El Kabong gits new clothes....

stovepipe · Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:54 pm Post subject: El Kabong gits new clothes....

Well, chalk this one up to boredome, and, too shiny a gun (sorry Wiersy-bud! Sad

). Been sniffin' 'round fer tactical vert-grip stocks, etc..no one makes one fer Kabonger's that's a "drop in", I'd have to get something close them smith fit it. Not a very popular model. Not sure why- it's made here and it's butt-accurate. Meh, oh well. The factory stock is really nice, straight and dispurses recoil nicely. It's a bit light too, fer carry obviuosly.

We all know I like the rifle, still diddlin' with loads, it's plenty accurate. But, I just wasn't totally sold on the look. It's a "sniper" sorta rifle for me. Fer long range steels and such, just a fun plinkin' gun. So....

Went to Kragen and got some spatter-coat trunk paint, black w/ lil' white fleckie's. After cleaning the stock with laquer thinner I shot it up. This stuff's pretty tuff. It seems well stuck on there after 24hrs. Gonna let it go for a few days more. The texture I'm sure you all know. It's pretty "pebbly". I thought it'd fill in the checkering but it actually augmented it. It added some weight too. Also made a comb-lift cheek weld for it I'm going to attach later.
I shot the action and barrle with VHT silica-ceramic header paint after about two hours of careful taping, plugging and masking. Then realised it has to be cured at 400 degrees, a few times. Neato. Oooops. Easier to shoot it again as I don't wanna remve the group and scope. Oh well, comes right off with LT. Getting some Dura-Coat cold coat in matte black next week.

So here's some seek peeks...The stock looks really good. When done I'll post some pics in the sun. The flash washed the white-flecks and made the texture look odd.

Before:

stovepipe

Teaser 1:

stovepipe

Teaser 2, this guns gonn be pretty stealthy/tactical looking when finished- hooah! (again, sorry, texture and fleckies kinda got warshed out). Butts restng on the inverted cheek-weld/lift I made from a felt boot liner and some wetsuit matieral sliconed together- it's upside down so...kinda ugly. ONLY, 6 more months 'til I'm strong enough to shoot it.. Laughing

:

slimjim

Ok, stovey! You are certified stir-crazy!! Most guys and gals drool over getting a multi-color laminated stock and you cover it with trunk paint!?!?

I can't tell if you masked the bedding area inside the stock or not. Even with just the thin layer of paint on the action and barrel, I'd expect its shooting characteristics to change. I've seen it happen when some one took the camo tape off his barrel.

Let us know how it shoots. It will be interesting to see if "leave well enough alone" applies here.

gelandangan

Oh, now you've done it,
you made a nice looking gun into the evil BLACK gun
Something wrong with you kalifornians with your black guns..

Suzanne

I guess you can just tell people it's a custom plastic stock....give em something to think about. It's sure a change from the original look. I wanna know how the Dura coat works out, I'm probably going to Dura coat the barrel and action on my Mauser build, it's already some sort of black paint, but it needs a few dings and scratches evened out.

Suz

stovepipe

slim- way ahead of ya man...spent an hour on the stock pluggin' and tapin' everything, then, did a drop-in fit check this morning. It all still floats as designed. Same with the action- I penciled where the stock is and made sure I masked anything that is covered by wood. Took at least and hour and a half tapin' the action, scope, port, raceway's etc.

Glen- ya think? Laughing

Ms. Suz: keep ya posted girl!

stovepipe · Last edited by stovepipe on Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:09 pm; edited 4 times in total

OK- after more research...the action/barrel finnish on my rifle is "Marine-Coat". It's a nickle-based plasma coating. Very, very rust resistant. Dura-coat says I gotta sand this finish first. Pass. As is everything I've done to it is temporary. As before, it's a range/plinker. If I was hunting? I'd go back to factory- and, a few papertowels and some laquer thinner later it is. Might upgrade the barrel finish to something else like a flat engine enamel, if this one gets too nackered. It also might "cure" in spots as it's shot in, leaving a mottled effect. That would be cool. I also installed the cheek weld/comb lift at the angle it is as the stock is pretty striaght, give me more cleaning rod clearance. It's super sofy and comfy.

Tada!

stovepipe

Hey Slimmy!!! Guess what?

Abe says: "yepper, still floats".... Very Happy

(p/s- not sure why but I gotta compress my pic's a TON to get them to post here...sorry if they's kinda dull.... Confused

)

stovepipe

.....no one likes Kabong's new clothes.... Sad

I'm likin' the new tactical/stealthy look. A lot! Razz

(it's all reverseable too.)

OK- I can take it...Who thinks I ruined a perfectly good rilfe? Don't be shy, spill it!

slimjim

stovey, looks pretty good when it is all back into one piece! Here in Texas we use a Ben Franklin to make sure the barrel is truly floated.

Ominivision1

slimjim wrote:

Here in Texas we use a Ben Franklin to make sure the barrel is truly floated.

Vince

Stovey old mate...you want honesty...OK...

I am a bit inclined to agree with Slim on this one. I've never been a big fan of laminated stocks, but I gotta admit, the laminated stock and shiny barrel/action/bolt certainly looks purty good to me.

El Kabong's new suit sorted makes him look kinda ordinary...a bit like a production line rifle that every other shooter bought last Christmas.

However, if you really like what you've done to him, then that is all that matters mate. He is yours to "dress up" in any outfit as you see fit. You don't have to please anybody other than yourself mate. Most important thing is that he still shoots as well as he always has and doesn't let ya down.

Cheers, Vince

stovepipe · Last edited by stovepipe on Mon Apr 18, 2011 6:55 am; edited 1 time in total

That's interesting, cuz I thought it looked an also rand as was. I hate "the look" of shiny long guns and lami stocks, but, the utility and durability of lami and SS is nice. But to me lami looks cheap- it's a bunch of panelling glued together. Blech! It's aint "real" wood and they charge real wood prices for it, for glue and chips, are you kidding, no thanks. Much rather have synthetic/SS than lami. I don't like them lanimated stocks! Woof!
Plus the top of this barrel glared. It was getting a mask or paint either way.

I love blued steel and walnut. I'd never do this to same. As far as I'm concerend that's the end-all of hunting rifle's. A nice hunk of American Walnut and some deep polished blueing.

So, I didn't have any qualms w/ the image change. I'm diggin it!

Intersting POV Vince. Thanks for being honest mate.

Bushmaster

New paint job? I'll take the fiver...