Water ballast?

[dr.ed]

i have a gun yet to be built. Teak stock, Alexander trigger, Neptronics handle frame. Track and trigger drop cut but not yet pinned. (Also been toying with the idea of adding a Neptronics track.)

There have been several threads on drilling both angled and perpendictular ( to stock ) holes for water ballast. So i'm tempted. There seem to be three benefits: less gun weight out of the water, save$$$ and/or weight on air travel baggage & more ballast to counter recoil in the water & eaiser to swing side to side.

If i do drill angled or perpendictular?

Only down side(s) weakened stock & asthetics.

Mahalo in advance for comments, suggestions, and observations.

[Castor]

For me personally, I would be slow to drill out a teak gun. I'm guessing that you could attach an aluminum or titanium tube to the bottom of the gun that when filled with water would radically reduce recoil. You could even set it up so that it could be removed easily. You could also go to a thinner shaft.

If you do drill it out let us know how it works.

Good luck.

Rob Bever

[WESTBURY]

If I'm reading this right, I think the Seasniper guns are drill PARALLEL the long axis of the guns. Chris reinforces his holes with titanium tubes.
Check out www.seasniper.com maybe some ideas there.

[dr.ed]

i've seen the Seasniper website; GREAT guns; works of art. i don't have too much recoil problem with the guns i've got (except some pipe guns.) i don't want to add a tube to bottom or sides since this will add more bulk and weight. Mainly i'm after less out of water weight; BUT i don't want to ruin a good teak stock.
Thanks for replies.

[WESTBURY]

I would think any holes drilled for significant out-of-water weight benefits would compromise the integrity of your gun.
just my 2 cents

[dr.ed]

I would think any holes drilled for significant out-of-water weight benefits would compromise the integrity of your gun.
just my 2 cents

That's my Main worry.

[cantankerous82]

I'm about to do the same on my first gun build but am going to mortise a few slots in the lower half of the gun. my blank is 2.5" wide and 2" tall though, so it's pretty hefty. I've worried too about loosing beam strength, but i figure if there is still more wood structure left than a riffe of equal length, then it should be fine especially with 7 lams compared to the riffe's 3.

[SeaWeed]

Most of the stress is in the top and bottom. Removing from the center will decrease strength the least. Also making it taller improves the strength more than making it wider.

[phil herranen]

ive done around 12 guns with holes up to about 80% of the thickness of the gun and have had 0 failures stiffness of the gun is not effected because of the truss effect , they track very well compared to a identical gun without holes . the weight loss out of the water is less than a pound depending on the gun size and wood type.
phil