Wood Rifle stocks

[fyimo]

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.

 

[paragain]

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!

 

[Laketime]

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.

 

[Buford57]

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.

 

[lrb1200]

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.

 

[weatherby]

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

 

[DGT]

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

 

[mauser9]

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

 

[fyimo]

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

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

 

[DGT]

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

 

[BigBill]

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.

 

[jdlii]

GOT WOOD?!?!?!

 

[Donn]

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

 

[Gamecock]

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

 

[Jessie]

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

 

[kozmic]

My Browning BL22 and Marlin 336C Limited Ed.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

Life is too short to shoot ugly guns.

 

[Jboutfishn]

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.

 

[sheepdawg]

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.

 

[Bill Bates]

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.