Wood stock rifles

[Russ16]

I agree with that. I bet a significant contributing factor to this diminished interest is the type of entertainment that is prevalent. if we had more movies about big game hunters and other interesting historical figures, I think that the interesting and traditional rifles would correspondingly increase. Case in point, the TV show Yellowstone has apparently significantly increased sales at RRL and Filson, and the John Wick movies have increased the interest in double stack 2011 pistols

Don’t forget video games. A lot those in their 20s and 30s grew up on shooter video games and the guns on the covers of gun magazines now look at lot like the ones in the games.

 

[Challer]

My shotgun is black plastic. I hunt hard and walnut is just not practical. Went through two walnut stocks on my 870 goose gun before finally throwing in the towel and switching to plastic. Then my eyes went to hell and I switched to an A5 to mitigate recoil. That gun also destroyed wood on both ends due to two design flaws. So it also now wears indestructable plastic. I don't like it but is what it is. My rifles wear walnut. I also hunt hard with them but these days usually only a couple days a year (sometimes only a couple of hours to get my deer).

Most North American guns ceased to be made by artisans a long time ago. Plastic stocks fit well with assembly line mass production. They don't warp or break and no hidden blemishes to worry about. Nothing like getting an expensive beautifully figured walnut blank half carved into a stock and suddenly finding a crack, knot, or rotten spot. Plastic stock comes out of the mold and it's ready to slap on the receiver. No fitting by hand. Any half-wit who can hold a screwdriver can do it.

Plastic does crack and warp and have flaws depending on the plastic and the design. Worse it tends to flex. Half wits are the doing the job for a lessor result. These are generally solely because they are cheap. There are also fine examples of very high qualify plastic stocks such as McMillan. They definitely can't be handled by a nitwit.

I'm impressed you wore out two walnut stocks. I've never heard of such a thing. Me, I take my Rizzini and Fausti and Berettas in the field, the bush, the blind without concern. A periodic coat of oil makes them like new.

 

[BigKev15]

Different tools for different applications !!! If wood sticks were the " latest and greatest" then every single military sniper rifle would have a wooden stocked. Good bad or indifferent we've moved into the modern era where technology surpasses the past ideals. Function over form !!

 

[Rosch]

All my hunting guns are wood stocked. But you wouldn’t believe that going into any gun store. A combination of things are at work

Americans are hooked on camo.
Plastic is much cheaper to make and we certainly are addicted to cheap
Many people are afraid to “mess up” a fine walnut stock so demand is low

I was riding the same horse, nooooothing but real walnut,
Yeah, but then I met this Hogue Overmolded and was hooked immidiatly!
In my opinion the practical preferences beat the „tasty“ ones by worlds!
In Africa, for example, the european hunters were suffering accuracy problems with their brought guns! Sometimes heavy! Took some time to realise, that the walnut wooden gunstocks sort of warped due to 35% humidity in africas dry air instead of 70% oversea level and changed so the parameters for accuracy! I even witnessed gun stocks building cracks because of that dryness! Also a mysterie when screws get loose or even fall out!
Carrying a walnut stocked gun all day long in the sun, can make changes to the point of impact! Not what You really want when BG is on menu!
Then gun and hunting car: This combi is a real heart braker, makes in seconds a work gun out of a dream gun! One pig hole and walnut beauty adieu! No prop for plastik.
I think one has to decide, what‘s the plan: Looking at or using it!
I‘m on the users side!

 

[KJE81]

I think my affinity for blued steel and wooden stocks comes from learning to hunt with dad and grandad, all their rifles and shotguns were classical when it comes to the metal/wood.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Plastic does crack and warp and have flaws depending on the plastic and the design. Worse it tends to flex. Half wits are the doing the job for a lessor result. These are generally solely because they are cheap. There are also fine examples of very high qualify plastic stocks such as McMillan. They definitely can't be handled by a nitwit.

I'm impressed you wore out two walnut stocks. I've never heard of such a thing. Me, I take my Rizzini and Fausti and Berettas in the field, the bush, the blind without concern. A periodic coat of oil makes them like new.

I suspect not the best quality walnut on my 870 magnum. That gun took a beating over the years.

The old Browning A5 had two design flaws that were hard on wood. The stock is held on with a tang screw. The A5's long recoil action means it has recoil back and then forward. Consequently that tang screw through the weakest part of the stock, the wrist, is being shoved back and forward with every shot. Eventually the tang screw hole through the wrist starts to dilate. Then the stock becomes loose, hole gets bigger, and stock cracks through the wrist. On the other end, the barrel slides back and forth to cycle shells. It is guided by a barrel ring around the magazine tube. The flaw here is the ring bottoms against wood when it returns to fire position during cycling. Eventually, the ring constantly hammering against the fore end wood causes it to also crack.

I don't worry much about a plastic shotgun stock flexing. They are not designed to be thousand yard tack drivers.

 

[Papa72]

I was riding the same horse, nooooothing but real walnut,
Yeah, but then I met this Hogue Overmolded and was hooked immidiatly!
In my opinion the practical preferences beat the „tasty“ ones by worlds!
In Africa, for example, the european hunters were suffering accuracy problems with their brought guns! Sometimes heavy! Took some time to realise, that the walnut wooden gunstocks sort of warped due to 35% humidity in africas dry air instead of 70% oversea level and changed so the parameters for accuracy! I even witnessed gun stocks building cracks because of that dryness! Also a mysterie when screws get loose or even fall out!
Carrying a walnut stocked gun all day long in the sun, can make changes to the point of impact! Not what You really want when BG is on menu!
Then gun and hunting car: This combi is a real heart braker, makes in seconds a work gun out of a dream gun! One pig hole and walnut beauty adieu! No prop for plastik.
I think one has to decide, what‘s the plan: Looking at or using it!
I‘m on the users side!

+1. Not that laminated wood is perfect, but does seem to be a slight advantage over walnut in that environment in lieu of composite.

 

[Russ16]

I suspect not the best quality walnut on my 870 magnum. That gun took a beating over the years.
View attachment 656452
The old Browning A5 had two design flaws that were hard on wood. The stock is held on with a tang screw. The A5's long recoil action means it has recoil back and then forward. Consequently that tang screw through the weakest part of the stock, the wrist, is being shoved back and forward with every shot. Eventually the tang screw hole through the wrist starts to dilate. Then the stock becomes loose, hole gets bigger, and stock cracks through the wrist. On the other end, the barrel slides back and forth to cycle shells. It is guided by a barrel ring around the magazine tube. The flaw here is the ring bottoms against wood when it returns to fire position during cycling. Eventually, the ring constantly hammering against the fore end wood causes it to also crack.
View attachment 656453
I don't worry much about a plastic shotgun stock flexing. They are not designed to be thousand yard tack drivers.

I’m with you on my waterfowl guns. I’ve had mine completely submerged and used the butt of my Benelli to break ice on more than one occasion. I wouldn’t do that with a wood stock.

 

[Aaron N]

My shotgun is black plastic. I hunt hard and walnut is just not practical. Went through two walnut stocks on my 870 goose gun before finally throwing in the towel and switching to plastic. Then my eyes went to hell and I switched to an A5 to mitigate recoil. That gun also destroyed wood on both ends due to two design flaws. So it also now wears indestructable plastic. I don't like it but is what it is. My rifles wear walnut. I also hunt hard with them but these days usually only a couple days a year (sometimes only a couple of hours to get my deer).

Most North American guns ceased to be made by artisans a long time ago. Plastic stocks fit well with assembly line mass production. They don't warp or break and no hidden blemishes to worry about. Nothing like getting an expensive beautifully figured walnut blank half carved into a stock and suddenly finding a crack, knot, or rotten spot. Plastic stock comes out of the mold and it's ready to slap on the receiver. No fitting by hand. Any half-wit who can hold a screwdriver can do it.

Capitalism at it’s finest!

 

[cajunchefray]

I think my affinity for blued steel and wooden stocks comes from learning to hunt with dad and grandad, all their rifles and shotguns were classical when it comes to the metal/wood.

I completely agree. I have my Dad's Remington Model 11 that he refinished, his Remington 550 in 22 LR, and my grandfather's Reminton 870, first year. The classic wood and blued steel run and rifle is my choice.

That's why I shop the small town, pawn shops in the southern USA. Many times, folks are selling old grandad's guns. Sometimes incredible finds are available.
I always keep a bottle of tung oil, to keep these going.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I feel like something of a hypocrite on this. If you ask me I will tell you absolutely: a nice wood stock on a blued rifle. And I have many that fit that description. I particularly like older lever action rifles and that's probably a part of it. But I will also cop to the following:

• I like the laminated stock on my stainless Marlin XLR in .338 Marlin.
• I have some rifles that almost never get to go afield, like my Remington 141.
• I just pulled the walnut on a Remington Model 70 and put it in a synthetic stock.

In my defense I will blame where I live: rural SW Alaska, which can be brutal on firearms. That 141, for example? I truly hope to hunt and kill something with it someday. But it might have to happen someplace else. I can't get myself to seriously consider taking it up river to moose camp for a week.

For the purposes of this thread: abso-freaking-lutely: wood and blued is where it's at. Count me in.

 

[Dukeisok]

The same reason modern US cars have ridiculously high warranty return rates. I think Cory Doctorow refers to it as "enshitification". Our world is becoming more disposable, at enormous economic and environmental cost. Consumerism has driven costs down but in exchange, we get the junk we as a population are willing to pay for.

My grandfather owned maybe three firearms, all blued and walnut, all older than him. They lasted his lifetime and, had they not been stolen, I'm sure would have lasted many more.

But, the market drives prices, and it's harder to make maximum profit when your company's walnut-stocked beauty is standing next to a dozen push feed tupperware rifles with sub m.o.a guarantees on the shelf.

I suspect the membership of this site will largely feel the same as I, but I value the craftsmanship of the walnut crf enough to choose them when I can. I even bought a left hand Zastava in 6.5x55 for my 6 year old to use when he is old enough, but on that one I'll probably put him in an adjustable laminate stock until he fully grows.

While I agree with all your feelings towards wood and blued steel, I also feel that if the next generation finds plastic and camo attractive, support them. We need every new or young hunter to stay the course and help carry on the tradition of shooting and hunting we all love. Don’t dissuade them. Encourage them. And show them the beauty and serviceability of wood and hope they come to our side eventually.

Agree.

My daughter loves her deer rifle- a suppressed 6.5 Grendel Howa 1500 in a pink Boyds at one stock. Not my style but it is most assuredly, hers.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Nothing like a wood stocked, blued steel rifle with an eight inch long, two inch diameter can hanging off the end.

 

[Russ16]

Nothing like a wood stocked, blued steel rifle with an eight inch long, two inch diameter can hanging off the end.

LOL!

I’m in the shrinking group of people that can’t stand those either.

 

[MS 9x56]

What about some synthetic stocks that appear like wood? There have been a few synthetics that have appeared wood like made in the past but I imagine producing a synthetic stock that appears like high end walnut wouldn’t be cheap or wouldn’t be desirable to the new generation.

I won this Ruger American in 30-06 on a raffle card it came with the standard black Tupperware stock. It shot so well I decided to keep it but couldn’t abide the black stock so I took it to a shop and had it hydro-dipped in a burlwood pattern. The results were amazing to say the least and at that time was under $100.

 

[MS 9x56]

Black plastic has been indoctrinated into the younger generations in their video games.

 

[clockwork_7mm_gator]

I think if folks realized how simple it is to refinish a walnut stock, they'd worry less about hunting them hard. Plus, the dings and dents are the stuff of stories...

 

[Hogpatrol]

Black plastic has been indoctrinated into the younger generations in their video games.

Goes back to 1960's and through Vietnam. The WW2 guys used wood stocked rifles and carried that in to hunting with sporterized Springfields, Enfields and Mausers. I remember my grandfather, father and uncles all using wood stocked hunting rifles. At the time, there' wasn't any competing stock material. You used a one size fits all Remington, Winchester, Savage or a military rifle. Competition now is fully adjustable composite stocks that can be adjusted to fit. As the market gets smaller, I believe wood and blued steel has seen it's day and will fade from mass produced firearms.

 

[ftrovato]

I have a few of what I call 'Meat Stick Guns'. Two rifles & one waterfowl shotgun. They/fiberglass serve a practical purpose when water & snow are involved.
But for me, a walnut stocked rifle or shotgun is like a beautiful woman. I want to look at it, I want to hold it, I want to make memories with it.... Just me....

 

[CBeck]

We’ve been sold a bill of goods from the manufacturers and their marketing teams….all weather and indestructible and accurate. What it is, is profitability and keeping costs lower for consumers. Mass produced synthetic stocks are simply cheaper to manufacture….

I spent months on gunbroker looking for just the right wood stocked Ruger African .375 until I found one that had “nice wood” for a factory rifle….just took delivery last week. I have another Hawkeye African in 280AI that the walnut has the character of synthetic….didn't get a choice in that one.

I have one synthetic beretta for ducks and I can’t help but love my boat paddle stainless Ruger m77 .280. There is something to be said about not worrying about scratches, dents, dings and water…..but they will never take the place and charm of a wood stock blued rifle.