Old butt plate fit

[tws3b2]

I had been looking for a butt plate to fit an old Berreta shotgun. I found plenty of butt plates that people would say fit my model but when I asked for measurements none fit exact. I finally found one that came really close but not exact. That got me wondering. How did gun makers of years past and today fit butt plates? Did they fit the stock to the plate or the plate to the stock? I'm talking mass production not just one at a time. If you look at a gun with the original but plate, it's usually a perfect fit. This may seem a odd or stupid question but I got it stuck in my head would like to know.

 

[troy fairweather]

Grind to fit.

 

[Kp321]

To answer one of your questions, when fitting a pad or plate to a new, unfinished stock, they can be sanded together for a perfect fit. When putting a pad or plate on a finished stock, the pad or plate is carefully fitted to the finished stock. Believe me, it is a skill that is developed over time. Gunsmithing books have page after page of instructions and hints on how to achieve a perfect fit.

 

[film495]

The only butt plate I ever replaced was with an aftermarket rubber/plastic one. I was horrified at how bad it fit and ended up filing the butt plat to fit, far from perfect, but acceptably. My guess is they were oversized on purpose, just so they could be fitted to any stock, but I didn't get any directions or anything with it so, just sort of had to figure it out.

oh, this was on a 1949 Winchester 62a, so it was an old butt plate.

 

[243winxb]

At home, Grind to fit - Pads come in different sizes. Pick one that is oversize, but close. I have done , Rubber, plastic & aluminum . Never did steel, but may be done the same?

On a finished stock , place some masking tape on the finished wood. Install pad. Sand pad down using a sanding disc. Medium grit. Switch to a fine grit to finish.

I used a 3/8 drill with a rubber backer that held the sand paper. Clamped the drill down, outside. Fine rubber is dirty. Go slow.

Follow the contour of the wood. Go slow without cutting into the masking tape.

In factorys of old- sand pad down while sanding the stock before the finish is applied. A guess.

Todays factory- my guess is, with CNC machines, the pads are made to the correct fit before comming in contact with the finished stock.

 

[tws3b2]

Just refinished an old Stevens 410 with a metal butt plate made sometime between 1933 and 1942 . At the time the gun probably sold around $10 maybe less. The butt plate is still a perfect fit to the wood. Got my first gun when I was about 15 at a whopping $20 for a 410 . On layaway. Took me several weeks to earn that. Any way just thinking about the hands on labor it took to build a gun back in the day compared to the machine today.