If you could get one of these where the blemish is located out on the forend I think you'd be alright because the forends are about 12" long. Try to speak to one of the technicians making the stocks and selecting the blanks, the phone answerers aren't very helpful/knowledgable... tell the techs exactly what you want and expect- they are pretty straightforward.

I recently ordered a AA Bastogne with fiddleback grain in the Old Classic 102 style for my Belgian FN Mauser .270 winter project- still waiting on that one. I'm going to try to "pancake" the cheekpiece and I specified the grain pattern and color be concentrated in the butt and body as I will be cutting away most of the forend and adding an ebony tip for an 8" forend length... they said they'd do their best to accomodate my wishes...

www.rifle-stocks.com

Kent

I really like the Old Classic styling- I'd even go for a style with no cheekpiece... nothing wild.

It's getting tough. With Fajen's reorganization about 10 years ago, the options are limited.

quote:

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Originally posted by scot:
Richards did not have a classic stock several years ago. I ordered an expensive piece of wood from them and was told it was a semi inleted "classic". I have done upwards of 100 classic stocks in my life. I know of what I speak, and what an American Classic stock is. They did not send one. What they sent was more like a Weatherby hybrid. There was insufficient wood remaining to make a classic out of it. I had to send it back. They were fine with that and we both walked away on good terms. Lesson here is be sure of what you area getting.

Be really sure the "classic 102" or "old classic" is what you want. The one I got was not a "classic" or even properly layed out.

I am probably on the "picky" side. I used to charge in the $1000 range, depending on details, for labor on a stock,I don't do stocks anymore. That is bush league compared to the real stockmakers. Even so I did not feel right about charging for a stock that was anything but up to my standards. Their stock could not be made into my version of a "classic" with correct lines. My version looks a lot like Dakota's stocks.

It's getting tough. With Fajen's reorganization about 10 years ago, the options are limited. Make them from a plank?If you know what you are doing it is no as tough as you might think. You need to know what you want and the difference between a rough cut and a finishing cut. If you dink around with a rasp you could spend years shaping it.

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Richards runs a picture of an "Old Classic" style stock in their ads. That is NOT what you will get. They simply take the California Monte Carlo design stock, knock the hump off the comb and cut a shadow line around the cheek piece. It will still have a tight curved pistol grip (picture shows open grip), it will still have a *#!#!)^+~#~^! Weatherby square fore end (not enough wood left to make it classic round shape) and the grip section makes a radical drop behind the tang giving it a gaudy California look.

I have complained about them mis reprsenting their product with that picture to no avail.

One time I ordered 2 stocks. One was XXX American Walnut for a small ring 98 Mauser. The other was XXX English walnut for a large ring 98 Mauser. First they lost my order, finally when I received them I got 2 CLARO walnut stocks, both for large ring 98 Mausers.

When ever you call them they are passive resistive. Very congenial and nice but you just go round and round in circles with them.

Also their duplicators must be worn out. The inletting is very crude and tends to be oversize.

The only good thing I can say about them is I have gotten some relatively good figured wood from them. That doesn't do much good when you want the rifle to resemble a Dakota or Kimber and it looks like a #^!~%*#(* Weatherby.

Chic Worthing

I was trying to be kind before, not to flame and such. I am in complete agreement with the other two critical posts. If you want a classic stock, do not buy from them. If you want a Weatherby type go right ahead. Since they did mis-represent their product I will never do business with them again.

Always get more than my moneys worth.

I like the design with a flat forearm.

Usually I don't care what the wood looks like, as I just paint it black, and add a little "spray grit" to the right areas and go hunting.