Armory Sponsor
Posted: 7/23/2026 8:43:20 AM EDT
|
So I recently picked up a PTR-91 that was a grail gun. Attached File It was 1982 and I was flush with cash, or so I thought. I walked into the gun store and there it was in all its glory a HK91A3. I was in love, it was fate, that was until I saw the price tag. I went home that day not with the prom queen HK, oh no…. But with a $200 Mini-14 which in 1982 wasn’t as uncool as you might think but compared to the HK it was like the fat girl that lets you do stuff. I felt slightly ashamed. Fast forward and I’m enjoying my new acquisition. I want to make it fit better with out ruining the classic look. The G3 stock is adequate but I think this deserves more. The LOP is overly long. I don’t like the look of AR stocks on G3s, I like the Spuhr stock and will go that way for my next build. So my project is to see how well it works to shorten a G3 stock. The source material is a used part from the pile. Attached File Stay tuned |
|
Here we start. Attached File So my plan is to cut the stock along the front edge of the washers for the stock bushings . Easy enough to figure out with a straight edge. I found the center of the bushings and drew a line through the center for the relocation of the bushings since they hold the butt pad on. Attached File After measuring the new location for the bushings I marked it with a punch. Now to remove the bushings. Original stock was obviously molded with holes already in it and the bushings installed with a press. I want to try to reuse the old ones, so I cut the old ones out. I then cut the stock down and finished with the belt sander after marking with painters tape. Attached File |
|
That’s the plan. Attached File As we can see both sides overhang. After drilling the new holes and securing the bushings/washers it’s off to the belt sander. This is just mocked up for the picture. |
|
Next off if to drill the holes for the bushings/washers. Holy moly Batman, the washers for the bushings are the most over engineered objects I’ve seen. They are machined, stepped on the back and beveled on the front for the bushings. Absolutely gorgeous but really why? I swear if Germans made a hammer it would have 87 parts and require a 6 week training course. Everything you have ever heard about Germans is true, the stereotypes everything and I say this as someone who has been happily married to someone fresh off the sauerkraut boat for nearly 40 years. Attached File Here we see the hole is stepped. I started off with a 3/4” Forsner bit went about 1mm deep then switched to 5/8” Forsner bit for another 1 mm for the step. The plastic is approximately .125” thick so adequate but be careful. The hole was then finished with a 10mm bit. Very fiddly but so far so good. |
|
So I plan on re using the bushings/washers. Here they are. Attached File I could either get new bushings, which need to be riveted. Or cut and sleeve them securely with epoxy either on the outside to preserve the stock pin storage or thru the pin hole. I opted for the outside version as below the sleeve was made from fired brass because I didn’t want to go too the store. Attached File Do yourself a favor and mark one of the bushings with paint before you cut them so you can keep the parts together. |
|
Originally Posted By Totenpfeifer: I swear if Germans made a hammer it would have 87 parts and require a 6 week training course.  Not to hijack your thread, but along that vein, have you ever seen the contraption they use to wind the spring for the locking mechanism on A3 stocks?  And thanks for posting your progress on the project.  |
Now with more political fatigue.
|
Here’s a picture of the bushing/washers in place. Attached File And a picture of everything clamped together and filled with epoxy. Attached File Now I wait for everything to set up and then work on the but plate. |
|
I never liked the long LOP. I can’t remember if I measured it but my PTR91k with the Choate folder felt even longer than the fixed stock. I’m just over 6’ and I felt like a kid trying to shoot a grownup rifle. Cool project. |
BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
|
My days of door kicking for a living are long over. But I want this to be as fun to shoot as possible. When I run a rifle I always do it NTCH. The LOP with the regular stock makes that impossible for me even though I’m normal sized. This hopefully solves a minor problem while retaining the original esthetic. My C93 doesn’t have this problem but it’s an inch shorter because it only has one stock pin. I think a 4 position g3a3 stock would work but just ouch(price). That being said I’m probably gonna buy one from Atlantic or HKP eventually. |
|
Well here it is cleaned up a little bit. Attached File Test fit of butt plate… Attached File It fits, now off to the belt sander. |
|
Fresh off the belt. Attached File Here is what I started with. Attached File This is where I am. Attached File After the shortening the stock is just over 1” shorter than standard. I have some more refinishing to do. I also ordered some parts including a complete stock/recoil/buffer assembly for a stupid low price. As such I will probably spray the stock OD, and have the short stock as a dedicated assembly. Stay tuned for more updates. |
|
Originally Posted By Totenpfeifer: Fresh off the belt. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/75583/IMG_9034_jpeg-3800028.JPG Here is what I started with. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/75583/IMG_8981_jpeg-3800029.JPG This is where I am. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/75583/IMG_9035_jpeg-3800030.JPG After the shortening the stock is just over 1” shorter than standard. I have some more refinishing to do. I also ordered some parts including a complete stock/recoil/buffer assembly for a stupid low price. As such I will probably spray the stock OD, and have the short stock as a dedicated assembly. Stay tuned for more updates. Neat. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. |
TEAM GIMMICK FOREVER
| I was looking for that thread from another forum and could only find that picture and a few others but no text. Seems like there really is only one easy way to handle the pins.(if there is a link to the other thread that would be helpful) |
|
So here it is mocked up side by side for comparison. Attached File Attached File Happy so far, now to see how it fits. |
|
Stock on. Attached File I think I have accomplished what I set out to do. The handling is much improved. Looking forward to the range after paint and final assembly. This is definitely a cut to size, file to fit, paint to match project but in the land of HK it’s pretty simple. |
Joined:
Aug 2024
Posts:
200
EE: 100% (3)
NV, USA
|
It's a few dollars in hardware at hd and a couple socket wrenches to mushroom some rivets. The same thing can be done to the softer buttpad. Only need to profile one side of the buttpads as well, just move the holes down respectively, as well as more inward. |
|
Originally Posted By Duckwing: It's a few dollars in hardware at hd and a couple socket wrenches to mushroom some rivets. The same thing can be done to the softer buttpad. Only need to profile one side of the buttpads as well, just move the holes down respectively, as well as more inward. That’s the plan for the next one. I bought new ferrules and have a press and dies. I am impatient and wanted it now before the parts came in. Plus with HK stuff it pays to try to reuse stuff as parts are way more expensive than ARs. |
|
So here’s the final result. Attached File Attached File I painted all the furniture to match. The stock had the ferrules masked up, a couple light coats of bedliner paint then semi gloss WW2 OD green. Attached File This paint is almost an exact match for HK OD. Yeah I know Cerakote and or Duracoat is more durable this was cheaper and I didn’t have to crack out the airbrush. Come to think about it in the Army I never even saw a spray gun. In fact we painted the tank with a paint brush (good times). Attached File Attached File The handguard has a rail attached and an old grip pod I found in the shop. Very serviceable and compact. I’ve seen pictures of some NATO troops running a similar set up. I also ditched the ugly brake for an A2 FH from the parts box. Last thing to do is add a steel SEF lower. Got the parts l, just have to weld the semi weld shelf and then paint. Off to the range. If you’re thinking about pulling the trigger on a G3 pattern rifle now is the time, never going to be cheaper. |
Armory Sponsor