Question for seasoned gun builders

[blaiz]

Im currently building a gun for my fiance, and I wont lie, im sure ill use it from time to time:blackeye

Its going to be made out of balanese teak and is going to be a 90 built similar to the riffe euro models. So far I have the stock laminated, set, and straightened. Im now waiting on my trigger, handle frame, line maker and router bit (for rail) from neptonics systems before I can move forward.

All that being said, my question is What is the best way to deal with the ballast of the gun. It will be reletively thin so there isnt going to be that much density to the stock. It is going to be a rear handle, probably have a 17/64 riffe shaft, and 2-9/16 bands. For anyone who has built a similar gun (foxfish) how much weight did you need to add? and where?

I appreciate your time

Aloha Jake

 

[foxfish]

You can add weight anywhere on the gun if it needs it but very often thin profile guns need buoyancy not weight!
Anyway to start with get some little strips of lead & tape the lead in place until you are satisfied with the balance. You can then drill a hole in the wood with a suitable sized bit & fill the hole with the reshaped lead, then you can plug the hole with a wooded plug & epoxy over.
Best to buy a tapered plug cutter & matching drill bit as a kit.
Good luck.

 

[blaiz]

Thank you foxfish. Im not sure what you mean by "profile" gun. I guess I know just as well as anyone that its just going to take me getting it into the water and doing some "trial and error".

Now if the gun needs bouyancy is it added with a high density foam in the same manner as the lead?

Never mind, I didnt read the "thin" before the profile. Thin profile guns need bouyancy... gotcha!

 

[irtrogdor]

From what I understand you just build the whole gun and then put it in the pool and figure out if/where it needs ballasting. Then you follow foxfish's procedure.

 

[foxfish]

Thats right but in sea water if you intend to use it in the sea. Also if you need to add buoyancy then you have not designed the best gun, it might look good but if the gun is muzzle heavy you will have far more trouble to balance it.