Any opinions on "microfit" laminated stocks?
ie. "dual grip thumbhole" design for M70 .338

swamprat,

If you do a search on this site you will find tons of opinions concerning this company and their products. With few exceptions, the opinions have not been real favorable.

For whatever it’s worth, I live about 15 minutes from their shop and have never bought one of their stocks. I have the advantage of actually seeing and handling the stock, and checking their inletting with an action before I buy it, where you can only view a picture on a web site.

To each his own, but I have never had hardly a problem with Richards and their products.

I don't however have any experience with their laminates.

-Spencer

i've got several, won't buy another.. lam and wood.

their wood grade tends to match the price, not their inflated grading.

the lams are tough..

they are ALWAYS out of alignment, always, period

the lam colors dend to drift from what is speced vs what is delivered

jeffe

I'm not as dead-set againt Richard's as some others but I think Boyd's has a better product.

If your project can fit a Brockman's then even better!

quote:

Originally posted by ShopCartRacing:
To each his own, but I have never had hardly a problem with Richards and their products.

I don't however have any experience with their laminates.

-Spencer

Like Rick, I too live a few minutes from their shop. I bought a few when I started out and soon realized that my skills surpassed their inletting. So no matter how good I did my job, I was dissatisfied because I could not overcome their oversized inletting. Makes you feel like you wasted all your time, which you did.

Oddly enough Spencer, the laminates seem to have MUCH better inletting than traditional wood. Too bad I hate laminates!

Well, I suppose this may be a new thing, because in the past I have not had problems.

I am about to get started on a 98 small ring project and I am using a really pretty piece of Richards Claro so we will see.

At least it will refresh my memory.

-Spencer

I just received my stock from Richards after waiting 3 months. I bought the "Track driver" in Electric blue laminate for a Mini Mauser I am building. Quality…..mmmmmmmmmm so so I would say. It is very rough on the outside an I have over 10 hours of sanding and shaping so far, with a lot more to do. There are deep scratches in it from what looks like a belt sander. It was not a $600 dollar stock so I guess you get what you pay for. I plan on going else where next time..

It’s wise to consider where Richard’s is geographically located (So. California) and also consider who they employ to run their machinery. Can I make the hint any more plain than this? Let’s just say that operating a duplicating machine is a bit tougher than operating a leaf blower or picking grapes.

Amen.

-Spencer

I'm using the Thumbhole Target on my rig. My gunsmith almost said "No!" when I told him I was going to bring him a Richard's. But we have gone ahead and used it. He had to mill off .200 inches to get the action down to centerline with the top rail of the stock and he's had to mill off a large portion of the top of the cheekpiece to get the bolt in and out. If I had to do it over again, I'd choose another stockmaker.

What we've spent so far:
Stock: $189; Finish the inletting, pillar-bed and glass-bed: $700; Exterior finish: $600. And more may yet be required...

I have made some laminate stocks from his blanks and I tell him to leave a lot of wood, so I can straighten things up...He has always sent me good blanks as far a laminate goes..