# Marlin XS7



## SCDAWG (Oct 17, 2009)

I bought a youth model Marlin XS7  .308 for my son this year. It has a synthetic stock. The butt has a very hollow feel/sound. I don't really like the feel and it is very loud when you bump against it.  I was wondering if there was something I could do to improve this. I was thinking about injecting some of the expanding foam. Anybody have any suggestions?


----------



## whitetailfreak (Oct 17, 2009)

you got it. take recoil pad off, and feel with expanding foam.


----------



## kurzrecord99 (Oct 17, 2009)

I was thinking of buying my son one of those are they purty accurate. And the foam will work i did it before works well


----------



## SCDAWG (Oct 17, 2009)

Seems to be pretty accurate. I like the gun. With the managed recoil bullets, its a great youth gun.
Did you have any trouble getting the foam in the stock?


----------



## bighonkinjeep (Oct 17, 2009)

I'm not for sure but I have heard that great stuff and other construction type foams need air to cure out and will actually not set up inside a rifle stock. Again I'm not sure but have heard that 2 part epoxy type foam is the proper filling for synthetic stocks.
If you try it and can confirm either way let me know. 
Thanks BHJ


----------



## papyol (Oct 17, 2009)

SCDAWG said:


> I bought a youth model Marlin XS7  .308 for my son this year. It has a synthetic stock. The butt has a very hollow feel/sound. I don't really like the feel and it is very loud when you bump against it.  I was wondering if there was something I could do to improve this. I was thinking about injecting some of the expanding foam. Anybody have any suggestions?



SCDAWG

I hope this helps! Got it from www.marlinowners.com/forums. I love my XS7 in .308 its a very accurate rifle I like mine just the way it is.


*We know how light and thin the stock is in our XS7/XL7.  I have read how some people added weight to their buttstock using BB mixed with epoxy, or using PVC packed with BB inside. I tried another way easier than these.  

Remove the rubber pad, and take that folded foam wrapper out of the buttstock. Take a small sock (I used one of my kids' old sock, make sure no hole in the sock). Insert the sock into the hollow buttstock. Wrap the elastic top of the sock around the rear end of the buttstock. Essentially, you just created a funnel. Position your rifle with the muzzle pointing straight down. Pour the steel BB into the sock funnel. Use a blunt stick to pack the BB at the bottom of the sock. Repeat the process until your sock is filled with BB about 1" below the stock line. Remove the sock elastic top from the stock. Use a cable tie to secure the sock end. Reinstall the rubber buttpad. Done!

Using this method I added close to 2 lb of weight. The BB is tightly packed inside the sock, there is absolutely no rattle.  The stock now feels and sounds solid (just tap it, and it does not sound hollow at all, no matter where you tap it). And more importantly, this modification is non-permanent and we don't have to mess with epoxy. 

I shot my XS7 today with the new weighted stock.  The heavier rifle does reduce the recoil!  Moreover, try to shoulder the rifle to shoot off hand. The heavier buttstock makes off-hand position more stable and comfortable, thanks to the shift of the rifle COM further back towards the shooter.*


----------



## SCDAWG (Oct 28, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the input. I decided to try stuffing plastic grocery bags into the stock. It seems to have worked pretty well. The stock feels and sounds more solid, doesn't add any weight, and isn't permanent. I might try adding weight later on as my sons grow.


----------

