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Re: Why are the repro muskets so heavy?
Hallo!
"Would it be feasible to drill out some excess wood from inside the butt stock to get rid of some weight, but not sacrifice strength? "
Minimally possible, yes. Some little...
When things are not proportioned the same, basically a larger part needs more wood around it. If one removes too much wood from the exterior, then the stock loses "proportionality" in the geometry and relationships between wood and metal. Plus, there is only so much wood that can be taken away or down before things get too "thin" or "out of balance."
Some lads have attempted to deal with the stock by drilling holes under things such as under the breechplug tang, under the trigger guard plate, and particularly larger holes under the buttplate. From there, there were arguments about undermining (no pun intended) the strength of the stock so some filled the holes with styrofoam and some with liquid expanding insulation from a can.
Most lads reshape stocks by taking off the obvious excess wood where found that is BEYOND the spatial and geometrical relationships that the Italian gusn should have even when "bulkier." IMHO, if one goes beyond that in their removal efforts, the pendulum swings too far in another wrong direction.
I have never seen a lad do the above, and then report back on exactly how much or how little difference in weight they ultimately achieved with actual weight measurements.
Curt
Hallo!
"Would it be feasible to drill out some excess wood from inside the butt stock to get rid of some weight, but not sacrifice strength? "
Minimally possible, yes. Some little...
When things are not proportioned the same, basically a larger part needs more wood around it. If one removes too much wood from the exterior, then the stock loses "proportionality" in the geometry and relationships between wood and metal. Plus, there is only so much wood that can be taken away or down before things get too "thin" or "out of balance."
Some lads have attempted to deal with the stock by drilling holes under things such as under the breechplug tang, under the trigger guard plate, and particularly larger holes under the buttplate. From there, there were arguments about undermining (no pun intended) the strength of the stock so some filled the holes with styrofoam and some with liquid expanding insulation from a can.
Most lads reshape stocks by taking off the obvious excess wood where found that is BEYOND the spatial and geometrical relationships that the Italian gusn should have even when "bulkier." IMHO, if one goes beyond that in their removal efforts, the pendulum swings too far in another wrong direction.
I have never seen a lad do the above, and then report back on exactly how much or how little difference in weight they ultimately achieved with actual weight measurements.
Curt
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