make your own wooden birdshead

[lilrhino]

So i have been eyeballing a pistol grip for my 870 and i saw the birdshead by speedfeed. Looked nice enough, but with a 60 dollar pricetag i wasnt sold. I decided to buy a wooden stock that was in rough shape and give it some new life, and damn did it turn out sweet. So for 20 bucks for the stock and forgrip, 10 bucks for stain, 2 beers and a few hours of work here is what i made. Please comment what you think cause i intend to make more of these for fun or to sell.

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[lilrhino]

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[lilrhino]

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[lilrhino]

ill post more pictures tomorrow when the stain sets better. the shotgun is out getting tungsten cerakote and will be back by monday next week.

 

[bellarum]

Nice job! I did something similar to an old SxS. I had to recess a piece of aluminum (because that's what I had) into the grip to cover up the hole. Would look better if it matched the finish.

 

[lilrhino]

Ok, yours blows mine out of the water. I was gonna have a dowel cut from the rest of the stock and plug it with that, but i am not sure how to make it stay, or get it out when i need it. I was thinking of just leaving a hole there cause to me it doesnt look all that bad, and its out of the way of my hands. , but we will see when its all back together. Im making another birdshead tonight so ill try to make a different design with that one.

 

[bellarum]

Thanks for the compliment! I had the same thought about plugging it and never being able to re tighten the screw or changing it out for another stock. I used Varathane oil based satin poly for the finish. Post more pics when you get it back together and let us know how the Cerakote turns out!

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I don't know what is more impressive: your work or the fact that you have three hands!

 

[lilrhino]

haha that's my old man wanting to get his hands dirty with my projects.

 

[lilrhino]

stain is on, poly is drying, now to play the waiting game for the cerakote to get done, Thank you Buster Beaver!! cant wait till Friday

 

[bellarum]

Looking good fella! A tip for refinishing stocks with checkering. When you are ready for finish spray the whole stock with at least 2 coats and then mask off just the checkered area with masking tape. Spray at least 2 or 3 more coats and lightly sand with 600 grit paper. Pull the masking tape off and spray 2 more coats. Done. By sealing and masking the checkering this way you prevent the checkering from being buried in finish. Going back to the prep part try using one of those cheap brass tooth brushes to clean out the checkering when you are stripping the finish. It gets in there deep without hurting the sharp checkering.

 

[lilrhino]

I was told to keep it out of the checkering but i kinda like the all smooth feel with the checkered look. And i didnt know how to take the old stain out of the checker so i left it dark and i like it, but i think i would have liked it more universally red, so ill do that on my next one (i already bought another stock to cut down cause it is so much fun and cool looking) haha

 

[bellarum]

The only problem you might have with not removing all of the existing finish/stain before applying the new stain/finish is compatibility between finishes. Some times the remaining existing finish will keep the new finish from drying completely and stay sticky. Keep those chopped down stock pics comin! Love this stuff!

 

[lilrhino]

Well ill check it when i get home, it looked dry this morning tho... now im all scared haha

 

[mjbskwim]

Great but who wants to fire that thing?
12 guns are not fun with pistol grips

 

[lilrhino]

Its probably 5 to 10 times easier to shoot than a normal pistol grip. More compact so i can put it in my go bag, and it was a fun project. I do still have the original wood furniture too.

 

[lilrhino]

its done!! ill get better pictures tuesday when im back in town

 

[bellarum]

That turned out sweet! Nice job!!

 

[RedneckRampage]

Looks awesome! I've made a few myself. How I made a plug for the grip was, I took a hole saw, with an inside diameter a little bigger than the hole in the grip. I then got a drill bit just a hair smaller than the ID of the hole saw. I oversized the hole in the grip, with the drill bit, then took the alignment bit out if the whole saw and cut a plug out if the old cut up stock, with the hole saw. Tapped it into the hole in the grip, cut it to shape and sanded it smooth. Then I drilled a small hole through one side if the grip and into the plug, drive a tooth pick in there and sanded it down.

I hope that is all understandable lol I don't know how I'd of got the plugs out if I needed too, but I locktited the bolt in and hoped for the best. Never a problem.

 

[lilrhino]

so 2 weeks after this project began, its all back together and shoots amazingly!! it does kick im not gonna deny that, but its super compact for taking camping, putting in a go bag and PERFECT for home defense. THANK YOU BUSTER BEAVER!! amazing customer service, 4 day turn around and it looks flawless, chase really did go the extra mile for me and it shows, i have a few other guns and jeep parts i will be bringing down there because he really knocked this one out of the park. ill leave his info if anyone is interested in taking items to him to get cerakoted its truly the best coating out there.

(the cerakote color i used is tungsten)

Buster Beaver Performance Coatings
28120 SW Boberg Rd Wilsonville, OR 97070
(503) 855-4181 (ask for John or Chase)