聽
slurry in the grain but not on the surface.聽聽
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We call this shop made tool and edge saver as聽
it helps save the crisp edges of the stock.
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Before sanding the forend I tape over the聽
checkering. The forend is a little darker聽聽
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than the buttstock, so I'm going to add some聽
stain to the remaining coats of finish on the聽聽
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buttstock. I like to put on one coat of finish in聽
the morning and one in the evening. I'll continue聽聽
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to sand in coats with 400 grit until the grain聽
is completely filled. Which generally takes 3聽聽
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to 6 sandings depending on the wood grain. The聽
stock has now been sanded through 1,000 grit聽聽
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which gives it an attractive matte finish. The聽
checkering on the forend is still in good shape,聽聽
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but the checkering on the wrist will have to聽
be recut. I'm going to duplicate the pattern聽聽
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on the original straight grip Model 21.聽
Before I begin checkering the receiver is聽聽
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reattached and the buttstock is secured in聽
a checkering cradle. I'm using the original聽聽
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master lines to lay out the new pattern.聽
The original pattern is used to determine聽聽
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the distance the checkering will be聽
from both the upper and lower tangs.
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Once all the checkering has been recut I apply聽
the same finish that was used on the stock. All聽聽
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evidence of the original checkering disappears聽
when the new checkering is complete. The trigger聽聽
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guard and screws have been rust blued to match聽
the original finish. Now I can reassemble the gun.
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Pretty classy look.
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