Wood Rifle stocks

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gamecock View Post
Accuracy is key to me, and wood is not the best for accuracy.

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

Well, maybe he goes to benchrest matches. I love wood; the look and feel. But quality synthetics certainly have their place.

And even cheaper types enable folks with limited funds to buy a good rifle.

As far as the gentleman who posted that his M1 "shreds the x-ring" every time, there are several Camp Perry competitors who would like to buy an M1 that stays under 1 & 1/4", and doesn't change zero. Of course, they're going to want to see it in action first. ;)

I'll have to post at least one picture so I won't be accused of disliking wood:

standard.jpg
 
rburg said:
What it comes down to is there is no accounting for taste. There are fools who are proud of their new Taurus, HiPoint or what ever. Some folks even like stewed beets. Today's makers are chasing every penny of profit they can get. Plastic is cheap and easy, not so good wood. I'm an old fogey.

But even I have a synthetic stock on a rifle. Its made by weatherby, and I guess it would be one I'd select in a rain storm. But I'm old, and if its storming, I'd rather sit indoors than stomp around in a downpour. There's always tomorrow.

Rifles and shotguns really are just tools. If I needed to, I could take one of my old M70s or M21 out in such a storm. They've been there before and have survived very well over the 70 or so years. But they require significantly more upkeep after such an outing. I'm familiar with young folks who distain any cleaning or oiling. I know one guy who shoots his automatic pistols until the cease to function, then takes it to a "gunsmith" for professional cleaning. His guns look like **** when new and look like that as they age. Same with his cars and everything else. When they look too bad or become unserviceable, he trades them on something else new and equally ugly. Its amusing to watch other shooters and their guns. It might not be fair, but you can get a pretty good idea of a person and how they live their life just by looking at their possessions.

And the way they conduct their life also determines to me if I'd loan them a wrench or anything else. Those who select junk grade items and then abuse them may be fun to watch, but I don't want them near my prize guns. Sorry.
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Amen to that Dick
 
I'm ok with it in a new rifle. But I can't see an M1 Garand, 1903 or M1 carbine "sporterized" with plastic.
 
CZU said:
Gosh...that's harsh.
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Maybe so. It's his opinion, and probably shared by many of us "wood stockers" here. A lot of us are frustrated by the "modern junk" we're offered - as Mario Andretti once so famously called it - and concerned by people who don't know the difference, or who are willing to accept it.

We resist the "throw away world". ;)
 
I love the look of blued steel and walnut, but for function, nothing can beat synthetic and stainless steel.

When I chase elk in the Rocky Mountains, I reach for my Kimber Montana in 300 WSM. It's all stainless steel with a light weight indestructible synthetic stock. That gun shoots sub-1/2-MOA to the same zero year-after-year in any kind of weather. Checking it for zero before a hunt is just a formality because it is so stable, and I am very glad to have it when climbing a mountain at 10,000' in the rain. Unfortunately, as beautiful as they are, the same can't be said for blued steel/walnut.

For looking good in the gun case and on the bench at the range, walnut and blued steel can't be beat.

I always say shoot what you like, but there is no denying that technology marches on.
 
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M29since14 said:
Maybe so. It's his opinion, and probably shared by many of us "wood stockers" here. A lot of us are frustrated by the "modern junk" we're offered - as Mario Andretti once so famously called it - and concerned by people who don't know the difference, or who are willing to accept it.

We resist the "throw away world". ;)
Click to expand...

Trying to get my mind around throwing away a $600 McMillan stock.
 
I keep saying to one of my buddies we need to go into the pipe fitter gun business. By "pipe fitter" I mean fitting a good barrel to a slightly tuned up and whittled on Remington or maybe Howa action. Then bedding them into a composite stock. Mount a high end scope just like the super dupper deep cover snipers use. We would do a little marketing on our plastic fantastic wonder gun made by the finest gunsmiths..wink wink... and sell them for $4-5K.
 
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The Remington 700 (nice walnut stock) in .308 heavy barrel always shot into 1/4" at 100 yards with either my 168 gr. BTHP match Sierra, or about 1/2" at 100 yds with a 125 gr. Speer FBSP. Now I do have two Rem 700 22-250's with black fiberglass stocks that will shoot 1/4" at 100 also, but no better than the wood. And the walnut is so much prettier.
 
I have a lot of blued guns with wood stocks and like the looks. That being said, the younger generation appreciates function more than form. They view guns as simply tools. I have to agree with the article that wood will completely disappear from new guns. There will always be a collector market for engraved and beautifully stocked guns for the artistic value, but there won't be many more produced.
 
Sign of the times

Hi, All:
It is a sign of the times! The gun manufactures have convinced the gullible members of our firearms community that ground soybeans & horse manure is the greatest material known to man to make firearms with, not only the stocks, but, a lot of the major parts also. The amazing part of the story unfolding in front of our eyes is, that they have a major portion of us buying their junk. Now, the ones of us that appreciate great workmanship, and great products can hardly afford to buy quality products, as they cost so very much more to make them, from high quality material, thus the use of the plastic junk used by the manufactures to build guns with, and Guess whom, it is the greatest for, and Why? surprise! surprise! the gun manufactures. It now costs them pennies on the dollar to make the gun out of plastic, also the stocks. They will continue to do so as long as we, the gun buyers continue to buy their inferior products. Will knives be next? Some of the new products have their place, but not at my house! Has anyone happened to notice what happens to plastic when exposed to the sun's rays? Or extreme cold? Would the manufactures be using metal if it were cheaper to use, and work with? The same applies to Wood. There is no accounting for the taste in beauty ether. At least our old fashion, out of date firearms have become more collectible. Wonder why? 'Nuff said.
Chubbo
 
They call it FIDDLE BACK WOOD GRAIN, TIGER STRIPED WOOD GRAIN either way it's really purdy. Some of the surplus military stocks have some awesome wood grain under all that grease and muck.

I'm not fond of synthetic plastic stocks but wood can swell after a day of hunting in the pouring rain.
 
Funny how guns we took for granted and still own from 60s,70s, or 80s, that had walnut stocks and considered "run of the mill" guns which are good but nothing to write home about back then. Recall Wingmasters, or 700 ADL or BDL we paid $300 for back then. The engine turned bolts and high polish bluing seem like custom features now! Hey at least we seen the days!
 
I'm 26 and I recently parted out an AR-15 to buy this puppy.

6WQoeZG.jpg


The scope came off of the AR as well, and I'm burning through some of the ammo earmarked for it. I'm calling this an upgrade.

For working guns, or max accuracy builds, plastic or composite stocks are the way to go. But for something classy that I'd be proud to show to my shooting buddies or pass on to my future kids, wood is the way to go. As long as there are guns that are meant to be passed down from generation to generation, there will be people buying classic wood stocked guns. Thank god the Europeans haven't forgot about class.
 
Very nice Stickshift. I recall ruger made the 44 mag. carbine with full length Mannlicher stock. Pretty pricey if you can even find one today. Even the regular ones are bringing good bucks today. Some good guns out there when I was poor. LOL
 
Classy little rifle there. There's nothing wrong with an AR or any other composite stocked rifle,........two of my finest bolt rifles have composite stocks,........but there's nothing better than real wood for pride of ownership.
 
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