17 September 2004, 03:55
Jim in IdahoQuote:
I'm not really sure where I should post this, but it will get the most traffic here. Who makes the best and lightest synthetic stocks. I know of McMillans, but I'm curious to know if there is a company that makes lighter stocks? Thanks for your input.
Sevens
I have two "Custom Pre-Finish" Browns on short action Remingtons. These are inletted, pad at 13 1/2" LOP ONLY - different LOP costs more, studs, painted (gray ONLY - different colors cost much more), ready for bedding. My Model 700 FS in 7mm Mag came from Remington with a Brown. My only complaint is that the factory paint on these scratches and chips easily. The first one I bought cracked slightly at the top of the action inletting - this on a .308. Brown of course replaced it. A gunsmith I knew and Allen Day on this board report that the forearms canmove under high heat, such as being in direct sunlight in a gunrack in the back window of a pickup. I do not personally know this. My FS had the standard pressure pad at the tip and it would hold zero from year to year perfectly. A Brown Custom Pre-Finish, gray, 13 1/2" LOP all set to go will cost, IIRC, just over $400 - see their website for current prices.
I have two Bansners on a .270 and one soon to be mounted on a 7mm-08. The Bansner shape and design is very much like the Brown. I only have two gunsmiths' and a gunwriter's (John Barsness) comments to go on as to long term durability - and they all say the Bansners are top notch. Jim C., who used to build custom rifles for Intermountain Arms in Idaho for 25 years, almost exclusively uses Bansners for his light rifles. An inletted Bansner blank costs $210, they will install a Decelerator pad to your LOP for $50 more. They come to you right out of the mold with mold lines intact and some pinholes that need epoxy filling. Not a biggie, 25-45 minutes with a sanding block and they are ready to paint. The inletting is undersize for the recoil lug and, on mine at least, for the floorplate area so you can custom fit your action - I let a gunsmith do the final inletting as I am darned dangerous with a Dremel tool. I've been charged $80 to bed one and $75 to paint it. Send your barreled action to Bansner and they will return it bedded, painted, pad, studs - ready to shoot for just over $600.
Turn around for Brown is about 4-5 weeks and Bansner says theirs is 3-4 weeks, depends on season and what you order. I'm left handed and Bansner took about 8 weeks each for mine. My Bansner for a long action M700 with pad, studs and paint is right at 21 ounces. The Browns - haven't weighed them in years, are right about the same IIRC.
The design of both B and B is very simliar. they are both very straight on the comb and and handle recoil well, but realize I put them on a .243, .308, .270 and a 7mm Mag - only the 7mm Mag has what one could call a "kick". Still, swithing the .308 from the heavier factory BDL wood stock to the much lighter Brown seems to give about the same subjective recoil.
The McMillans are, of course, about as strong as you can get from what I've heard. I currently own 5 and haven't broken a one.
They are heavy as others have reported - mine are the Remington BDL pattern and all weigh right at 32 ounces with pad, paint and studs, just about the same as the wooden factory BDL stock. McMillan offers a lot of choices, however, with B and B above you get a much smaller selection of styles. McMillan is famous for slow turnaround but this varies widely. I've had them take anywhere from 8 to 14 weeks for a custom order, but for $393 you get a stock completely finished in your LOP and color choice all ready to bed. Check their internet specials, these are stocks they have on hand - if you like a 13 1/2" LOP then for $350 you can get a stock shipped out that day.Never tried the Edge lightweight but I'd make a WAG and figure they are probably up to McMillan's usual standard. They are very expensive, however, compared to their regular stocks.
And that's about all I know about that.
My purely subjective opinion for a lightweight? I would choose the Bansner, the cost is right, they are super strong in the action area - Mark Bansner says they will handle whatever you put in them up to a .458 Lott if one is a masochist.
. I think the Brown is a bit overpriced unless you get a blank, but again that's just my opinion. Either stock is a good one, I just like the Bansner better.Hope this helps.
Both have stood up to some heavy recoil and no problems.