Gentlemen,
Our offering in far from a "jury-rig". I've had my share of experience. I worked for Hogue for 10 years in R&D. Then Knoxx Industries for 5 more. I've been in the industry for over 20 years now. I've designed countless successful products for many different manufacturers. My Knoxx Axiom design received the NRA Golden Bullseye Product accessory of the year award. I'm a shooter at heart, and design everything how I would want it for my own weapon. I stand behind my designs and hope you will enjoy the new Mosin stock.
The magazine was designed by me specifically to work correctly with the 7.62x54R. And work it does. When I was first thinking about developing a stock for the Mosin, I was not enthused. Once I figured out how to make a detachable magazine work well, I got excited about the project and poured everything I could into the design to make it a robust, reliable, performer.
However, I didn't get on this forum to blow my horn or defend my designs. I read your title "Friendliest gun forum on the internet" and decided to try you out. Please try the stock out before you decide it's "unworthy". Feedback from everyone who has handled it has been positive. The only negatives I've heard have been from traditionalists who cringe at anything less than original wood. I understand this mentality, but also recognize the strength and design capabilities of modern materials. Our materials are top-notch. We don't skimp on material. Above, someone says one of our stocks is flimsy. Which stock is being referred to as "flimsy"? We don't make a flimsy stock that I've ever been aware of (and I designed and approved them all). Check out any of the hundreds of reviews of our stocks on YouTube. You will not one referring to our materials as cheap or flimsy. When assembled, they feel solid and of high quality. If you compare our products to others in the industry (Hogue, Blackhawk, Tapco, Ati, and others that are made of polymer) I can assure you that our designs and materials are some of the most stout and resilient on the market.
I initially came on here to answer some of your questions and toss some ideas around to you guys.
So... I'll simply state that the new stock weighs 8 oz. more than the original wood. Most of that weight is in the buttstock adjusting mechanisms. It balances the weapon well. I sincerely hope you like the new stocks as much as I do when they become available. We are shooting for Mid-March release. We are waiting on some hardware, packaging, and instruction production. We will be posting some videos soon of the Mosin Nagant in action. MSRP has been set at $199.95 for the stock with one 5 round magazine, but you will likely see them sell for around $165 at retailers and online outlets. Additional 10 round magazines have an MSRP of $19.95. 5 rounders will run $14.95. The stocks are slated to be available in Black, OD green, and Desert Tan.
Best Regards,
Mike Ballard
Director of R&D
Archangel Manufacturing
a Division of ProMag