Bought a Sporterized 87m

[backswampcub]

Went to my local gun shop yesterday and they had an old .22 to show me. It was one I had never seen before but I took a chance on it. It had an original weaver mount and scope on it I asked a cash price and was told $65. So It came home with me I started digging in to the details and figured out it was a 87m sold under Sears brand. Someone cut the stock where the middle band went. They reshaped the middle band to match profile of the barrel and moved it back a couple inches they discarded the front band and top wood cover. The scope is a weaver b6. Cleaned the bore and went to plinking hit a can at 50 yards just standing on porch. Will bench it and check zero on scope. I am sure finding a original 87m stock is impossible. I could join a piece of walnut to the stock and extend it back out, the joint would fall under the middle band and that would break up grain difference between old and new. I can make a top stock too as well as missing front band. Part of me says leave it sporterized because it is part of the rifles history. What do you guys think.

[blkwollf]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-man...fle-series/87m

Shows the Stock [S] In Stock !!!

[Sav22]

Originally Posted by blkwollf

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/gun-man...fle-series/87m

Shows the Stock [S] In Stock !!!

That's not the same 87M, that's a much later gun with a tang safety, the 87M he has was the one that was made to look like an M1 Garrand with a full length military style stock with a full wood top cover. Those stocks would not even be inletted for his action.

Bottom two in this picture are what he's referring to -

[backswampcub]

I am also considering reshaping the front of the stock to accept a band and making the top stock but shorter to match stock length.

[backswampcub]

Could someone be so kind as to post a pic of the top handguard from above.

[Sav22]

With your request for photo's I decided it might be a good time to take both these guns down and oil them, glad I did, there was some significant rust starting on the under side of the rear band on one of them - they both should be good for a couple years now.

I did learn something that I didn't notice when I had them apart after I got them, I saw that the action is just the standard Ranger version of the 87C(?) and is stamped exactly the same as the standard rifle, so some of the stamps get covered, they also have the loading port in the magazine tube which I new was just covered with a slip on sleeve - what I noticed this time is what they used for that sleeve is actually the hood for the No 100 front sights that were offered on these rifles. Both rifles were used a sight hood.

The Stevens versions of these will have more stamping under the wood, usually the manufacturers stamp including the original model designation. The knurled ends of the magazine tubes are dished out to clear the front sight wrap.

[backswampcub]

Well Hell there is a back band that I am missing too. The only thing I have is the middle band that has been reshaped to fit over the barrel now. I have the little piece that slides over the fill slot. It have been pushed back into the inside of the cutdown stock on the tube. So Between the top wood piece and its three bands the barrel is secured so the action does not rock. My rifle action rocks unless the modified band is in place. But then the modified band causes the feed tube to be pushed up into barrel. So the previous "Gunsmith" who sporterized my rifle made a wedge of electrical tape to put between the barrel and the feed tube where the band goes. I have removed the tape and made a new wedge out of a piece of aluminum stock otherwise the action will not sit right in stock. There was another wedge of tape under the tube in the stock to keep it off the bottom of the stock. I assume because without it the band would fit loose. I am considering making a sleeve out of steel tubing to fit over the feed tube that acts as a spacer for the tube to barrel and stock where the band goes over to secure to stock. I would glass bed the barrel but the "Gunsmith" Removed material to so that the barrel was free floating in stock. Which makes no sense because he then made a band that clamps it down to the stock meaning it no longer is floating. Hell it was only 60 buck so what did I expect.

[backswampcub]

I think if I decide to keep it sporterized the solution is going to be to make a new band that fits with the action with it seated all the way down. killing the wedge under the tube. Right now there is a big gap under the tube at the front of the stock due to wedge under feed tube that pushes barrel up so band will fit tight.

[backswampcub]

This has been on the back burner for awhile and I have been picking up parts as needed or as they turned up. I ended up winning an original stock,rear band and front sight. I have fabricated a new top handguard. I also have tracked down a nice Weaver 329 that is closer to the age of the rifle then the B6 it wears now. The stock had a lot of dents dings and gouges. I have steamed some and taken down to bare walnut as it was in terrible finish condition. I have coated it with truoil and will take it to a satin finish. I still have to fabricate the front band but will complete this week. Since I paid 75 out the door for the rifle even with the parts I am sitting okay on this one investment wise. I will post pics next couple days.