# Cracked stock?



## killabig1 (Sep 3, 2016)

Got a Mossberg 500 pump 12ga. shotgun with a crack on the grip. What's the best fix? A screw, glue, new stock?


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## tucker80 (Sep 3, 2016)

New in the long run. It'll just get worse over time. Had a gun rack fall and had to deal with it on 2 separate guns. Maybe some gorilla glue for temporary.


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## JustUs4All (Sep 4, 2016)

Done correctly, Wood glue, pressure, and time will make a glue joint stronger than the rest of the wood in the stock.


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## jglenn (Sep 4, 2016)

agree.  I use titebond II quite a bit..   get glue in all of the joint then wrap it securely to apply pressure everywhere the crack is.. rubber tubing works very well... wipe off the excess and leave it for 2-3 days .

quite a few stock sets for the 500 on ebay from $40 - $50


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## godogs57 (Sep 8, 2016)

Acra glass from.Brownells is stronger than any wood glue.


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## pnome (Sep 8, 2016)

That stock is looking pretty beat up already.  Unless it's got sentimental value to you, a new synthetic stock and fore-end will run you about $60.  I'd say just replace it.


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## jimbo4116 (Sep 8, 2016)

JustUs4All said:


> Done correctly, Wood glue, pressure, and time will make a glue joint stronger than the rest of the wood in the stock.



You are right.  I have fixed several stocks and Fore ends.
The glue joint always holds. But most times the wood begins to separate just millimeters from the original crack. Especially in stress areas and if the gun was sprayed with gun oils or silicones.

Looking at that crack, you will need to separate the sections in order to get enough glue.  Being a crack you will never get enough glue to the side of the crack still connected.  That will leave a weak spot for future cracks to start.  

You have nothing lose.  Go ahead and separate two peices totally.  Now you can apply the glue over the whole area.  Use heavy rubber bands stretched around the repair.

I would use Titebond water resistent.

You can always get a composite stock.


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## Lukikus2 (Sep 8, 2016)

The safest thing to do is replace it.


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## GunnSmokeer (Sep 8, 2016)

*both*

I say try to fix it with glue.
If that doesn't work, buy a replacement.

A few years ago, I got a black synthetic stock for a Mossberg 500 "Cruiser" (came as pistol grip only) for $25 used from one of these Georgia gun chat/ trading sites.


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## king killer delete (Sep 9, 2016)

Buy a new plastic one


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## weagle (Sep 10, 2016)

Super glue and wrap it tight with rubber bands or rubber tubing.  Wait about an hour and it's stronger than the original wood.  Don't use gorilla glue as it expands and will leave a noticeable crack.  If the wood still fits together tight, you often can't even see the crack after it's repaired with superglue.  

Super glue is messy, so I usually tape off the stock or wipe some wax on the surface (don't get the wax down in the crack)


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## Use Enough Gun (Sep 14, 2016)

*cracked stock*



godogs57 said:


> Acra glass from.Brownells is stronger than any wood glue.



Ditto on the Brownells ACra Glass . Recommended by custom rifle folks.


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## Quepos1 (Oct 7, 2016)

Please, guns were designed to have wood stocks so if you must replace it do not buy an ugly arse plastic stock. Plastic has no warmth or soul.


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## Supercracker (Oct 11, 2016)

That can absolutely be glued up good as new, but it also needs to be doweled.  


Use a clean wire brush to lightly get the tiny debris and dirt out o the surfaces. This is important but be careful not to chip out the edges.
fit the broken piece back onto the stock and clamp it in to place while it's dry so you can figure out exactly how you'll do it when it has glue in the joint
it will help later if, while it's dry fitted, you wax the outside surafaces lightly with turtle wax or something similar. This will keep any stray glue from sticking when dry.
dilute some titebond 50% with water and brush a light coat onto the joint surfaces. This will get soaked up immediately and precharge the wood fibers with glue.  A lot of glue joint failures happen because the wood fibers sucked all of the glue out of the joint and left voids or inadequate glue. Putting a thinned coat or two in place will help fill the fibers and alleviate this. (there's a name for this process but I can't remember it right now)
after it has soaked in but before the diluted glue has dried put your straight glue on both surfaces using  a small brush to dab it into all the cracks.
clamp it together and wait.
it's also a good idea to wipe the squeeze out glue with a damp cloth. Some squeeze out is good. It can be an indication you have enough glue left in the joint.
after drying overnight use a fresh 3/8" drill and drill up into the joint through the trigger guard inlet into the broken part but not deep enough to punch through.
Take a "tool", Q-tip or something,  ( I use a chopstick wrapped in butchers twine soaked in glue) to fully precharge and then coat the entire inside of the hole with glue.
Cut off a section of STRAIGHT GRAINED 3/8" oak dowel (wooden arrow shafts are also really good) just long enough to fill the hole. Take a knife edge and scrape a small flat on one side of it. This will give excess glue a void to escape though. Otherwise the glue will fill the hole and stop the dowel from actually bottoming out. Completely precharge and glue coat the dowel and tap it into the hole and clamp it down. It can also help adhesion to rough up the dowel with very coarse sandpaper. 
 use a narrow chisel to trim any protruding dowel down flush. Naturally, you'll also need to clear any throughbolt holes or similar features that are now blocked by the dowel. Of course if the opening is so big you'd have to remove most of the dowel the this really doesn't help and there's different, better ways to pin the repair into place. 
 Go kill birds. 

A doweled joint like this will be nearly as strong, if not stronger, than the original wood that likely had some hidden crack or flaw. 


*if the wood is oil soaked disregard everything I said. That a much tougher fix and probably not worth if it's not a valuable antique or fancy walnut.


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