Thanks for posting
I was thinking about getting a stock from them but will not now.
I will pay the extra $$ and have a Danish or Greman gunsmith/stock maker make me a stock.

Cheers,

Andr�

There are other AR-members who share your experience, I am sorry to say. Since they seem to aim at customers looking for a quality product, I guess they will be in trouble soon... Or do they have a number of big customers like gunsmiths, that they spend their efforts on?

I have been looking at Richard's Microfit, had a thread running on them here just about a week ago... Seems to be mixed experience there as well. Then there is Elk Ridge but they don't ship outside USA so they are not an option for me (or Andr�). Boyds' I have heared nothing about, but they don't list Sako amongst the actions they make stocks for...

Are there others?

Regards,
Martin

I believe I started the nickname GAG for them. It was from experience. Sorry to see they treated you that way. Can't imagine they not only charged you for shipping things you didnt ask for but then doubled it.

Thanks for the update on GAG. It's been 3 or 4 years since I've done biz with them. Past transactions were OK. Has Henry recently decided that his shit don't stink or has he just turned into your basic asshole? Negative comments from customers are very bad for business.

Just how big a boy is this Henry

How big a boy R ya (RD Mercer)

Cheers,

Andr�

I Bought a stock from GAG and returned it because it had a strange cut to it . They said they would get another one out to me in one week.

It took several phone calls every couple of weeks over 2 or 3 months of hearing " We will ship it tomarrow"



Finally got another . The wood is OK not as fancy as the first, inletting good, alittle better cut but still has a real high toe line.



They were difficult to deal with is my opinion. Not very helpful. I dont know what their problem is . Ive read some people say they had good luck with them. I dont like talking bad about someones business but I have read several negative posts on other forums too.



I was going to try and get another stock from them but I am very hesitant.



I think their styles are all the same with different names on them. I was going to ask them to leave extra wood in places. I like doing alittle shapeing and finishing.



I see pictures of other stock designs that I like. I like the design of Customstox stocks that ive seen.

I've not ready any good about them for a number of years, on a number of different forums and sites. Sorry you, too, had a bad experience, but apparently they haven't changed their stripes.

I want to post a good word about Dressels. I don't know if they will do you a semi-inlet, but I know that you can send it to one of a dozen guys with patterns to turn for you, but as far as service goes:

Chic recommended them to me and I called there a few days ago saying I needed a stock and explaining the this and that of situation. Sharon said she had some company and asked if she could call me back a bit later. She did and I might add that this was then on her dime and she must have spent half an hour with me. I told her the blank I had wanted and she no longer had it but recommended another after asking what it was for. She discussed grip design with me, grip cap and size. Was very friendly and helpful and I might add that I found out that htey had a family thing happening that day and she was still taking time to help me out. I thanked her profusely considering the circumstances (this was after 8pm mind you so most people would stop working).

I haven't got the blank yet but like she said their policy is as long as I don't mess with it I can send it back. I don't think that will be necessary and as far as people go they rate top notch in my book.

There is never any excuse in business for being rude, well, almost never (unless you are the one being screwed over and really have to take it to the unpleasant point). I have had coworkers comment on how polite I am to people even when things are going wrong. People who know me know that my temper and personality seem contrary to polite conversation when I am getting my chain jerked. But I go by the "flys with honey" thing and just won't stand for businesses treating me in a way I wouldn't treat them. If GAG is staffed by rude people go elsewhere.

Red
PS
Jeffeoso said that he is ready to copy blanks now and I don't know what his pattern library is like or prices and accuracy but might be an option for us to start going with, our own personal duplicating service. :-)

Dago red... You are right. I always remember the saying, "Business goes where its invited and stays where its treated well".

Now I need to find a duplicator with a pattern I like.

Do Duplicators have prints of their patterns that they can e=mail me?

I don't know, I only have worked with one person so far, Dennis Olson, originally I sent a stock to be copied but turned out it was wrong for what I wanted to do, so he used his pattern. now if I had chosen I would have gone with a different pattern, no cheekpiece and open grip, but now I am going to have to as an amatuer change these things (this is a pattern stock I am building). they could probably get you some pics. If I had a duplicator and did it for business i would have a website with every pattern I had in pictures from different angles so a person could get an idea what they like.

Dennis only charges 100 bucks for a pattern stock, meaning just basic wood semi-inletted and ready for you to shape and get ready to be copied to the expensive stick.

Red

http://www.accuratereloading.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB5&Number=884833&page=2&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=21&fpart=all

Hey Blue, you been noticably absent from this thread!!!! Sounds like FLA3006 had about the same dealings with Blue that I had trying to buy his imaginary toys that he had for sale

Maybe my viewpoint on this is different from other people's but I never expect a ready-to-shoot stock through the mail. All I want is the general design and that the basic inletting be done accurately enough to final fit and glass bed. As far as the exterior is concerned, chisels, scrapers, maybe a bit of shoulder-planing and a lot of sandpaper and patience ought to take care of the exact shape and personal fit . . . plus quite a few trips to the range to fine tune the beast. Now, is this possible or am I back to buying a bandsaw and my own walnut tree?

If someone other than you holds the money and the action, I'll consider.

Terry

to an extent i have to agree with you. the likes of the original bishop, fajen,royal arms,and western gunstocks do not exist any longer. they were companies that had a wide selection and had great customer service. we are dealing with dead trees so the grading is always subjective and i do not expect to receive a 95% finished stock from any of the current suppiers. i do expect to receive a stock inletted somewhat for the action requested in the pattern requested, somewhat undersized in the inletting to preclude machined gaps. i still buy utility grade stocks from the current people for patterns and have my blanks turned. you can alter alot with epoxy,wood scraps and body filler.mike koklas does a wonderful job in turning my blanks for me. the cost to the customer is higher, but that is always their decision.

I think if you want a good practical stock either Richard's or GAG can produce something usable. I have two of each and I can say without doubt I would not waste a premium blank on either but for what I paid, I got what I needed. There were some gaps to fill in places and not in others. In the laminated stock it will be invisible when bedded with the right color epoxy. The other one I am learning to fill with slivers. A pain in the ass but again, I got so little money in it I don't care.
Mostly they are greatly oversized in thickness everywhere and require a lot of wood removal all around to get any gracefullness in the lines.
I think it is close to the same hours to get a semi-inlet exactly the way you want as it would take to get there from a blank if you had all the right tools.

thats what i'm saying. if you can live with some small imperfections, you might get a useable semi-inlet from one of current large scale manufacturers. if you have a nice piece of wood and want something right, get one of their cheapest stocks close to what you want. get busy with the epoxy, pine and body filler and make your own pattern stock. have your wood turned and it will be all yours.

GAG and Henry, crooks! I'm surprised they stay in business, can't be from repeat customers.

Count me among those that lost money. Sold me a buttstock for an Ithaca NId, that was so badly inletted that thee was no way I could have ever made it fit and the stock was cracked, it had a check running into the butt about 2-3 inches.

Returned it. 6 months of phone calls and then only a partial refund becuase the "special setup fee was non refundable.

The double shotgun guys at gunshop.com know all about him.

A thief.

Rob

rob
you hit the nail on the head
i used to work there

Try Wenig.com. They are in the same town Fajen used to be in and bought a lot of the Fajen stock and equipment. Some of the employees even went. I have not dealt with then as far as a purchase, but they have always been super pleasant to talk to. They offered to duplicate for me, with either my wood, or theirs, and, as I recall, at a reasonable price. Like I say, I have not purchased from them, so I can not comment on that, but all else would indicate quality.
Hope it helps.

I have heard bad about Wenig too.

I called Richards about 3 months ago, looking for an "Old Classic" beat-around stock for a 98. They didn't have any, but the (very polite I might add) lady on the phone said they just had a bunch of AA blanks that they were grading as "seconds". $89 she quoted me, said it would go on the CNC the next day. Less than a week later, it was on my doorstep, and with the exception of a little sapwood(that should be gone after rasping), it is really a fabulous looking piece of wood. With that said, it would still make a good club, as it is HEAVY AND THICK. A good starter piece if nothing else.

I had them inlet it for an FN Mauser, and it is relatively tight on my military actions. Overall, I was impressed for the money.

As far as Wenig's goes....you should see the business they do at the Grand American in Vandalia(the Camp Perry of trap shooting), their display is unbelievable, they are fitting, finishing, placing orders, you can't hardly walk into their shop. Some beautiful wood, being installed on some HIGH dollar shotguns. I haven't tried them yet, but I should as much time of theirs that I waste there every year...

I had heard that Richards recently switched to CNC and the quality has improved, that's why I ordered from them. We'll see.



EDIT: BTW, my understanding is that not all stocks are made on CNC, but the Rem 700 ADL Short Action I ordered is CNC made.



Kory

IMHO Richards has always offered an excellent quality of wood for the money, you just had to work on the shaping a bit. If they do get a quality CNC production going to improve their inletting they might become the real deal.....DJ

There is a reason why a proper custom stock costs $3K, and why custom rifles with proper stocks cost $6K.

For $3K you get a stock that is inletted to perfection, as if the wood grew around the metal.

For half that price you get a stock that is bedded to perfection, as if the epoxy melted around the metal and wood(which it did).

For half of that price you get a nicely grained piece of wood that you should save until you have enough money to afford the above.

If you cut that price in half, you get the short end of the stick (stock). You will end up spending $3K in liquor and cigarettes trying to turn it into the above by yourself.

I'm not sure if it's the same people but a Royal Arms is still operating. http://cu.imt.net/~royalarms/

There is another company I see advertising but their web site has been "under construction" for at least a year, maybe two. Has anybody heard of this company? http://www.nebotech.com/