Made a leather stick cover for my Marlin 45-70

xavierdoc

Well-Known Member
Made a leather stock cover for my Marlin 45-70

My "new" Marlin 45-70 Cowboy was just crying out for a leather butt cover, so I made one last night and stained it today.


My goals:


1. Raise the comb a little, to allow scope use but without compromising irons
2. Increase length of pull (the gun is a little short for me)
3. Soak up recoil
4. Hold some ammunition
5. Protect stock
6. Not look totally gash


Some pics:

















It's veg-tanned leather which I've stained with Fiebing's "Antique leather finish", followed by a Carnuaba wax mixture then polished.


I'm no leatherworker but I think it fulfills the goals set (can't comment on recoil yet.)











 
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Very nicely done, and authentic looking, without being too rustic.

But it reminds me of something rustic: of some old Indian rifles I have held, where they wrapped the stock in wet rawhide, so it tightened up when dry, and sometimes adorned that later with records of what they had killed.
 
I love my marlin 45/70. Bloody accurate as well. Can get 2" groups at 100 yds with 1.5-5 x scope.

Would you do one of those for me if I paid you?

Andy
 
I love my marlin 45/70. Bloody accurate as well. Can get 2" groups at 100 yds with 1.5-5 x scope.

Would you do one of those for me if I paid you?

Andy

Sorry Andy, I don't do commissions, just dabble when I have time or a need, though it's flattering to be asked. There are commercially available options that would likely work out cheaper and better than mine.

You might want to have a go yourself: set up costs aren't great and it's satisfying work. I've made knife sheaths, bolt carriers and other small items. Lots of tutorials on the web.
 
What kind of dye or stain did you use on your leather?
I am getting ready to make a quiver for my arrows, and cannot decide how to dye and trim it.

Recent thread on leather stock exenders, recoil pads, and cheekpieces.
Leather stock extender for old shotgun

I used Fiebings Antique Leather stain (this the current equivalent, I think.) You apply it thickly and remove the surplus. There can be an "oh crap" period while it looks a right mess. Once most of the surplus stain is rubbed off I rub in a load of carnuaba wax, which evens up the stain and helps remove surplus. Sometimes I go on to stiffen the leather with a hot mixture of beeswax. In this instance I just polished with Kiwi Parade Gloss Dark Tan.

If I do another, I'll do a proper dye job to match the wood, probably with a subtle "tiger stripe" to mimic good wood chatoyance.
 
I wouldn't worry about matching the wood. That looks good on any gun. If you want to match your cartridge wallet and knife sheath, well, that is cool. My old quiver is medium brown and blends in with the woods, but I want a lighter finish like yours, so I can decorate it with designs in dark brown dye or ink.
 
I wouldn't worry about matching the wood. That looks good on any gun. If you want to match your cartridge wallet and knife sheath, well, that is cool. My old quiver is medium brown and blends in with the woods, but I want a lighter finish like yours, so I can decorate it with designs in dark brown dye or ink.

I've never tried dying patterns as such. I like the effects you can achieve by poulting and burnishing when wet-molding. otherwise I just leave the leather "plain". Might try carving one day...
 
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