I'd like to hear some opinions on the Great American Gunstock Co.I have been looking at some stocks on their "bargain list",some mighty pretty wood on there.Anyone bought any ? Good,bad or ugly lets hear it all!Thanks

I bought this stock from them about 2 years ago. It was a blem and I only paid $300 for the stock including the checkering, the ebony fore-end and grip caps. I did the rest of the finishing on it. This is a VZ24 Mauser in 270 Wby Mag. I live nearby, in Sacramento, and was able to select the stock from thier inventory.

David,Thats a beauty,nice job!I got a crappy piece of wood from Richards Microfit and it wasnt even one of their seconds,so I'm a little leery of mail order wood.Thanks for the pictures.

I havent done business with them, heard both good and bad, I bought wood elsewhere and sent elsewhere to get turned, but would do business with them. I spoke with them, the guy I spoke with shot straight and at some point in time may buy a stock from them. I bought wood from dressel, and another blank form wrights in the last few weeks.

I bought four stocks from them. I was very happy with the wood and the service. Very helpful guy.

I did drive up there, however, as it is only a few hours from here and we made a day of it.

A good friend of mine also buought a stock from them and was very happy with it. I am pretty certain he went mail order on that one.

RobertD

David, that sure looks like a nice piece of wood, and nicely done, too!

I have purchased three stocks from them now, and have been very pleased. More so than with other semi-inlet makers. Talk directly to Henry Pohl, communicate very clearly what you want (send pics if available), and insist on a detailed explanation of any defects and a no-question-asked full refund right of return if you decide to go with a blem to save $$.

Just be aware what price you are paying - realize that a $300 highly figured, shaped and semi-inlet walnut stock is probably not H&H or Rigby quality - if it was, Dressels would be selling it for 2 grand. Nor is the inletting likely to be absolutely perfect, or drop in. You do get good value for your money, and if you are handy with the rasp, file, scraper, chisel and sandpaper, can end up with a very nice looking stock like the one pictured.

If you are a perfectionist, I would advise you to install your own recoil pads, buttplates, grip caps, crossbolts, etc. as assembly line work of this nature has an inherent level of sloppiness. I once saw a recoil pad installed by a semi-inlet company (not Great American), where the cut at the end of the stock was at about a 15 degree bevel. They compensated by grinding the pad to fit. It was one of the older style open-vented pads, and the center solid rubber part was near the edge of the pad on one side, and deeply inset on the other. Needless to say it looked like hell, and the person who bought it paid $25 for it to look like hell.

Todd

Well Old Henry must give more care to rifle stock customers than shotgun stock customers.

In the last year or so GAG has been asked about over on www.gunshop.com a few times and invariably gets negative reviews, including myself. He sent me improperly inletted wood that had a major crack running up through the butt and refused to give a full refund. I got some money back but only after calling directly 7-8 times, leaving messages, emails, etc.

Others lost way more than I did.
I'd be wary. JMO.

Here's the most recent thread.

http://gunshop.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=012347;p=&r=npwm#000000

3 stocks for me, 2 others for friends...

no realy complaints....

of a simular number from richard's microfit, there would have been two outright rejects, 1 decent one, and 2 that could be worked with

jeffe

I've only purchased one stock from them, for a P14 Enfield, and the inletting was terrible. It was cut oversize in several areas- the most noticable being the floorplate cutout, which was about 1/16" too wide.

The last stock I did was on a blank from Goby's which I sent to Dennis Olson for machining- I spent less money and got a much nicer stock.

Thanks everyone for the replies to this post,its been very informative.Decisions...decisions...

You have a guy right up the road from you near Watertown that does stock work and sells wood. You might want to go up and see him and take a look at what he has.