I spent most of yesterday with a mate of mine who is arguably the top stock maker in this country. GC and I worked out a couple of patterns for a pair of the rifles I'm building but the third one still has me a bit undecided.
My P14 in 9.3x74R Imp. is a rifle I intend to " use and abuse ", and as I can't get the synthetic stock I was after, I shaped a similar looking stock ( a duplicating template actually) to get what I wanted, the actual stock that I get cut will most likely be painted, stained black or coated with some sort of textured finish ( similar to the synthetics ). Due to this painting, I would prefer to not use walnut......hence the question.....what woods are appropriate for a relatively hard kicking, knockabout rifle stock?



I'm hoping to end up with something along these lines.....similar but different

Roger

Damn, wish you were near here.
I have a stack of grainless planks
that would be perfect for painted or
patterns.

Don't change that dogleg bolt!

Never seen a scope set out front like
that before on an old Enfield.

Good luck,
George

No worries about that, the bolt and floorplate stay, that's what makes it a Enfield.

Roger

I know of a synthetic stock for sale that looks a lot like your photo. I'll ask about it if you want. I passed on it because of the stepped floorplate.

By far, the strongest wood is Laminated Birch. No solid wood on the planet will perform as well.
And if you are going to paint it anyway, you won't see the laminating if you don't like it. Blanks are available in a variety of colors.
Remember the Germans went to laminated Beech in late 41 for the Kar 98ks, and G43s; they are super strong.
Yes. heavier than walnut.

A laminated blank.

Sycamore, beech , birch

Sometimes, just for fun, I take a fancy blank of walnut and saw it in two down the middle. Then I epoxy/laminate in a full length piece of 1/4 or 3/8 inch Baltic birch plywood. ( same thing they use in laminated wood stocks.) Then I router and carve the stock out, making sure that the laminate is the centre line.

I get the nice fancy walnut look with a little extra strength from the laminate. Brian

LDO, thanks for the offer but I don't think we can get stocks out of the 'states to Australia any more, or if we can, the import cost and exchange rate kills it.
To be honest I hadn't actually thought about laminated stocks, how much of a weight difference is there? Here in Australia we actually have a bloke making stocks out of laminated bamboo, apparently super strong.

Roger

As far as I know, the laminated Birch stock blanks come from Rutland Plywood. I know of no commercial stocks being made from laminated beech or sycamore.
I did make one last year from walnut and beech, like the Rem 600.
Turned out great; basically 7/16th laminations.
Birch is basically the same weight as average walnut, but as you know, walnut varies greatly depending on where and how it was grown. Black walnut. Claro is lighter. Usually.
And you have the glue weight. So an average laminated stock will weigh slightly more than an average walnut one.
Everyone knows what averages are.
You can get a blank from the US, before it is carved into the shape of a stock.

Rutland had a fire and is closed.

https://www.burlingtonfreepres...d-business/14377305/

I ordered a few weeks ago from
https://www.cwp-usa.com

Will report when it arrives.

M

Originally posted by yumastepside: Here in Australia we actually have a bloke making stocks out of laminated bamboo, apparently super strong.

Roger


If you do go the bamboo route, please keep us posted Roger. I've been very curious to know how bamboo reacts to changes in temp and humidity, and how much warpage it exhibits compared to wood. I seem to recall that it's not technically wood, but a grass, which gives it a totally different structure. I know it's extremely strong. According to my old boss, an engineer, it was still used not that long ago to make scaffolding for major construction projects in the East.

The black pattern stock is made from fairly straight grain Pacific Big Leaf Maple. Painted with black epoxy to give a nice surface for the tracer to follow.

I recall Mel Smart, deceased, sold his business to someone in Montana, He would take your wood and laminate it, turning each slabe in the opposite directions,and that made a stable stock for sure.. it was the best of the laminates IMO..I don't know who has that business now..

Didn't that become Serengetti Rifles?