Has anyone here experienced these stocks? I need to stock an L461 with a 22" #3 contour in 17MachIV. I'd like to stay away from wood if I can but don't want to put too much money into a synthetic. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Chris
Posts: 200 | Location: Belle Plaine, IA USA | Registered: 09 July 2001
I used to use MPI stocks...years ago, when they where decent. They have really gone down hill. Now they are actually nasty. There is 10 times the work needed to get your rifle in one than other un finished stocks, the "inletting" is terrible and they will take much sanding and bondo to fill in all the rough spots and imperfections on the extertior shell. They flex alot too. When you inlett for your action and bottom metal, you will have to remove so much material, that you will be into the foam fill. This seriously affects the structural strength. The last one I used was over 3 years ago and I swore at it and also swore I would never use one again. If you want a quality, ultra light weight stock, try a High Tech Speciaties made by Bazner. The workmanship is MUCH better than an MPI.
As posted on another forum, Don and Norma Allen use MPI stocks on their Dakota 76s when someone is looking for a synthetic as opposed to Don's superlative wood.
The one on my 330 is not flimsy, the one on my 300, likewise�neither are "overworked" to fit the action, and as noted, where else to get one that fits a rifle nobody else makes stocks for ?
You can do a search on these hunting chat rooms for topics involvin MPI and find more horror stories involving people buying from them and the poor treatment they get. It is not pretty.
Posts: 4917 | Location: Wenatchee, WA, USA | Registered: 17 December 2001
quote:Originally posted by Cobalt: I sent MPI my BRNO bbl action in .460WM in 1989 to be stocked. 13 years and many rounds later I have nothing but praise for the company. Cobalt
A Brown blank runs about $230.00 retail. You can install a pad and pillar bed it yourself if you are at all handy. I paint them with Zolatone. You can buy a quart of Zolatone and their disposable spray cartridge gun for about $60-65.00 [$45.00 for a quart of Zolatone and $15.00 for the spray gun].
Rough the stock with 60 grit paper, fill all voids with bondo. Mask and shoot and when it is all said and done,your paint job will look like it was done by Brown Precision themselves. In other words, for $300.00 you will have a stock that Brown [and others] would charge you $400-500 for.
I picked up a Sako L46 single shot at a gun show in Spokane a couple of years ago. With it came an MPI glass stock. At home I found I had a real project on my hands. The inletting was about 3/4 to depth, the forend had a bow in it and the comb to low for a scoped rifle. First, I ground off the glass shell around the forarm and got that straightened out and recovered with coth and glass. Next I put the stock on my mill and cut the inletting deeper. Then I found out the stock was too shallow for the trigger to fit into the triggerbow properly, soooo I had to build up the under side of the of the action area. With that done I cut off the top part of the comb, shaped a foam block, glued it in place and covered it with cloth and glass. After all of this the stock has good classic lines and seems to be quite sound-no thanks to MPI. Pete
Jordan, Where can I find the Brown Precision blanks? Brownell's only stocks them for Remington 700 long actions. Is there a certain model number I need to look for?
Chris
Posts: 200 | Location: Belle Plaine, IA USA | Registered: 09 July 2001
Pete, I have had the same problems with MPI stocks for Remmies and Winchesters too. At a shop I worked for, the owner thought they where great stocks, even after both smiths there ( myself and another) told him they where junk. I finally had to tell him that I simply would not put another MPI stock on a rifle. I told him that if he wanted to use them, he could put them on himself, and if he didnt like it, I would walk. See..He was not a gunsmith, just an insurance salesman that owned the shop.
I have to Echo Saeed about MPI stocks, nothing that I will use ever, never. McMillan, Bansner, Rimrock or Brown, are the ones I would buy they are worth their money. I have owned two MPI stocks and they caused nothing but trouble, one of then cracked mid action and was nothin but a fibre glass tray filled with expoy and micro ballons. Save the money and get one of the best, cheap crap only makes you even more mad and frustrated.
More Problems Inletting- they are the poorest stock I have EVER worked with, finished product is okay, but take 2to3 times the time/work to get to the finished stock. I only use one if I cannot remodel someone elses stock to fit the rifle.
