AJ wrote on May 7^th, 2025 at 1:47pm:


This does make sense!
Bob

Think I found a picture of a complete rear sight, but it wasn’t what I expected:    (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

wow! when I first asked you, Bob, I didn't realize that the opening of such a mystery was contained in that request. A whole new chapter in Remington study? 

I had noticed the detent in the up position, but the lowered one was skipped. So much going on that missing is pretty easy to have happen. Bet the positive feel of it up and down is nice instead of just a spring riding it to a stop. Wonder what the factory charged for one of those compared to the better grades of tang sights seen.

Been getting caught up on other projects that I had been neglecting while working on this gun, but I'm now getting back to stocking this beast.

My original thought and drawing were for a schuetzen style stock on this gun with that style buttplate.  But, since deciding to make it a 40-70ss I have changed my mind.  Especially, after repairing and then lining the barrel of an old beat up #5 Ballard, chambering it for the 40-70ss and then shooting it with its current small crescent steel buttplate.  My shoulder still feels the pain!  I'm not a big fan of recoil.

This first picture shows the new design.  (If curious, look back through this thread for the other style)  Not sure how crazy I am about it yet but, it meets everything I wanted in this stock.  A shotgun style buttplate, pistol grip and a comb tall enough for easy use of a scope but not so high that a tang sight wouldn't work, and also still get a cleaning rod past it.  The big question was the height and width of the buttplate.  The picture shows the two options for plates.  The arrows show what the stock looks like with each, the dotted line being for the larger plate.

I really wanted the larger of the two but did not like how straight the plate was from top to bottom, compared to the short one.  As shown by the doted line here in this second picture.

Just in case you didn't know it, a little heat and you can bend these to where you want them. Cool it in water and it stays put. Photo 3 shows the large plate now curved similarly to the small one. Shown by the arrow.

This last photo shows the completed drawing with the large buttplate I intend to use.  The top or arrow #1 is showing the zero pitch line.  As can be seen by arrows #2 and 3, I am planning on zero pitch.

I'm not sure about the cheek piece yet but will leave wood enough to do one if I want.  

I'm also considering putting some cast to the right in the toe, maybe 1/4 to 3/8 inch, but leaving the heel/comb at zero.
Bob

I like the time you devote to decision making- but too, the effort made to tell and show us how you arrive at those decisions. 
And, that chunk of wood is so ugly that if you send it to me, I'll burn it for you just to save the work you could be expending on finishing up with some other slab. I'll even pay the freight to my 'furnace'.

Bob, thank you for all the extra work of documenting your work so we can enjoy seeing your ideas come together in steel and wood. Your machining skills are really impressive and a pleasure to see, so thank you.
Cheers Richard