Medallion Installation

[Pizza Bob]

I have this really nice set of AJE (now Eagle) stocks - N-frame round-butt - that are missing one thing: S&W Medallions. This is something that I would normally commission Curt Harlow to do, but he is busier than a one-armed paper-hanger and not taking on any new work.

The question becomes who would you recommend to furnish and install a set of medallions in these stocks?

Thanks for any direction.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[cgt4570]

Pre-war medallions are half inch (I have repros available!).
Post-war are .400. Drill press and Forstner bit is the best way to drill for them. To locate the proper spot on the front, I use a spare rear washer to mark center. Then I use a level/plumb drill jig to drill a small hole from back to front. Now I have the proper spot to center the Forstner bit.
I think the .400 bit was a special order. It's been several years.
Good luck!

 

[Fishinfool]

Those look nice. Would washer style medallions be the right choice with these stocks?

Looks like the older medallions with washer used the washer to help support the stocks at the top of the frame. Most stocks I have seen without traditional washers use the wood of the stocks themselves to fill that role, and often instead use medallions that are just slightly countersunk in the wood, and glued in, like modern S&W stocks.

I am no woodworker though.

Larry

 

[Pizza Bob]

Pre-war medallions are half inch (I have repros available!).
Post-war are .400. Drill press and Forstner bit is the best way to drill for them. To locate the proper spot on the front, I use a spare rear washer to mark center. Then I use a level/plumb drill jig to drill a small hole from back to front. Now I have the proper spot to center the Forstner bit.
I think the .400 bit was a special order. It's been several years.
Good luck!

Nice tutorial...are you offering?

 

[Engine49guy]

I have installed medallions on several after market stocks,
The factory medallions were located in the middle of washer that indexed with the rounded cutout inside the grip frame, most aftermarket stocks have a rounded cut inside them that keep the stocks centered at the top, the locator pin centers it at the bottom
You center the medallion in the middle of that round cut inside, as stated above you start by drilling a hole the size of your medallion pin in the center from the inside,
I then lay them flat under my drill press and drill a hole the size of the medallion from the top, my drill press has a stop to insure u don't go too deep, I then just glue them in and adjust the depth by pushing them in deep enough but not too deep.

You can practice a couple times on a block of wood or better yet if you have an old set of damaged grips.

 

[Pizza Bob]

Thanks everyone. It's nice that you are all telling me how to do it, what you seem to fail to grasp is that I'm asking who can do this because, put a tool in my hand and I become thoroughly incompetent - like two left hands incompetent. I don't want to screw these stocks up, so looking for a competent someone to do this. Capish?

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[Cotis]

I installed these reproduction medallions in this set of Thailand stocks. If you source the medallions and send me the grips I will do it for you.

 

[Engine49guy]

Have you tried contacting Eagle yet?
They offer those stocks with medallions and since it's their product might have a smallish upcharge.

 

[Cotis]

Pizza Bob,
Did you ever get the medallions installed?

 

[Pizza Bob]

Pizza Bob,
Did you ever get the medallions installed?

No, but it has become a back-burner project. I really appreciate the offer. Sorry, I didn't mean to let you hang.

Adios,

Pizza Bob