I read an article yesterday on the internet that stated that wood rifle stocks will be a thing of the past as more and more manufacturers are dropping them from their line up. I'm 72 years old and I grew up drooling over beautiful rifles stocks until I could start buying rifles. All of my rifles have wood stocks, the prettier the better, except for my tactical rifles like AR-15's.

I was wondering how the members up here felt about it. I also wondered if that meant my rifles would be worth less in the future because they have wood stocks.

I build Mauser's as a hobby and always use the best wood I can get. Beautiful wood enhances the quality of the work and makes a fine firearm a treasure for my grand kids!

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I agree with you 100%.One rifle can look much more expensive than another simply by the wood on it. There is no better combination than polished or matt blued steel dressed with finely figured wood. Not sure how this current generation cannot see that.All manufacturers should offer both to the buying public.

I bought my first rifle with a laminate stock about 10 years ago and my first with a synthetic a few years later. The laminate was an accident. I responded to a big box outdoors store's advertisement for a basic, walnut-stocked bolt action in .30-06. The only one they had in stock was a stainless, laminate-stocked .280, at the same price. I have come to appreciate the stability of both stock types. Neither can match a fine piece of walnut for aesthetics, and I am sure that the "thing of the past" bit is true only so far as mass market products are concerned.

The economy lines of the major rifle manufacturers will no longer be stocked in stained birch with pressed checkering, but in synthetics. The high end will be stocked in a better grade of synthetic or laminates.

Custom makers will continue to use high-end wood for those customers whose tastes and wallets run only to the finest.

Shotguns are still trending to pumps and autos and away from doubles and I don't see many new goose guns advertised with wood.

It used to be standard for handguns to have wood stocks from the factory and anything else from ivory or stag to Firestones was an aftermarket add-on. Now even among revolvers rubber is the default and on so many autos wood or any other replacement material is not even an option.

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I need ammo, not a ride.

For me, at the end of the day, there are so many varieties of absolutely gorgeous woods that have been formed into stocks
I can't even name them all.

They all bring their distinctive uniqueness of adding beauty,
and imparting a feeling of quality and class to the firearm.

Plastic and rubber, are just that all day everyday, just plastic and rubber. On anything it's fitted on, utilitarian...period.

I think nice wood makes a difference.

It can help make something as common as a 10-22 stand out from the rest.




Now Art I'm a bit disappointed in you starting this thread with no pictures.
Not as disappointed that I didn't receive a 301 or anything but still

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Paul
S&WCA #2726

Gosh, I hope they are not a thing of the past. I really like blued steel and nice wood.

I have always believed that highly figured walnut stocked rifles and shotguns should carry a premium price in the used gun market. Read an article by Craig Boddington in Guns&Ammo mag. and the process and price of English, Black, or Claro walnut woods have gone through the roof. Hence more synthetics that make guns more affordable. Guess easier to sell a gun for $400 than $900. I often miss the high polish bluing also that I took for granted back in the 60s and 70s. Synthetics do have their place often especially in inclement weather and don't have to worry about the fancy wood. Paid around $350 for a Rem. 700 stocked with walnut in 84. Now more like a grand

A few of Mine
H&R 301 Ultra Rifle FN Commercial action Manlicher stok


Custom Mauser 30-06


Custom Mauser 25-06


Savage Model 114 270 Win excellent factory stock

fyimo, those are beautiful rifles but that 25-06 and Savage are spectacular.

Nothing like a good burly piece of wood on a stock. It makes a gun look like a gun. But for hunting in monsoon weather which only happens to me plastic is good too.

GOT WOOD?!?!?!

Like the OP, all my long guns, save the AR's, have wood furniture. Any I get in the future will too.

I don't expect to buy another wood stocked rifle. Accuracy is key to me, and wood is not the best for accuracy.

If its not wood, its a gun. With good wood, its a rifle.

My Browning BL22 and Marlin 336C Limited Ed.

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paws for friendship

Life is too short to shoot ugly guns.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

OK, being a bona fide old guy (74) I am 100% with fyimo. Stuck in my ways? Probably. Going to change? Not likely.
"Modern" guns whatever, all other wear walnut.

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State of Jefferson
Jim

How about a little 100 year old French Walnut with a military flair.

No self respecting military Mauser would be caught dead in black plastic.

Swedish m96s tricked out by the Swedish shooting societies in the 50s, 1912 on top, the tiger stripe, 1908 on the bottom.



How about something a little different, some 101 year old elm.

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LIVE FROM THE DAWGHOUSE

I love a nicely figured gun stock. I've always been a blued steel and wood guy. I'm just kind of old fashion that way. I hope guns with gorgeous wood never go away. Today I spent my day deep cleaning 120 years of crud off the stock of nice old Belgian side by side. The wood was almost black showing little figure. The fore end looked like ebony. The checkering felt dull and worn it was so packed with old wax, dirt and oils. It is a job I've been putting off for a few years. If i got a little to aggressive it might lead to a refinish job. I wanted to not harm the old original finish so the cleaning had to go gentle, slow and careful. I got it done and darn it has one pretty piece of wood and the checkering feels almost sharp and crisp.

With that said I'm in the process of putting together a mountain rifle package right now. The rifle selected is a 7mm08 Kimber Montana, a kevlar stocked stainless gun, that without the scope will weigh just over 5 lbs. Toss on the the scope selected and it should weigh less than 6 1/2 lbs.

I love pretty wood but I understand the advantages of a weather and temperature stable composite stock. This will be a purely working gun that if it gets a little beat up or scratched I won't care to much. I get the plastic fantastics as tools but they are hard to love.

a couple quick snaps of the William Read & Son double. That fore end was completely black before I started cleaning as was all the checkering.

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Bill Bates

I don't know that this link will work but I hope it does.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/atta...4&d=1323032348

FN military action, Santa Barbara bottom metal, Dakota 3 position safety, barrel is a Douglas in 25-06.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

LOVE THE WOOD!!!

You see birdseye maple revolver grips a good bit. I thought I had saved a picture, but can't find it, a superb birdseye maple rifle stock. It looked awesome.

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

I think there is a place for both wood and synthetic. If I were heading to Alaska I'd probably favor both stainless and synthetic materials in a hunting rifle. On the other hand, I can't imagine any appeal to a nice trim 28 gauge side-by-side with plastic stock. It all depends on the gun and intended use, but to me the default position is quality wood and blued steel unless there is a compelling reason to deviate.

I would hate to see wood disappear from firearms, and I have been lucky enough to pick up some nice ones.

Some beautiful pieces owned by our members here. Thanks for taking the time to post. Nice to have a choice in stock materials so I hope to see nicely figured walnut in the future but it won't be cheap. Still pays to check out the used gun market for walnut stocked weapons if one desires.

I did a nostalgic rifle project a few months ago. I wanted a sporting rifle the way I had done it in my youth. Must haves were wood stock and iron sights on the barrel, well a very nice vintage Remington 700 BDL in .308 winchester was obtained for $625.00. A Leupold M-8 four power scope with Burris quick release rings was installed after a zero with the iron's. Why four power with the scope, way more power than needed in my old hunting grounds and the added reliability with a fixed power. And if it did go belly up, move two ring levers and presto back in business. a little long winded here but with that nice walnut stock and nicely done blued finish it looks like a rifle should!

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Stay safe people!

My first rifle was a marlin in 22rf. My first big bore high powered rifle was a Argentine 1891 mauser. So at the tender young age of 16 I was hooked on blued steel and wood. My sako 75 with blued steel and great looking wood was commented on by the smith that did a recoil pad on it. Sadly I do have to confess as to having a synthetic stock on my Savage 110FP heavy barrel in 308. Would not shoot as well as it should as the stock flexed every time you pulled the trigger and the front guard screw had nothing but the plastic stock to hold the action from moving. Got tired of this and made a pillar for the front guard screw and glass bedded the whole front of the receiver. Then it shot well. I like military surplus firearms and all the mausers, enfields and the rest have wood stocks. And entirely agree with all the other blued steel and wood members. Even my rem 40x has a laminated stock on it, one heavy rifle. Years back when Dupage trading was selling military 40x single shot stocks I took one down to bare wood and that was a chore as the stain they used went deep into the wood. Made up a dutchman of walnut to fill the groove for the sling rail and all I have to do is stain it and about 10 or so coats of either true oil or the GB finish. Long live blued steel and wood. Frank

Due respect, GC. How do you connect those dots?

The squeamish squealers tend to recoil in horror at AR rifles w/ synthetics but somehow don't seem affected by a Mini-14 w/ wood.

Wood stocks are not stable. It's not a secret.

For the OP; if you read it on the internet, it must be true.

Kozmic, I really like that 336! I have one that is a 70s vintage with poorly figured wood. I'm fitting a replacement stock that had much nicer figure to it

Depends on the rifle. I really can't imagine my Marlin 30-30 other than blued steel and wood. On the other hand, I prefer these rifles just as they are.

Close your eyes boys... lot's of plastic.

Good quality means blued steel and walnut for me. My oldest rifle was made just about the time of the US Civil War, and it sports a very nice piece of figured walnut. My newest rifle was manufactured in 1976, and the walnut stock looks like a marble cake.

When I go into a gun store these days I feel like I'm walking into a Tupperware shop.

I love the look of a curly walnut stock on a fine rifle, however my addiction is the lowly .22 Winchesters. Sometimes they even happen to get some pretty grain.

This is a model 72 Winchester.



This is a model 60 single shot .22 Winchester.

Love the look and feel of wood and if it has a sling better make it leather.

Blue steel, wood and leather perfect together.

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Back to back World War Champs.

IMO there will ALWAYS be a market for good looking wood stocks, it isn't just a matter of "old fogies" wanting wood it's a matter of the timeless beauty of a fine piece of wood. Heck, if you want to and the weight doesn't bother you you can now put wood furniture on an AR-15.

pressed blue jeans with a white shirt, sport coat,polished boots, and a Stetson, as well as nice walnut and deep blue steel guns represent pure class.

remember polyester leisure suits, high soled disco shoes those were fads

fads come and go, class last forever!!!!!

I have and use both. Prefer wood and steel.
The big difference is that all the synthetics work, but they all look the same.
Wood stocks, on the other hand, usually never look the same. At least WALNUT stocks.

Don't tell my M1 Garand that. It's probably as old or older than I am, still shreds the X.

No plastic in this house. Plastic = no character, all the same whereas wood adds some uniqueness to a rifle or shotgun.
CZ527 Carbine

No pictures, but a CZ 452FS/manlicher in .22 magnum is my "walk in Penn's woods rifle"

CZ puts out some great rifles with good to beautiful Turkish Walnut stocks..........great wood will be around for a long time!


That said.....ARs, my Mini-14 and a Ruger 77/357 all sport synthetic stocks.......

A finely figured gun stock , or handgun grip , never looks ugly or goes out of style.
A new generation shooter at the range, was looking at his all black plastic wonder nine and wishing his gun looked as half good as my model 58 with rosewood grips . He was lusting ...he knew his gun was ugly !

I am still looking for a Mini-14 wood stock. Ruger has been no help. Plastic just leaves me cold.

Call me a termite because I love wood.

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Back to back World War Champs.

The stock on that rifle is awesome

I don't have many rifles but the ones I do have are wood and I'm glad of that. Thanks for posting many great pics of some fantastic stocks. Just beautiful.

In handguns, I ALWAYS buy aftermarket wood if it is available (and practical) for the gun. Three that I can think of off hand that made dramatic improvements with wood are my SIG P239 (Hogue cocobollo); SIG P232 (Hogue concalo alves); HK P7 (Karl Nill walnut).

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I'm gonna grow fins.

Why yes, yes I do! It did take a while to "dig" them out.

L to R: Mod. 70, pre-64' originally a .300 magnum, rechamber (not by me) to .300 Weatherby, Mod. 70 Heavy Varmint, .234,
Kimber M82, .22 LR, Sako AVIII, .30'06, Sako L61R, 7mm magnum.

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Yeah, I enjoyed Czeching that one out! (Sorry: couldn't resist.)

With the exception of my ARs, all of my rifles and shotguns have wood stocks. Recent F class rifles that I have built are wearing laminated stocks, though. All of my handguns wear factory walnut, but I do admit that on occasion, my Model 57 may wear Pachys! Nothing generates confidence better than wood and blued steel!

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Judge control not gun control!