First custom gunstock

[freddogs]

I've stocked a few mausers that I had rebarreled. It's plenty of work.
I once made a stock for a Nagant rifle from a blank. It is very time consuming. I used the military stock as a reference. I cut the barrel channel with a router and used a drill, router, and chisels to relieve the action area. It was a lot of work.
The first rifle I did I checkered the grips. I found out that hand checkering is extremely time consuming and takes a bit of skill & practice. I wasn't happy with my results and never checkered any more stocks.
I have a couple barrel channel scrappers that are really handy. I think I got mine from Brownell. Get them smaller than your barrel.
I still have a mauser stock in the garage that I plan to finish this summer. Even semi-inletted there is plenty of work.

 

[betolatinlu]

Check Richard's micro fit stocks. They have walnut 95% inlet stocks for $75.00 and up. St ladt if you make a mistake You won't be out of as much money. I am planning on trying one myself. I enjoy the challenge.

I've purchased two stocks from Richard's micro fit stocks . They're on San Fernando Rd
and it doesn't really take much time to finish it to your liking. Mine were thumb hole stocks and were easy and look really nice when finished .Mine were for a Model 70 and cost about $150.00 several years ago. You might want to check 'em out .

 

[Stockbroker]

I do make stocks for money, but here are some of the finer ones cut 'from the blank'...all handwork.

Tommy Gun

Henry

Maple Burl on Browning BLR

 

[foxtrotter]

Ok so i want to preface this by saying that i have zero experience taling apart a rifle, as in ive never pulled and action. I have considered bedding my stock but have never commited and done it. I know it is not difficult and i am generally abke to figure stuff out well.

Alright, i got a ruger american ranch. 5.56 and a 16.5 barrel. I want a wooden stock. I have thought hard about buying a boyds pro varmint because i want a vertical grip. That being said, i want the satisfaction of making my own by hand and fitting it to this specific gun.

Now i am no wood smith. I have chisels that are sharp, a dremel, and the will to try. So my questions are this. I have lots of old 2x4s from a house project that are very hard, snap a 3in screw half way in hard, and i was wondering if i could use those if the action bed and top of butt is one 2x4 and the bottom of the butt is a seperate piece glued on. Will this hold or is this a bad idea? I think they may be oak. If that idea is fine, then how to i protect the wood from the possibke shrinking and expanding with the temps? If there a paint or do i need to soak it in something? I do not have a planer or any tool to sand out a flat surface. Is it possible to make a good stock without something to flatten or do i need to invest in a machine. Im totally fine investing, just wondering.

Thanks for readin and appreciate any advice

There's a reason stockermakers don't use softwood for stocks. It splinters, splits and is impossible to get a decent finish on. Oak is very heavy. Stick with the tried and true, there's a reason for the popularity of walnut. It is lighter than maple and takes a beautiful finish.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

I don't have many pictures, but here's a couple of the first stocks I did.....Maybe someone will be encouraged to try it themselves......... The only one of these I still have is the middle Remington, the stock on it is cut to youth dimensions, and is my starter gun for the children.....My first way a lefty, so it's got a cheek small cheek rest on both sides. I do checker some, but not on stocks I'm going to move, It just takes me too much time to do! These are the first three stocks I made from blanks first one starting on the left to the 3rd one on right.....I know they aren't perfect, and the next one usually turns out better than the last one. These were all built with a few chisels, files, a barrel channel scraper and a hand drill, but the general shape cut out on a bandsaw. I also built a jig that turns my wood lathe into a Horizontal Drill for drilling the through hole on the shotgun stock...... I guess I'm in the minority when it comes to advise on the internet......I say if it interests you, TRY IT! the only thing that you will lose is some time and possibly a block of wood, and if you do enjoy it, maybe you can help carry on the dying art of stock making! The only way to find your limitations is to try! Don't let anyone set their limitations on you! Someday I would like to find a duplicator, but for now I just slave away on my own stuff which doesn't really matter how long it takes.
The 10/22 stock was a practice stock to work on checkering and carving before I tried the 1911 grips......The AR grip was another one I made just to try. It's hard for me to practice on a block, so I usually try find something to make even if I'm not going to use it myself. Most of the items in the pictures were dumped on Ebay and I made about $.01 per hour, but it's an outlet for me, and the only way to get better is to keep trying and practicing.
I know these may not be up to professional standards........This is strictly a hobby for me, and I have along way to go before I'd try sell myself as a "Stockmaker"

Those are cool!! I really like the 1911 grip

 

[J E Custom]

I do make stocks for money, but here are some of the finer ones cut 'from the blank'...all handwork.

Tommy Gun

Henry

Maple Burl on Browning BLR

Beautiful work. !!!!

Having made stocks from scratch I know the work you put in them.

I have read many good post in this topic, and though a lot about the OPs question and not wanting to discourage him. decided to comment.

I would recommend starting slow and working up. Find a stock 100% inletted but needs sanded and finished on the out side and fit and finish it. (Learn from it) then find a stock that is 90% inletted and do the same.

After taking on these two projects, you can determine if you are ready to do a full blown stock from a blank piece of wood. If you don't want to use a high cost piece of wood you can find inexpensive hard woods for very little. (A friend of mine made a great looking floor lamp out of his first hand carved stock, so it was not wasted).

As said many times, It is very hard work and requires good skills to end up with a beautiful stock that fits perfect and performs well.

Go slow, and you will decide if you want to tackle a complete stock, from A block of fine wood, to a checkered and finished piece of art.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[KyCarl]

Nice wood stocks are amazing! I liked going to the Grand American when it was in Ohio
and looking at high end shotguns. All the trimmings like skeleton but plate with checked wood showing. The old English classics Purdy, Boss.
But Sooo expensive, 10 grand for a stock and fore end without the shotgun!