Tenite stock on a combination gun?

[sharps4590]

On a thread on another board a fella has offered a combination gun for sale that he says has a Tenite stock. From the pictures the shape looks right. Was that really done and if so does that add or detract from the value? It seems to me it could be a case where rare doesn't mean valuable. I'm waiting to see the proofs. It does appear to be from between the wars.

[mike ford]

Vic,
What type combination gun was offered? Stevens used a lot of Tenite stocks on their .410/22 combination guns. Is this what he was offering? This gun was popular enough in Germany that Recknagle had a tip-off scope mount that would withstand shooting the .410 barrel ( or 20 ga. on later guns).

[sharps4590]

No Mike, it's a combination gun, O/U and obviously German or Austrian I'm pretty sure. I haven't seen the proofs yet as he doesn't have the firearm in hand. However, they are supposed to be forthcoming. Here's the thread, what do you think? If you read through all my "stuff" on that thread please correct me where I'm off base.

http://www.missouriwhitetails.com/fo...d.php?t=204274

The owner and his son evidently are convinced it's Tenite or something like it. Obviously I don't know but it seems in a couple shots I can see what might be grain. I wonder if maybe it hasn't had some kind of hard, shiny black finish put on it.

[Axel E]

"Tenite" was a brand name of the Eastman Chemical Company for a cellulose acetate, unknown in Germany. Though the German army experimented with stocks made from a phenolic resin early in WW2 to replace the scarce walnut needed for 98k stocks, the idea was quickly abandoned. The stocks made of laminated beech prooved to be the better answer.
The idea that a German gunmaker used some sort of plastic for stocking an engraved over under combination gun is simply ridiculous. Any plastic stock would need an expensive and intricate mould, as it is impossible to do finer fitting and inletting afterwards. So such stocks would be feasible only for mass production of cheap guns.
Looking closer at the photos, there seem to be traces of former corrosion on the boxlock action. Such rusting, even slight , most often causes blackish discolorations of the adjacent walnut, if not even dry rot. This is what happened IMHO: The gun was rusted after WW2. The action was cleaned and the barrels reblued. But the discolored wood could not be "cleaned" by sanding. So the "restorer" covered it with a black laquer all over.

[sharps4590]

I appreciate that Axel. I didn't think laquer but that's probably correct. I thought a thick, heavy coat of some kind of paint. I looked and looked at the pictures after my first post and I thought the action looked as if it had been buffed and the shape and configuration of the stock looked too good to be molded. I believe it is near the picture of the trigger guard where there seems to be some grain showing. It just didn't look right for tenite and as you mentioned I couldn't buy into a gunmaker putting any kind of plastic stock on a gun like that was originally. I suggested they pull the butt plate or forearm and do a scratch test to see what was under the finish. I'd bet on walnut.

Thank you again.

[mike ford]

In my entirely unqualified opinion, the finish is some type epoxy finish. It may have been applied to cover over some repair, as Axel opined, or a break.
Mike

[sharps4590]

It does look very shiny. Without actually having the gun in hand seems that would have to be considered. Seems a shame too but we've all seen good guns that have been hacked. 'Course I don't know what that one looked like before and I believe his Dad bought it that way. Ah well...I'm confident they won't like the news. Geez....Tenite stocks were hollow, weren't they? I think the very few I've handled FELT like plastic. I guess if a person didn't know that it could be mistaken or a less than reputable dealer gave him a song and dance routine.

[crs]

Sharps45-90
I have a Stevens 22/410 with a Tenite stock and in your hands it is easy to tell that it is not wood. The little gun is a shooter and a fun gun, especially for the beginning shooter.