Wood stock rifles

[gizmo]

Here here Dawg! Most of my everyday North American hunting rifles are composite stocks but all my Safari guns are wood. I just can force myself to buy a classic Safari caliber in a composite, there is something that feels blasphemous about it. Now that being said, with the exception of my 416 the other guns I took to Africa were composites. Go figure right. Too scared to risk the airlines breaking one.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

Yes, a run of the mill Boxster can probably out handle an old 911, let alone a GT3. Probably faster, too. That is not the point.

I can appreciate a GT3 for what it is. But then the next new thing will come along. But a true 911 will always turn heads.

A composite stocked rifle is a tool. It is brutally competent, dependable, accurate, and efficient. The lower cost to produce means it can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable price. It resists weather. In an engineering sense, it is a very elegant solution.

But in other senses, it's not elegant at all.

Well said. The old wide body 911 Turbo-look Carerra is stunning and has tons of appeal, and a motorsport soul similar to an old Mauser.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I know that plastic/composite stocks are quite popular these days, but why is it increasingly difficult to find a new classic walnut gun? I understand carrying some black stocks, but keep the normal production of wood guns available.

@Dawg2019
With injection moulding after the initial set up cost you can churn out stocks for a few dollars compared to wood even with modern pantograph machines. Wood costs more and takes longer to produce hence higher cost even with laminate stocks that are hard on machines.
I agree give me a nice walnut stock but plastic is cheaper and easier.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Up until recently I never gave much thought to laminate wood, but the .416 Taylor project rifle I acquired came with a Boyd’s “nutmeg” laminate that has changed my opinion somewhat. It’s growing on me.

@Papa72
Some Boyd's stocks are very nice, I even got a classic sporter walnut for my P14 from them.
Some Boyd stocks are a bit over the top in colour and design like the Evo but as you said they grow on you but then again so does mould.
Bob

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

@Papa72
Some Boyd's stocks are very nice, I even got a classic sporter walnut for my P14 from them.
Some Boyd stocks are a bit over the top in colour and design like the Evo but as you said they grow on you but then again so does mould.
Bob

I’ve got five Boyd’s thumbhole laminated stocks on my working rifles, soulless but functional, all my nice ones have walnut with blued steel
Gumpy

 

[Bandera]

The barrel maybe the heart of the rifle, but the stock is the soul of the rifle.