Air Arms Pro Sport Stock. Left Handed Conversion.

[Jonjon79 13,340]

You're a brave man to go at that stock with a piece of sandpaper

 

I sincerely hope it turns out exactly as you want it to

 

Good shooting mate

[pianoman 3,584]

Thanks Jon.

Helen said the same thing exactly. I've reshaped the grip on an old Mk.1 HW77 stock before and Bigmac97KT finished and polished it off for me. But I've never done this sort of radical alteration of such a fine quality walnut stock before! It's gone way beyond brave and the point of no return now.

 

You're a brave man to go at that stock with a piece of sandpaper

I sincerely hope it turns out exactly as you want it to

Good shooting mate

 

 

I don't mind admitting I'm in a territory I've never been in before with gunstock reshaping and finishing and it's scary as hell not really knowing if I can make a professional looking finish of it or, still cock this up!

 

But I'm getting good advice from Jimmy/Bigmac97K and a lot of Youtube vids. I was hoping he could come down and help me finish it off. Or I could send the stock to him for final sanding and oil finishing, but, I'm worried his health at the moment will prevent that happening. The poor lad's not well. So, it's got to be gentle steps forward myself. At least the crittical part of reshaping the grip and comb height is almost finished. After this, it's a job of washing the stock, dry it off, fine sanding all over and a rub of fine wire wool to smooth it to glass. Re-etch the lost filligrees and Acanthus leaf scrolls with a Dremmel etching tool (Thank Christ I can draw!). Then oiling and polishing. Job finished.

 

At least I can now smoothly load and reload the pellet through the right-handed loading port easily from a prone shooting position, thanks to Jimmy's beech stock that he converted for me before. And I can personalise the decorative etching of the acanthus and scrollwork. So that's all good.

 

As I've said before, it's a bloody right job on when you have to chop into a stock as beautiful as this one. But, it's the only way possible for a left hand shooter like me to own and shoot an Air Arms Pro Sport and still retain this beautifully fluted stock and its level of chequering for yourself.

 

If Air arms are going to be bloody silly and refuse to make their flagship rifle for us left handers, we have to do something about it ourselves. There's no other way round it, if this is THE rifle we really want.

 

Or, we can just keep on dreaming.

 

Thanks again Jon.

Simon

[mark williams 7,549]

Keep up the good work Simon.

When you`ve completed and successfully hunted for the first time, a post and photos to one, or two, airgun magazines entitled( something like),- "Left handed shooter shows his determination to shoot the Air Arms Pro Sport" - Wouldn`t that ruffle some feathers at Air Arms ?

 

Compliments to you Simon/ Jimmy.

 

atb Mark

[villaman 9,979]

Sounds like AA are set in the dark ages

[Rez 4,957]

Sounds like AA are set in the dark ages

 

And that just sums it all up in one sentence.

[pianoman 3,584]

Keep up the good work Simon.

When you`ve completed and successfully hunted for the first time, a post and photos to one, or two, airgun magazines entitled( something like),- "Left handed shooter shows his determination to shoot the Air Arms Pro Sport" - Wouldn`t that ruffle some feathers at Air Arms ?

 

Compliments to you Simon/ Jimmy.

 

atb Mark

Thanks very much indeed Mark. I've just ordered a complete Tru Oil gunstock kit to finish her off. The hard part of reshaping the stock is almost over with the height of the comb reaching about where I want it to be. A bit more sanding down and that should be fine. Then, it'll be time to put the metalwork action back into the stock with my preferred 40mmm Hawke Panorama scope on board to fine tune the overall feel and fit of the riflestock.

 

I've managed to remove the slight bulge of the flowline into the chequering by removing it and disguising the cut into a diamond flash by removing a single diamond of the chequer pattern. I sharpened the outline with a fresh scalpel into giving it a smooth sweep of curve and point with a crisp line. It looks very professional now and very comfortable which I'm dancing about!

 

I've really got the bit between my teeth with this project now. I'm going to finish this stock better than it came from the factory.

 

A light sanding overall and the re-engraving of the filligress and scroll work of my own design, uniquely to me. Then it's down to the Tru Oil kit and finish. Better than it was brand new!

 

A beautiful rifle set into a classical English, Best Quality Exhibition walnut riflestock. How nice is that!

 

Best regards mate.

Simon

[tomburras 2,721]

Sounds a great nerve wrecking project! Will be awsome when it all comes together. I bet it will be perfect for you when it's done.

[pianoman 3,584]

Sounds a great nerve wrecking project! Will be awsome when it all comes together. I bet it will be perfect for you when it's done.

I have to be honest Tom. It's necessity being the mother of invention here. And it's bloody frightening what has had to be done to make it work :icon_eek: For a start, the walnut stock is not quite the same profile as the earlier version Beech stock that Jimmy converted for me. A lot more wood had to taken out and reshaped before it has reached fitting and testing stage. But there we are. It's now ready for oil and finishing work.

.

 

I'll get pics of it up when it's done as soon as possible.

[mattwhite 1,992]

 

 

Sounds a great nerve wrecking project! Will be awsome when it all comes together. I bet it will be perfect for you when it's done.

 

I have to be honest Tom. It's necessity being the mother of invention hear. And it's bloody frightening what has had to be done to make it work :icon_eek:

. I'll get pics of it up when it's done as soon as possible.

Sent you a pm simon?

[tomburras 2,721]

Large pair of bollox required for this project me thinks! but sure it will end up right in jimmys caperble hands!

[philpot 4,925]

When do you want the dremel Simon.

 

Phil

[pianoman 3,584]

When do you want the dremel Simon.

 

Phil

I'll get back to you Phil. I've sent the stock up to Jimmy for his crittical eye and hand to work his magic over. :hmm:

 

I'll get back to you when I know when it'll be back with me here.

 

Best regards.

Simon

[philpot 4,925]

No problem Simon, just let me know when you are ready.

 

Phil

[gurtwurz 792]

so you finally sorted yourself a prosport then simon? took you long enough mate lol

 

my favourite and most used springer, before managing to wear it out completely over nearly 10 years of extremely hard use, it now hangs on the wall in the front room as a treasure trove of very happy shooting memories whilst i lament the RSI that springers have given me and reach for my HW110...

 

hope you have many happy years with it simon mate, and no, im not gonna sell the stutzen stock....

 

cheers, wurz

 

 

edited to add-while a kit can improve them, short stroking wont in the long term as the increased preload can wear the inside of the action because of the way the underlever also exerts some downwards pressure on the cylinder when it moves it to the rear. you have been warned!!

Edited May 6, 2017 by gurtwurz

[pianoman 3,584]

Thanks John. And it is great to see you back here too mate.

It was always the case of having to accept the rifle is both absolutely beautiful and absolutely not going to see my left hand and shoulder, as far as the stock is concerned

 

Until now...

 

A lot of work and more a few missed heartbeats but, finally I have a Pro Sport that is truly all mine, shaped at the grip and cheekrest to fit me like a glove. One other benefit is, removing the roll-over and reducing the height a little of the comb has produced perfect head alignment for reducing paralax error completely out of sighting through the scope.

 

This .22 Pro Sport of mine is as accurate as a top end PCP.

 

Why don't you get yours serviced and restored with new parts? That was a real cracking accurate Pro Sport you have there. You made me envious with the hunting experiences it gave you.

 

I'll take your advice on the short stroke kit

 

Phil.

I'm sorry but, I will not take any chances with the rifle. If there is a risk of what John says here coming into being, I have to reject your kind offer of your short-stroke kit. It's going to be quite a while yet before I'm in a position to decide whether installing a tuning kit is going to make a significant improvement, or not.

 

Perhaps Mark or Si would welcome it?

 

But thank you for your kind help Phil.

 

All the best gentlemen

Simon