Study Unit Gun Stocks

Study Unit

Gun Stocks

By Dale Storey

About the Author

Dale Storey is a graduate of the Colorado School of Trades and Montana State University. He runs DGS Inc., a full-time professional gun shop in Casper, Wyoming, where he offers quality gunsmithing and gun making. Mr. Storey's 25 years of experience in general repair and custom firearms represent skill, practical knowledge, and top craftsmanship. He offers careful handwork backed by professional grade machinery to ensure sound general gun repairs, as well as accurate custom rifles. Many major arms publications have featured his custom work, along with articles explaining his craft.

In this study unit we'll concentrate on gun stocks. From selecting a quality blank to applying the final finish, you'll learn the process of building a custom gun stock.

When you complete this study unit, you'll be able to

? Identify various gun stock designs and styles ? Recognize quality in a wood blank selected for a custom

gun stock ? Develop a design plan for building a custom gun stock ? Explain stock bedding techniques ? Summarize the process of inletting a barreled action into a

gun stock ? Explain how to finish or refinish a gun stock

Contents

STOCK DESIGN AND STOCK STYLE

1

Types of Gun Stocks

1

Stock Styles

6

Designing a Custom Stock

15

GUN STOCK WOODS AND SYNTHETICS

26

Wood Grain

26

Walnut Woods

28

English Walnut

28

Claro Walnut

28

Other Woods

30

Exotic Woods

32

The Laminated Stock

33

Synthetics

34

Stock Bedding

36

MAKING A GUN STOCK FROM A PLANK

44

The Tools

45

Other Tools

47

The Particulars of Stock Making

48

INLETTING THE BARRELED ACTION

65

Using Inletting Black

65

Cutting the Mortise

72

Assembling the Rifle

74

Fitting Attachments to the Blank

75

Stock Shaping

77

Recoil Pad

83

Staining

85

Stock Finishing

85

ADDITIONAL STOCK WORK

92

The Semi-inletted Stock

92

Stock Refinishing

95

Removing Old Finish

96

Making Repairs

96

SELF-CHECK ANSWERS

101

EXAMINATION

105

v

Gun Stocks

STOCK DESIGN AND STOCK STYLE

Types of Gun Stocks

A gunsmith requires a basic understanding of stock function prior to becoming a stock maker. A rifle stock, in function, is nothing more than a segment of wood, fiberglass, plastic, or other material shaped to support the rifle's barrel and action. It also functions to conform to the shooter's body so the shooter can control the firearm. That's the mechanical side of it. However, arms lovers the world over consider a stock much more than a mechanical device. They think of a gun stock as a work of art and function (Figure 1). As a prospective gunsmith, we hope this is your position.

FIGURE 1--Notice the attractive oak-leaf pattern on this Bishop-III stock. (Photo courtesy of Reinhart Fajen, Inc.)

Stocks can be built in a multitude of styles with a stock shape to fit everyone. Even factory rifles come in a wide variety of stock styles. Factory stocks, incidentally, have come a long way and can be considered quite good today, although certainly not in the realm of a custom-made stock. Figure 2 shows a gun stock labeled with its proper nomenclature.

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