I was recently in a stock turner's shop and he showed me what he said was Griffin & Howe's original stock patterns. He got them from a man who did their contract stockwork. They gave them to him after they stopped doing stocks. Most all of these stocks were original factory stocks that had a very typical Griffin & Howe buttstock spliced on by a joint at the pistol grip. One in particular was an original Oberndorf stock with a spliced-on shadowline cheekpiece butt. I remember seeing stocks for Mexican Mausers, Springfields, drop-magazine boxes for large bore guns, and quite a few others, about 25 to 40 stocks in all. I thought about asking him to make me a copy of each of them just to have them for the future. I didn't take pictures when I was there last, but he is turning several stocks for me now, and I thought about taking photos of them when I go back. I tried to buy the patterns with no success. He did say that he would make me a copy in plain black walnut for $200 each. If I do that, should I ask for a 1/2" barrel channel, or ask for the original barrel profile to be copied? I wonder if any of you would be interested in getting copies of them. Before you ask, I can't disclose his name. He is retired and turned in his FFL and business licenses. He does this as a hobby now.

I can't believe nobody has responded to this yet.

I'll offer my 2cents, which may be worth even less, as a non-stockmaker/gunsmith.

First question, what's your intent? to have for yourself for later or to be able to recopy/sell? one is a big expense, the other an investment (IMO).

My second question would be, regardless of them being G&H patterns, do you like ALL of them? when I look at stock patterns by different makers over the years I find that some I like some I don't. If my answer to the first question was just for myself I would only get copies of the ones that I actually liked for myself. If it was an investment I would start with the ones that I thought would be most popular.

Now I'm not a stockmaker as said before, but am guessing most stockmakers will work from pattern most of the time to save well, time. so I'd go full barrel channels so I could just use whatever materiel (bondo, etc) to fit the pattern stock to my actual metal work. I don't know how helpful the original barrel contour would be?

I would love to see them, there are probably some there I'd love. I'm guessing there are a lot of guys here that would like copies of some of them.

I imagine there would be a lot of interest here. I might be, depending, as Dago said, on what they look like. The big bore would be the first on my list. Springfield sporter next.

I was actually thinking, and didn't want to hijack your thread before, but maybe a point to consider....

I hear sometimes about stockmakers that have these 50-100 pattern banks/libraries they can pull from. True there are sometimes cases where from a blank is better, but for the most part going with a pattern is going to be the majority of what stockmakers do now (just my understanding).

My thought was, how cool would it be to do something similar to a few buddies buying a wildcat reamer and then they all have access. what about guys paying in to a stock library, and then they don't get to modify the original pattern, but they can have a pattern made for their own use from it (paying materials and labor of course), that they can setup for their project and then have copied to their real blank. (by the way, 200 for a "pattern" seems high, unless it's a real good copy, I mean, shouldn't a copy off a hoenig only be 200-250? I bought a pattern stock once, which was just that, cheap blank and kinda rough, for I think just over 100). anyways

I too would love a good springfield pattern, now I have one being built that if all my dreams come true I can then just take that pattern and have it copied for subsequent springfields, but variety is the spice of life!

Maybe there isn't enough interest to cover all the patterns. but with only a couple of companies left that sell semi-inlets I can see a market for somebody with great patterns that can say sure, I'll turn you a pattern for x amount and a semi-inlet with your blank for xx amount.

Then again, my wife says I'm not right in the head so what do I know.

Red

I'm going to visit him after Christmas to pick up my work and spend some time putting numbers on the patterns and taking pictures. Then we'll see if there is any interest. I have a 03 Springfield that I want to stock, so he has a favorite G&H pattern that he used to use quite often. He said he would make me one while I'm there. The $200 copy stocks are good enough wood to make into stocks. The wood is included in that price. I'd imagine that I could get patterns suitable only for copying for a lot less made out of junk wood.