Hey guys-

Anyone have any firsthand experience with these stocks? I have been browsing their site and I have to say that I like the looks of their product. I have been on the verge of getting a Boyd's laminate for a project, but I personally have never cared for the "colored plywood" look of those stocks. Any input would be great. Thanks in advance, Wyo

I have had several of their stocks put on rifles. Mel Smart, the former owner, died last spring. Rod (who participates in this forum) is now taking care of Acrabond. Their laminated stocks are very strong and can look like a regular walnut stock. They are slightly heavier than a walnut stock. I think they are an excellent stock.

If you search the forum you will find several threads regarding them.
Steve

i used several of those stocks when mel still was involved in the company. they are a little bit heavier than plain walnut, but i stocked two 375 imp with them so the weight wasn't an issue. i'm sure rod has maintained if not improved the quality of the product. they do look better than plywood.

I don't have any of their stocks, but they did laminate a "one-sided" blank of inexpensive English for me. They did a great job, both sides match. I think I read that they machine their stocks using CNC equipment.

How are these stocks made? From a few pictures I have seen they seem to be three pieces sandwiched together. Is this correct? If so, do they saw a piece of walnut in half and laminate a different piece in the middle, so that the color of both sides is similar? How thick is the middle piece?

Hart

Try this

http://www.acrabondlaminates.com/siteimages/about.html

Roger

I have sent two blanks to Smart in the past and had him use the best side off of both and laminate me a stock, those blanks that are plain on one side and real nice on the other are cheap and they can use the plain on the inside and the good stuff on the outside and you end up with a exhibition grade Turkish walnut stock....but in the end it wasn't that cheap...Mel Smart is no longer with us as he passed away last year. I pictured this gun a 9.3x64 on AR some months back and Mike Delatore who posts here bought the gun, it may be for sale btw...

Like Glen and Ray Acrabond laminated a "one sided" blank for me as well. I just got it back last week and it came out really well. The two outside pieces are 3/4" thick so they should finish up a cheek piece without going into the next layer. The inside pieces are 1/4" thick.

It cost $95 plus shipping. I stopped the custom rifle project so the blank will stay a blank for now.

All of my stocks were purchased as blanks. I had them shaped into old classic style with heavy grip and forend(to match my big hands).

I don't know much about their own styles.
Steve

Hi all,

Thanks for the interest in ACRAbond. We've been busy since April, the month Mel passed away. He had a lot of ideas, intentions, and hopes he was never able to fulfill because of health issues and limited financial resources (because of health issues).

We purchased a truckload of wood. We bought several new machines, reorganized the shop and began to implement. Mel was headed down a road toward the "drop-in" stock because he recognized most customers did not want to wait 2 years for delivery. We kind of took a right turn off that road, as I like better wood to metal fit than a drop-in allows. Also drop-ins were merely copies of factory designs, which are often found wanting.

Mel did a wonderful stock for the Montana Rifle Company, when I was there because I wanted a great showcase for the M1999 action at the shotshow and I figured it would also be a grand example of what ACRAbond could do. Mel put all of his best features into the shape of that stock and it was one of a kind.

When I took over operations for ACRAbond, I thought we might be able to take the company to a new level. Maybe we could provide a near custom stock through the use of technology. Surfscan designs, digitize them, interpret the code into IGES files and CNC machine blanks to exact replicas of the original. It wasn't as easy as all that, but we've been largely successful. That one-of-a-kind custom became our Merlin (Mel's given name). We digitized another geometry he did for me on a custom 375 H&H Ackley, a slightly heavier stock with more drop at the heel and called it the Lioness. Also in production now. Dennis Olson provided a modified pre-64 featherweight/mountain rifle shape that we called that one the Leopard. Also in production now.

I liked the Leopard, but I wanted a more European look. I wanted an even slimmer open grip, and a trim classic comb. We took a Leopard and carved away even more wood until we came up with Cheetah. In production.

We're going somewhere with all these cats (and other animals). These are shapes we'll offer on a line of concept rifles. Our hope is by using predefined different shapes, we can CNC and Panograph our blanks and deliver finished, checkered stocks in 4-6 weeks. Today, it's more like 12-14 weeks, and some have waited longer than that while we spun up the CNC shop. We're working on it.

Some folks have said ACRAbond stocks are heavier than solid uncut laminates, but that's not been my experience. We use Tightbond II glue in four joints that are pressed together with several tons of pressure. I'll bet the cured and dried glue in those four joints weighs 2-3 ounces. Wood density has more variance than that. I've two cheetahs, indentical in all respects except one weighs 22oz and the other 29oz. Just the wood, ma'am, nothing but the wood.


There are still some models in development. Rhino (think really big), TRG-S (A unique Sako hunter shape for a unique large scale Sako action), Red Mist (varmint hunters will get it ) and an as-yet-unnamed model that incorporates the Sako hunter shape for a M1999 Montana action. Built two of these already - better name it fast.

For Short M1999 Actions, we're deploying Merlin, Cheetah, and Leopard first. Lefties will be easy from the CNC house (thanks to mirror imaging), much more difficult from the Panograph (back to making patterns again). We need both methods because of volume demands. By the time we get to finishing (applying the oil), we cannot easily tell the difference because of the middle steps we do in between the automation work and the finishing. Both methods require some final sanding and shaping, the Panograph more so. Panograph stocks also require hand inletting. We have an impressive number of Panograph patterns, but only a limited number of CNC programs. If you want a Ruger in a Merlin, we can do it, but only on the Panograph, and only with a cross-over charge. A cross-over charge is applied when we mount a Merlin and machine the outer shape. Then, a Ruger pattern is mounted and indexed, and the inletting roughed in. The semi shaped stock is dismounted, and the inletting hand finished. Then off to final shaping and sanding.

It's an interesting process and not a day goes by without learning something new.

Sounds like I'll be ordering another down the road a ways.