I'm so glad this thread popped up. Here I'm thinking laminates are 'fool-proof'. No warping. No breakage. Just a tough, stable stock that has the feel of wood. But apparently that's not so. I just read this article (
https://gundigest.com/gear-ammo/accessories/laying-the-wood-the-story-of-laminate-stocks) recently and here is an excerpt:
"After coloring (the veneers), all that remains is for the veneers to be run through rollers, which deposit a proprietary epoxy to each side, then stacked by hand in the desired color combination. From there they are placed in a gigantic, multi-layer hydraulic press with heated platens that accommodate 20 blanks at a time. The stacks are compressed under 20 tons of pressure, while the heated platens speed the curing of the epoxy."
"The Laminate Advantage
As touched upon earlier, laminated stocks are not only highly distinctive and colorful, but are far stronger and more stable than one-piece stocks. You can, for example, take a wood chisel, orient it parallel with the layering of the veneers, and whack it all you want with a hammer; the stock will not split along a seam. I've also seen a laminated stock that was turned and treated by Boyds with its standard stock finish, submerged in a swimming pool for 5 days, after which there was no measurable swelling or warping."
Now I read all that and think, "There is a major disconnect somewhere." Perhaps the stock making process has changed? Or the supplier of these laminated stocks has changed and the end result is less stable and strong? Or perhaps too many gun writers have been drinking from the 'marketing' kool-aid and not paying attention to what is happening out in the real world?
I don't know what the issue is, but this post has convinced me to pillar my .270 Win in a Boyds laminated stock. I was just going to glass bed it, but now...
