Wasn't sure if this on the gunsmithing forum was the best place

But this IS shotguns, so here it is.  

What I found on Google about this shotgun:  





First challenge was undoing the previous 'repairs.  The grip was was wrapped in several yards of what I believe was 50 year old friction tape.  If I recall correctly, I removed three screws, two bolts and........ BIG framing nail.   :shock:  :lol:





Another notch in the grip, a washer and somehow they peened  the end of the nail pretty solidly against the washer.



Pictures of stock repairs in progress.

As the stock was already notched in a couple of places, I used that access to place new and longer screws before covering them.  Also ran screws in from the inletting where they wouldn't be seen.





Where there had already been screws on the surface, I replaced these with longer screws and later put a plug over them.



When it was all glued and screwed, a couple layers of electrical tape, the clamped with bicycle inner tubes.  




The buttplate was broken and missing a large section.
Removed the remaining piece(s) and put wax paper under it.  Epoxied the broken bits back together, then made a dam to hold the dyed epoxy & flocking mix.








Reassembled:  

1) All metal cleaned with electrolysis or soaking in solvent.
2) After seeing how poorly the color match was on the replacement piece was on the grip, I used ebony on the comb.  Thought it would make a nice detail also.
3) Shoulda, coulda, oughta have repaired the bit around the tang.  When I started, I didn't think it would come out this well.  Really bugging me now.
4) Recutting the checkering was a bit odd.  My checkering has gotten good enough that following crooked and oddly spaced lines was a challenge.
5) When I started, the barrel was loose on the action.  See that spanner nut on the barrel?  Once all the rust & gunk was cleaned up, it tightened up nicely to the action and the barrel is now firmly mounted.
6) Bedded the tangs with epoxy.  As you can see most of the cracks started there when the stock was first broken
7) Only a couple of light coats of finish on the buttstock.  Enough to bring out the grain and provide some protection.  
8) Could have done a lot more renovation, but my goal was not to make it look new.  

Don't expect the future owner to shoot it a lot, but it should hold up to a reasonable amount of use.  



























Some pictures of the larger metal pieces just before they went into the electrolysis tank.  Trigger assembly was cleaned using solvent.






A reply from another forum:

Posted by "Researcher":

From an undated Union Fire Arms Co. catalogue --



From 1908 Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogue --



From 1904 --



From 1906 --

I am liking this. Nice work so far.

I have got to believe with the extreme pistol grip on that stock that many of them broke in a similar way as yours did

Nice work!
Making something from nothing takes some skill, good job.

So far?  

It's done!  

Job well done.

Wow - Excellent job reviving that gun.  I love threads like this.

Very interesting (and nice work putting it back together).

I will have to say that is the first time I have seen one of those Union Firearms Company guns in real life

It's absolutely amazing what you've done with that. I like repairing old guns myself,
when I get the opportunity. I would've either scrapped that one or maybe made a
wall-hanger of it.

You, Sir, are far more ambitious and skilled than I am! Truly impressive.
Thanks for sharing, and I'll be looking forward to more updates in this thread.

Very nice.

Nice work, I like the buttplate repair.

Looks great.





I enjoy seeing those older guns

My bad.

I never looked in again!  

No more updates, other then listing it on Gunbroker.  

It was a fun project that should keep it around for another generation or two.

Thank you.

I forgot to mention, I place a piece of waxpaper under the plate when doing the repair, so it can still be removed from the stock.