Manners Composite Stocks Factory Tour

[ADMIN]

In order to be truly great at something, you need passion. It's this love that allows some to go above and beyond the norm. For Thomas Manners, it's building high-quality rifle stocks. While Manners has long been a competitive shooter, he hasn't always been in the firearms industry. He actually made a name for himself in the popcorn trade. At one time he had 600 employees, and he did so well that he was paid to stay out of the industry after his company was purchased. Read More...

This is a thread for discussion of the article, Manners Composite Stocks Factory Tour, By David Fortier. Here you can ask questions or make comments about the article.

 

[gebhardt02]

Excellent article on Manners Composite Stocks. Having met Mr. Manners a couple different times, he is a gentleman and his products continue to excel. Thanks for the additional background information Mr. Fortier.

Geb

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm into almost a year on my custom 308 build from Pierce engineering utilizing a Bartlien Barrel and Manners composite stock with my Savage action. The big hold up has been Manners inability to match the action to a stock.... Pierce has had to send the barreled action to Manners and I'm still waiting......

In retrospect I could have went MacMillan and had the rifle finished and been building loads by now. As it is, I have no rifle and I'm not happy about it.Will I do another custom build with a Manners stock? Most likely not.

 

[Jaxdialation]

I ~always~ check on the compatibility of parts before ordering what I need for a build. From PE's website:

Designed to provide benchrest accuracy, the 1.350"-diameter Pierce Action has a drop-in compatibility with stocks inletted for the Remington 700. Tactical bolt handles are available.

It appears that Pierce Engineering is misrepresenting their product !

Here's an interesting link regarding PE's business practices: http://forum.nosler.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=23085
It is NOT a pretty picture.

I'm into almost a year on my custom 308 build from Pierce engineering utilizing a Bartlien Barrel and Manners composite stock with my Savage action. The big hold up has been Manners inability to match the action to a stock.... Pierce has had to send the barreled action to Manners and I'm still waiting......

In retrospect I could have went MacMillan and had the rifle finished and been building loads by now. As it is, I have no rifle and I'm not happy about it.Will I do another custom build with a Manners stock? Most likely not.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm not using the Pierce titanium action. I'm using my stock 11 lightweight hunter action and accutrigger with a Bartlien No. 2 contour barrel. I get no weight savings with a titanium action so other than expense and prestige (of saying my action is titanium), I get nothing.

The action has been barreled for a while now, The hangup is the stock and Manners apparent inability to make a competent turnover in a reasonable time frame.

This is to be a lightweight, packable field/brush rifle chambered 308. I need to get the load built (168 Berger VLD Match Hunting in Lapua brass with whatevrer powder and jump gives me the best groups. on my private 300 yard range. Thats where I've made an abrupt and unscheduled stop.

I have a Montana hunt booked in November so I want the rifle with enough lead time to build an accuracy load, not 30 days prior to. I think a year is a reasonablr time frame for a rebarrel, stock change.

Far as I can see, it's squarely in Manner's ballpark, no one else's.

 

[Jaxdialation]

I have a November hunt scheduled too.
I didn't use a pierce action, and never will. Manners delivered
Such a great EH2 stock for my 300WM build, I ordered 2 more
Stocks from them.

I can say I'm completely happy with manners.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Why there is more than one supplier. I happen to know John Pierce from F Class at CMP, which, is why I went with PE in the first place.

If you knew who was building what for whom, you'd probably be shocked.

It has nothing to do with Pierce and everything to do with Manners and timely delivery of their products, at least in my view.

I'm sure it will all work out in the end, however, this will be my first and last stock from Manners.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I ~always~ check on the compatibility of parts before ordering what I need for a build. From PE's website:

Designed to provide benchrest accuracy, the 1.350"-diameter Pierce Action has a drop-in compatibility with stocks inletted for the Remington 700. Tactical bolt handles are available.

It appears that Pierce Engineering is misrepresenting their product !

Here's an interesting link regarding PE's business practices: Nosler Reloading Forum • View topic - Pierce Engineering Experience
It is NOT a pretty picture.

Far as your link, I absorb as fact, about 5% of what I read on the net. You see, I'm pretty much local to PE so it's not a Internet romance, quite the contrary, I go there in person and drop in unannounced.

I have never had any negative interaction with John nor any of his employees.

My issue revolves around Manners but it's also that I took PE outside the box. This isn't a Remington build, it's all Savage except the barrel and stock.

My comfort zone with PE is one, John is a 7.62x54 person and two, PE exclusively runs Berger pills and Brian Litz advises the Pierce F Class Team, as well and lives north of Lansing in Michigan (as I do)., so all the component facets of an excellent, accurate build are right here, a couple zip codes away, not across the country, consequently, it's not an Internet romance.

If I had my stock...If Manners had delivered it promptly, there would be no issue. Thats the bottom line. The gun smithing work is 95% done (other than bedding the action, which, requires the unavailable stock.

I will not disparage PE for something that isn't in their realm of control. I will chastise Manners for less than timely delivery.

I read the diatribe and frankly, it don't apply to my scenario, at all.

This thread is about Manners, not PE anyway. I'm elaborating on my experience with Manners as it pertains to my build, nothing more and it's not germane, nor is it proper to involve PE in something that concerns Manners and Manners alone.

 

[Jaxdialation]

And your issues with Manners in part are the result of a poorly planned build.
Since PE advertises that their actions are a drop in for R700 stocks, perhaps you should direct some of your diatribe at PE:

"Available in short and long actions, John Pierce's action duplicates the size and footprint of the Remington 700, but is manufactured with more precise tolerances and includes a side-mount bolt release."

"Designed to provide benchrest accuracy, the 1.350"-diameter Pierce Action has a drop-in compatibility with stocks inletted for the Remington 700."

I think your action choice is the main causative factor for your problems.

I understand your angst. I was worried about getting my build done in time to do load development (and practice time) with Berger VLDMH bullets for the first time. This was absolutely my biggest worry as well. I made deliberate decisions to maximize my probability of a successful timeline. You didn't.

This thread is about Manners, not PE anyway. I'm elaborating on my experience with Manners as it pertains to my build, nothing more and it's not germane, nor is it proper to involve PE in something that concerns Manners and Manners alone.

 

[SidecarFlip]

It's still Manners that has dicked PE around on delivering my stock, in fact, PE had to send my barreled action to Manners so that they could machine the cavity for the action, which I find interesting in itself. I don't know if it's ever arrived at PE, but I will on Thursday next week, I'm stopping in on my way to turkey hunting so I'll know whats transpiring at that point.

I purposely stuck with the Savage action because I like it., the issue all along has been Manner's inability to provide the correct stock in a timely manner. Nothing more and everything less.

All PE did was remove my stock barrel and chamber a Bartlien blank then clock it and thread it for a radial brake, no big undertaking, in fact, I could have done that in my own shop if I had the time. I don't.

The hangup is the stock, or should I say the lack of a stock and Manner's postulation.

I'm in business for myself and while It's not the firearm business, if I dicked around with any customer like I have been dicked with, I wouldn't be in business very long.

So, no, I'm not at all impressed with Manners, in fact, my next build will have a MacMillan stock.

 

[Lone Hunter]

That's kinda confusing to me. I ordered a stock from Manners and had it before they said I would get it. Why don't you call and ask to speak to Tom Manners. He has always been customer service friendly guy to me and several of my friends. Too the point when I called and pestered them that Tom was patient and answered all my questions. I guess it happens every now and then everywhere but call and ask to speak to Tom Manners. He is a stand up guy in my book and so are his products. Good Luck to You and I hope it all works out.

 

[extreme]

SOUNDS LIKE McMILLAN IS WHAT YOU WANT ANYWAY SO ORDER ONE BUT YOU MAY FIND LIKE OTHERS HAVE THAT SINCE ITS BEEN SOLD THINGS ARE NOT THE SAME.