Story and photos by Bryce M. Towsley, |
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No matter how much time you spend in the field, the simple truth is that you carry your rifle a lot more than you shoot it; and a sling not only makes a rifle easier to carry, it also provides the critical edge when used as a shooting aid.
Fortunately, even though not all guns are shipped with sling swivel studs, installing them in a wood or synthetic stock is a relatively easy project for the hobbyist gunsmith.
You will need a set of sling swivel studs designed to fit your rifle—perhaps the best known are the QD variety from Michael’s of Oregon—and drill bits such as those in the Miles Gilbert Swivel Stud Installation Kit, which also contains a counterbore, a depth collar and a drill guide.
Start by removing the stock from the rifle. Next, mark the location for the rear stud—usually between 2 ¼" and 3" from the toe of the buttpad. If you use the drilling fixture from the Miles Gilbert kit shown in the photos, draw a pencil line along the centerline of the stock to help align it. Otherwise, use a prick punch to mark a hole in the exact center of the stock at the location where you want to mount the swivel stud.
Uncle Mike’s recommends a 0.157" (5/32") drill for the rear swivel-stud screw. It is critical that it be centered exactly on the stock and that it is at a 90-degree angle to the bottom edge of the stock. The drill fixture will keep the 90-degree angle, but will not guarantee that the drill is centered. It is best to clamp the stock in a padded vise and use a drill press; but if you are careful, a hand-held drill will work. Make the hole deep enough to accommodate the full length of the rear swivel stud screw and 1/8" more. If you are using a hand-held drill, wrap a piece of tape around the bit to act as a stopper to signal the proper depth.
The top shank of the screw is not threaded, so a slightly larger hole must be drilled to allow it to pass without splitting the stock. Uncle Mike’s suggests a 0.220" (7/32") drill. Drill only deep enough to accommodate the shoulder of the screw. Be careful, because the drill bit can catch in the wood and pull the drill in too deeply.
Finally, the stock should be squared to accept the swivel-stud base and a white spacer if you elect to use one. It’s best to use a cutter designed for that job. Uncle Mike’s offers a counterbore that is 0.373". If you do not have that, you can do it with a 3/8" drill bit, although this is a distant second choice. With the counterbore you only want to “kiss” the wood rather than drill to any depth. This simply gives the swivel base a solid foundation to tighten against.
Installing sling swivel studs requires (1) the right tools, such as a rifle rest and the desired swivel set, (2) a drilling fixture such as the one included in the Swivel Stud Installation Kit from Miles Gilbert, (3 and 4) counterboring bits for the stud locations and for the inner fore-end and (5) a hammer to tap in the swivel nut. |
Seal any exposed wood with stock finish or polyurethane and let it dry. Coat the threads of the swivel stud with glue and carefully screw it into the hole. Make sure that you have it square and aligned correctly with the hole. Use a pin punch or a nail, and be very careful that it doesn’t contact the stock as you turn it because that can scratch the wood. When tight, the sling swivel should rest squarely and tightly against the stock and should be aligned in the center. Also, ensure that the hole through the swivel stud is positioned 90 degrees to the centerline of the gun.
Bolt-action rifles have the forward stud mounted in the stock at about 2" to 2 ½" from the fore-end tip. Carefully mark the stock in the exact center with a prick punch. In this case, we are drilling a hole that the front swivel’s machine screw will pass through, so it has to be slightly larger than the screw itself. Use a 0.190" (3/16") drill bit, and drill all the way through the stock.
Turn the stock over so that the barrel-channel side is facing up. The hole must be counter-bored with a larger drill to allow for insertion of the swivel nut deep enough so that it is below the surface of the barrel channel. Uncle Mike’s suggests a 0.388" counter bore, or a 3/8" drill bit will work. Be careful not to drill it too large—as the edge of the nut is serrated, and it must be a tight fit in the hole for those serrations to grip and hold the nut against turning.
Coat all exposed wood with stock finish or polyurethane and let dry. Using a small brass or plastic hammer and a brass or nylon punch, tap the swivel nut into the hole with the rounded side down. Work carefully, making sure the nut doesn’t twist or get out of alignment with the hole. Make sure that the top of the nut is below the surface of the barrel channel in the stock. Now screw the swivel stud in from the other side and tighten. Make sure the screw does not protrude into the barrel channel in the stock. If it does, remove it, and grind off enough to bring it below the stock. Reassemble the rifle, and install the sling.
Pump-action, semi-auto and lever-action rifles often use a band-type front swivel stud. In the Uncle Mike’s style, these are wrapped around the barrel or magazine tube, and a hollow screw is threaded through to pull the two sides together. The sling swivel’s pin will then pass through the hollow screw. These bands can be a bit aggravating to install, and persistence is your best tool. Position the band as close as possible to the top of the fore-end. The diameter of the tube or barrel often will limit how far down the band will slide. Be careful not to force anything, as you can easily scratch the bluing.
Smooth the inside of the ring, and polish a small radius on the edges. This will help it slide up and down more easily for positioning and will reduce the risk of marring the blueing. Make sure that the holes on the two sides are in perfect alignment before installing the screw. A padded vise can help correct any misalignment. It is easier to remove sights and barrel bands to allow the band to slide down the tube or barrel than it is to bend the ring around them and then try to bring it back into alignment. If the swivel will not close all the way after installation, carefully reduce the sides of the stud thickness until the swivel will close and lock.