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In a heartbreaking turn of events, the very last shot of my buffalo safari this year cracked (rather severely) the beautiful wood stock on my Sako 416. I've started the search for someone to repair it and improve things so it doesn't happen again. I have one quote from The Stock Doctor, Dennis Smith, but would like a few others to look at it to be through. I'm also a bit leery of shipping my rifle all the way across the country - he's in OR, and I'm in PA - because of the ham fisted carriers and what else could potentially happen. Asking for recommendations of 'smiths who could tackle this work and ensure it's put back to suitable DG shape for the next hunt. Who do you know? Many thanks! _____________________________________________________ No safe queens! | ||
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I understand your concern about shipping. You can’t trust some of the carriers to properly handle your package. I assume you only need to ship the stock. If mine I would build a plywood reinforced box and place it inside a cardboard box. Or find a suitable plastic box that would also go inside another box. That should protect it from damage. Shoot Safe, Mike NRA Endowment Member | |||
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Buy a pelican case and ship in that  | |||
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How did it crack across the stock or with it. I would think most any smith could repair it. Does not have to be a stock maker. | |||
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You could do no better than to use Dennis Smith, aka "the Stock doctor". You will not be sorry if you pick him. As for shipping, as far as damage goes, it don't matter if it goes across to the nest county or across the US. Jim Kobe 10841 Oxborough Ave So Bloomington MN 55437 952.884.6031 Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild | |||
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As Far as shipping goes, I sometimes use MTM Arrow boxes inside cardboard. $20-25.00 to ship barreled actions and or stocks. Works good---gotta pad them though. The package is shorter and doesn't appear to contain a firearm. Hip | |||
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Clayman. DESmith will do it right. Kobe is right. It doesn't matter how far the stock is shipped. They spend hours and hours untouched in an airliner for longer trips anyway. FEDEX gets my vote for shipping stocks. Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | |||
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Here's another vote for Dennis Smith. He repaired a badly broken Sako .375 H&H for me. Not only can I not find any sign of the repair, but it has held up for many full house 300gr loads and lots of miles out hunting for the past decade or so since the repair. While his work wasn't inexpensive, the results greatly exceeded my expectatons. Some high-end gunsmiths have told me that he's the only one they will trust with tricky stock repairs. | |||
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Thanks for the replies, gentlemen. I'm hearing strong conviction for Mr. Smith, which is exactly what I expected. I may just have to put my shipping fears aside and send it to him. I have to send him the full rifle, not just the stock, so he can properly bed it and fit things back together. Kyler, your story essentially mimics what I'm experiencing, so the fact you've been happy with the work on the same make rifle for 10 years speaks volumes. Looks like my 2023 will kick off with shipment! Who's the current preferred (least worst) vendor to use for shipping such a thing? I know UPS has some asinine new policy, so I'm not interested in playing their game. Does FedEx mess around in the same way? _____________________________________________________ No safe queens! | |||
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FedEx messes around the same way. You either have to go through a local FFL (if he is 'signed-up' for shipping firearms with either UPS/FedEx) or use the USPS. | |||
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Our USPS has been fine/best for shipping long firearms "out for repair", no FFL interaction needed. Just don't have anything on the box that indicates what's inside. Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can. | |||
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Just my experience, but I've had two Pelican cases that arrived with cracks, another with broken lock. No damage to contents though | |||
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JMO but if it were me I'd get an estimate from the best stock maker I could find for a replacement stock, upgraded wood and all, then ship the stock for repair to DS via USPS Registered Mail. Registered mail lowers insurance cost dramatically and if they lose it they pay. | |||
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A plastic gun case in its factory box works well and you can wrap the gun in bubble wrap also..I always insure the gun, and properly wrapped will get you paid off much quicker by UPS Usps et al. The "most important part" of this salvation has been left out and that is to wrap the break in thick cottom and tape it ASAP, save every little peice you can find..little breakages around the break are the repair killers. add bubble wrap for shipping. If the break is bad, and unattended,Id recommend a new stock. Ray Atkinson Atkinson Hunting Adventures 10 Ward Lane, Filer, Idaho, 83328 208-731-4120 rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com | |||
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Good intel on the registered mail. I've not shipped anything like this previously, so this is a bit of a new experience for me. Is the consensus to ship the gun in a plastic case inside a factory box or ship it in a slightly larger box and use the extra space to pack the crap out of it? _____________________________________________________ No safe queens! | |||
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I have always preferred to ship or have shipped, a rifle in a plastic case, in a cardboard box. And additional packing to keep the object from sliding back and forth and to prevent it from breaking out the end of the case is a must Jim Kobe 10841 Oxborough Ave So Bloomington MN 55437 952.884.6031 Professional member American Custom Gunmakers Guild | |||
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I rarely ship in a case but pack things REALLY well. I wrap the sights, muzzle, buttplate, trigger guard etc with cardboard, then wrap the entire gun in bubble wrap as well. I end up with sheets of 1" thick Styrofoam from my import business and cut those to fit the box ends. If you can ship a gun broken down it is much safer. | |||
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Back in 72 I bought two Sako's in Wiesbaden. A 222mag 461 and a L 61 7mmag. Having the factory boxes to start with, and wood, tools, table saw and banding. I built wood crates with flats around them in 4 or 5 places and banded around those. The 461 went right thru to home. The 7mmag got hung up in customs for 3 months until I was concerned it wouldn't make it. Finally, when it showed up. I was already home. Upon inspecting, it had a big deep scratch in that beautiful stock. You won't have customs to mess with. Am just sharing this about the crating. To give you another option. Best wishes, sounds like you've found the man to do a top grade repair. George "Gun Control is NOT about Guns' "It's about Control!!" Join the NRA today!" LM: NRA, DAV, George L. Dwight | |||
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A little trouble and someimes you have to deal with morons, but registered USPS is a no brainer when it comes to insurance. They PAY...Fed Ex and UPS will ALWAYS deny the claim to start. Keep in mind that the fne print with Fed Ex and UPS is that you are not actually buying insurance. I always use Kalispell aluminim cases..Never had contents damaged. | |||
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