When I took possession of the D Binger HW, the stock was loose and there was a considerable gap between the wood and action. 

When taking it apart at home I removed the butt plate first. Years ago I broke a tang screw on a Meacham HW that had a through bolt installed. Sure enough there was a through bolt in this rifle. The nut on the 3/8 threads was missing. I'm assuming someone made the same mistake I made since the rifle had a brand new tang screw in it. A socket would not fit in the hole at the butt of the stock so I turned the threaded end down to 1/4 which allows a socket to fit. Everything fits as it should now.

When taking any HW apart start with the butt plate. It could have a surprise awating you.

Remember to start with the butt plate Jack and you'll be safe.

Jose Cigarless

Dick Binger did the through bolt. Winchester 1885s did not come from the factory with them.

Yes, it pulls on the tang screw. I broke the tang screw in half on the Meacham. Amazing thing is I didn't bugger the screw slot. It was a good screw slot screwdriver day.

All my through bolts have different configurations. One is like Joe’s with a hole in the end for the tang screw to go through. Over tightening the through bolt can bend the tang screw. A couple of others have square steel bars with a hole for the tang screw and enough wood removed to allow the bar to be inserted. The through bold screws into the bar. The most radical one has a steel bar welded to the lower tang that is quite beefy. The upper tang screw is a 1/4x24 screw that is about an inch long that screws into the top of the bar. I have two of those screws one for a tang sight and one with a larger head for when I don’t mount a tang sight. That one is the most capable one but if I am not mistaken, you have to remove the lower tang screws and slide the tang out with the stock. It is my opinion that having a through bolt helps with accuracy. 

Jack

I had but one with a thru bolt and it was out for rethreading to a more common size than when acquired. Put the rifle back as it was from the factory and went to shoot it. Seemed fine and now I cannot recall if I ever did put the bolt back. If the stock fits well the factory screws hold up nicely for most use I think. If you pack it in s saddle sheath or hunt in real rough country, the bolt would be good insurance. Otherwise................?

Here is the one that you can tighten well.   

You have to remove the tang along with the stick then it drops free. I rarely take the stock off.

When I get a chance today I will post a picture of the stock itself (not the channel). It had a large drop and a patchwork job in the cheek area. That will scare you even more. 

Jack

The stock has a patched area and the seller. Ron Heilman of Tang and German sights fame said it was dished when he got it and he filled it in. Fairly deep drop.  Currently it is sporting a lace on cheek pad.

Jack

Evidently not. I have considered restocking it but the through bolt would make that difficult. The angle would make it come out through the toe of a stock without that drop. I could find an expert stock grafter and have a check piece added I suppose.

''What's with the multiple pieces? Didn't Ron have one piece of wood large enough to fit the spot?''

Maybe he thought the first one looked so good he did it some more.

bpjack wrote on Aug 29^th, 2026 at 4:10pm:


Maybe ask Westerner to send you one of those buttstock stickers

bobw wrote on Aug 29^th, 2026 at 12:08pm:

I agree with Bob. IMO that is just about the worst way to do a TB setup. When observing the assembled gun for the first time I can see a person easily making mistakes and damaging something. I guess the best procedure with the unknown would be to just remove all the screws which might hold the stock and bottom tang on and hope you did it right. I would prefer the TB block be attached to the top tang there by having the holding force between the butt stock and the action itself. Not to even mention the difficulties of trying to stock a rifle with that setup.
I also do not care for the method using which pulls on the cross tang screw. 
As for the tapered tang screw, that always sounded to me like a "it will get by" solution to a problem identified after the design was complete and manufacturing had already started and management saying "just find a fix that doesn't hold up the show"