I'm assuming that this might be a hard one to pin down due to the number of possible variables, but here goes...how much money can one expect to pay for a custom walnut riflestock? I'm not talking exhibition grade wood or anything remotely fancy. Just a nice looking piece of walnut with straight grain and minimal figure. It would be a classic style, with a satin oil finish and modest checkering say 20 LPI. Is that enough info to narrow things down?

All said and and done, $1000 to start, and that's probably "entry level" at best. Have a good time.

the real cost is in the labor and stockmakers time.the cost of the wood,butt plate/recoil pad,and other amenities is really minor

About $800.00. Go to http://www.gunstocks.com/pfrs.html

Rick

$1200 but you supply the stock blank. Thats a standard job.

Seriously, depends on how good you shop around. 20lpi isn't asking for a lot of work on the checkering, and depends on how complicated a checkering pattern you want. I have seen some gorgeous blanks for 400-500, I'd say AAA quality with good layout.

I think that for under 1000 you could get it done if you take your time. Make sure that you take a look at the persons work before committing though, their latest work too. It is possible to have a stockmaker who has done work that is stunning, but now (due to age etc.) doesn't do quite as good a job.

And like most things, if it seems too cheap it probably is. :-)

Realize, these prices sound high when you say you just want a fairly plain stock with simple checkering. I think that everybody here though is telling you what it should cost to get it done RIGHT though. You can pay less.....but you may get crooked checkering, checks that aren't sharp, gaps in the barrel channel, scary looking inletting when you pull the barreled action out to look, etc. etc.

I know from first hand experience. I have a rifle that I just had an old Bishop stock for, but had good straight grain. Paid 50 for bedding, and 75-100 for the checkering, another 50 for finish. Well, I can see some of the bedding material between the wood and barrel, while it is all together! There are crooked lines in the checkering, and either their weren't enough coats of finish put on or they didn't bother with using a filler because the pores are plainly visible (I think it is the pores). I learned a major lesson there.

Red

Actually 20 LPI checkering is more work than 24 LPI. 20 LPI the diamonds are bigger and you have to cut a lot deeper to get them pointed up. Lots of passes over the checkering. 24 LPI is pretty pointed up after about 3 passes. Much less time!

AAHHH, I learn something new every day here. Do most guys charge more for the 20 then? At what point does it start to go the other way, where it gets more difficult. I have heard of checkering being done at 30lpi and higher! Don't think I have ever seen any myself over 26.

Red

Unless you get really solid, high quality wood, (expensive) it won't take checkering over 20 lpi anyway. Also, the high line per inch stuff wears quickly and gives less grip.

If this is a hunting rifle, stick with 18 or 20 lpi.

Best Regards,

Rick

I don't know what your budget is, but here's how I approach the subject, and I'm only a user; not a riflemaker, not a stockmaker.

The best wood you can find is the best rule of thumb to follow - even if you think you can't afford it. Great wood improves the mechanical efficency of the finished product, allows the best medium for a fine craftsman to showcase his skills, and helps the rifle retain its value better over time. This is the basic, bedrock place to begin. Aging (how long it's been dry), layout, density, color and contrast, are all factors that influence the value of the blank. As a customer and user, I prefer old quarter-sawed blanks with proper layout for stength and stability, and I like fine, tight pores that allow the checkering to stand out like perfectly chiseled diamonds. I avoid slab-cut wood, and I dislike loud pieces of wood. You'd be surprised at how many gaudy looking stocks have been made with blanks that are mechanically poor. I'll avoid this approach every time, and any good stockmaker will advise if a blank is mechanically unsuitable.

I won't get into how to select a craftsman, but I'll just say this: You end up paying a stockmaker the same amount of money to create a stock from a mediocre piece of wood as from a great piece of wood, yet the finished product will be vastly more satisfactory if you start with a truly fine blank, and I say this from experience. .....So don't step over a dollar to pick up a dime when it comes to wood selection.

AD

Dago Red,

I checker 24 LPI on everything. So I guess the answer would be no I dont charge more. I will do 22 if I have to but I avoid 18 or 20 like the plague.

RickMD, actually as far as a better grip and wearing faster, just the opposite is true regarding checkering. It is an old myth that seems to hang on. Think of it this way. What you grip on is the tips of the diamonds that are in the pattern. The shape of those diamonds is exactly the same on the top of a 20 lpi pattern as it is on a 24 lpi. The slope of the side, the angle, everything is identical where you grab the stock. The difference is in the number of them. A pattern with 24 lpi will have 44% more of those points that come in contact with your hand. That will do two things, provide more points for grip (friction) and provide more points of contact(resistance) for wear. If bigger was better, then 4 lpi would be even a better thing and it isn't. You have just been fooled by the old wives tale and you are not alone.

[ 06-05-2003, 22:02: Message edited by: Customstox ]

JKuczmarski

I want to add to what Allen said and second his notion of putting money into a good quality blank. Almost anything you can do with regard to this rifle can be upgraded later but the quality of the wood can not. A fancy grade of wood will cost you only about $100 more than uitility wood. It will look better than anything you have ever seen on a factory rifle and will be a pleasure for you for years to come. If you get uitility grade wood it will look just like everything else that you run into. It will just cost you a lot more than a factory rifle.

I want to stress to the idea of a getting a good sound blank. I use quarter sawn and slab sawn wood, they will both do the job for you if properly laid out. It is important to have a good grain flow through the wrist and very preferable to have a "quiet" forend as far as grain flow. Best is to have the grain run slightly uphill in a quarter sawn blank and it has to be parallel to the bore in a slab sawn blank.

I am posting a photo of two blanks that cost $400 to $500 each. You can get some very dramatic wood for $250 from some sources.

As far as cost, the reports you got were in the ball park for aftermarket stocks. If you truly want a custom rifle built to very specific dimensions you will end up paying more. If standard stock dimensions suit you well or minor changes in LOP etc., using one of the sources mentioned will leave you very happy, I am sure.

Here is another example of a 400-500 dollar blank. Thisun is turkish....
[url= http://"http://www.hunt101.com/?p=48033&c=500&z=1"] [/url]