I've got 2 Rem 700s and a Ruger 77/22 and I want to upgrade the stocks. I've looked at Boyd's and was not very impressed with their consistency. I'm actually considering a semi-fancy walnut in possibly a thumbhole design. Any input(pro or con)on the Micrfit stocks?

Just took delivery of one for a mauser 98 in the modern sporter style in AA walnut that already had a 1" decelerator pad installed and it looks like it will finish off into a beautiful stock. I wet the stock to see and there is about 65 to 75% figure and nice color.

Hi,

I've gotten several stocks from Richards and have been pleased with most of them. They're not a drop-in stock. The wood in there stocks have always been good in the stocks that I have gotten. I've gotten 14 stocks from Richards in the past and been pleased with all but one, and it still turned out real nice with some work.

As for the Thumbholes, I've had all three of their hunting stocks and for solid wood, I'd go with the Straight-line. I've had the Dual-grip and cracked the stock when it fell out of my gun case. It now has a Straight-line on it now. I have several Dual-grips but ther are laminated. I also have several of the wildcat stocks but they are laminated also.

Good luck on your project, The Big Dog

Welcome to the AR forums.

Now that I've buttered you up, I'm gonna tell you if you want to upgrade your rifles, don't stick a generic stock from a popular maker on them. Pick one rifle, and get a real custom stock for it.

As far as Richard's goes, you might get a nice piece of wood maybe, but you'll probably get off square, sloppy inletting regardless of the amount of money you pay...

Have you used the 'search' function yet? Microfit has been discussed here at length...

Thanks for the input, guys. The Rem rifles currently have the "tupperware" synthetic stocks and the Ruger 77/22 has the standard walnut handle. I have custom painted the stocks with my own design, but recently I am leaning toward figured wood. I saw Richard's mentioned on another site and checked out the web page. They looked pretty good, but I wanted input from the experienced guys. Thanks for the tip, I'll use the "search" feature now to dig up previous discussions.

I guess I'm the exception. I've only ordered one stock from Richards (AA grade bastogne) and it was a real disappointment. I told them that it was for a .416 Taylor and it came with all of its figure in the grip area.

Inletting was crude to say the least and the figure was muddy. Additionally, it had a poorly repaired knot in the butt section. I should have sent it back, but after waiting for thirteen weeks, I unfortunately kept it.

I'm with Rick MD....I ordered a stock from them for my .375 H&H. I sent it back....inletting was 'out-of-whack' (I think that's a real term!), the 90% finished stock looked like 9% (well,...maybe 50% ) and it actually came cracked. It didn't surprise me that the stock was cracked considering the way they packaged it for shipment....a hand full of half crumpled newspapers thrown in a box with the stock!

I do have to give them credit though....I sent the stock back with a letter stating the problems I found and I received a prompt, no questions asked, refund.

I went with a Boyds for 2 reasons: 1) I was very short on time and needed it for a bear hunt (although Boyds jerked me around for several weeks after the promised deliver date). 2) I didn't know that Accubond stocks even existed....they will definately be getting a call from me for my next project! I like the way that their laminated stock doesn't look like a laminated stock!

You might want to check out the Great American Gunstock Co.. They have a real nice web sight that you that you can go through and pick out pretty much anything you want.

For the money, go with www.gunstocks.com not RMF. If you want a cheapo stock,that you can "recover" from CROOOKED inletting ***EVERYTIME*** then go for it.

seriously, i've done 3 stocks that i've kept, 2 ive'sent back, and one i keep for a bad example... but, they was far better then elkridge

if you want $200 nice stock, gunstocks is the best way. call and tell henry what you want
jeffe

I've order three Old Classics from Richards. The first didn't look anything like the picture, it had a huge varmint type forearm with a beaver tail like shape. It took so damn long, I kept it and changed my plans and made a varmint rifle. The wood was their version of exhibition english and really was pretty good for the money paid. The second stock was acceptable with the exception of the bottom metal being over inletted a a little. The third was from their factory seconds list. It was AAA Black Walnut and the best of the bunch. The flaw was a small drying check on the bottom of the forearm that is very hard to see, and will be even harder after checkering. The wood is outstanding, very pretty and the wood was hard and easy to work. I would avoid Great American, I have a friend who has ordered several, the last one was not too good and he returned it for a refund. He's being jerked around to no end, and this after being a customer since they started up. There is another semi-inlet I see advertising but have yet to get their site completed. Heres their address http://www.nebotech.com/ I'm not sure when they'll have their site up. I still keep a eye on the 2nd's list at Richards, but my future projects will consist of buying a blank and sending to a duplicator.. dempsey

Lets see...

1st they sent the wrong stock...Weatherby instead of a Ruger

Then they set a Ruger but not with rosewood forend.

Oh and "drop in"...was about 85% not 95%

But other than that they were great,,,add $20 to the price of the stock for the 37 phone calls.

i have used several from richards, other than the wait all have been good. i don't believe any of the hype that the stocks are 95%. i assume there is to be work on all of them. personally i have had nothing but grief from henry and his great american company. several of my customers also have horror stories to tell. i sure do miss the old fajen and bishop ,before larry got involved.

I've had good luck with Richards.

I get the custom rollover This gives me a stock with a lot wood and I whittle down to where I want it. The rollover, palm swell and lot of other wood end up on the shop floor.

I order stocks with rosewood tip and grip supplied seperatly so I can install them the way I want.

I have had one from RMF and it was for a short action rather than long, but I kept it because I could use it on another project. It was about 80% inletted, so be aware.

I have dealt with Henry at Great American and, for me, he was a standup guy. I wanted a stock he had on his bargain list and he couldn't find it, so he cut me one like it with better wood and ebony tip and cap for the same price. Can't argue with that. Since it was pretty particular, lots of mineral streaking, I know he went out of his way for me.

I returned my only order from Richards. It was not a "classic" as ordered and as represented. It was more like a cross between a clasic and a Weatherby.

I don't bother with pre-shaped stocks anymore. I just get a blank and make what I want. It takes longer but I get what I want.

Hi Barry,

I have used RMF and they sent me a very nice stock and I got it within about 1 week. It was a popular model in AA fancy. I intend to order from them again on my next project. I am pretty good with wood, but made a few mistakes...which if you're doing your first stock, you should expect. I would not go for top of the line wood first time out and I always want more wood to work with rather than less. Hard to put wood back onto a stock.

Go slow and enjoy. I'd plan on a little work at a time over maybe 2 months just to fit and finish sand. Then bedding action, etc. Then longer for whatever oil, varnish, etc. you intend to apply.

Good luck!

I've used both places mentioned on this thread (Great American and RMF); last time I ordered two stocks, from Great American Gunstocks. It was the first time I ordered from Henry Pohl.

I will be getting all of my stocks from them (Great American) in the future -- I'll leave it at that.

Todd

I've had good luck with RMF and very bad luck with GAS.

In the future, whatever I buy, will have no inletting at all. Even if the bottom inletting is cut straight, it rarely finishes up flush. There's always a divit missing or a gap from the rough inletting process.

I've ordered a number of classic laminated stocks from Richards and ask that they leave extra wood in the grip area and cheek piece so I can open the grip up and cut and egg cheek piece and they all worked out fine...the extra wood keeps a lot of mistakes out of the scenario, you can always take wood off, ya can't put it back.

I never use simi inlets or drop ins for wood stocks, they just never finish out properly...