Winchester Buttplate Material

johnpar2

What material was used to make the shotgun style buttplates on the 1886 rifle? I've seen them called hard rubber and gutta percha. Whatever material it is it's very brittle! Thanks for any info or leads!

richarda

Hard rubber. More brittle now than when made a hundred years ago.

11b6r

Some info on gutta percha. It was a natural form of hard rubber, and was used for grips and buttplates. However, as it disappeared it is likely that the actual material that was used changed over time, but may have still been referred to as gutta percha.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutta-percha

Bert H.

As listed by Winchester, the butt plates were "hard rubber". In the pre-1900 years, they were special order and cost an extra $2. In the post-1900 years, they became standard items on a number of models. Winchester continued to use the hard rubber butt plates until WW II. After WW II, the butt plates were "composition" (in other words, plastic).

johnpar2

Thanks all for the information. I wish they made replacements of the original material. Seems like many of the old rifles with the hard rubber buttplates are cracked or missing large chunks. Everything gets brittle with age!

TRAP55

Bert, didn't the 1886 use a blued steel version too? Or was it different than the hard rubber shotgun buttplate?

Bert H.

quote:Originally posted by TRAP55
Bert, didn't the 1886 use a blued steel version too? Or was it different than the hard rubber shotgun buttplate?


For the "Rifles", a case color finished crescent butt plate was standard until mid-year 1901, thereafter it was blued. If special ordered with a shotgun butt, the black hard rubber butt plate was used. A checkered steel shotgun style butt plate (Model 1887 type) was also available, but it was very seldom ever installed by Winchester on the Model 1886.