Homemade wooden stocks

W

whammy

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Hey Guys,
I think this is the right spot for this, but if not feel free to move it.

Was wondering if anyone here has made their own wooden stocks for their rifles, If so could you post some pictures, and some general ideas for what kind of wood is good, and the tools you used.
Thanks!
 
I don't know who made it but the stock on this 22 is handmade out of maple.

belguim018copy.jpg
 
Yes, if you're a little handy with woodworking tools it's fun to make your own stocks. Here are a few I wittled out of walnut using basic handtools, i.e. chisels, plane and rasps as well as a router:

M38_sporter_right_side.jpg


M38 Swedish Mauser

1917_Enfield_sporter.jpg


1917 Enfield

243_Mauser.jpg


K98 Mauser
 
whammy said:
Those are uite beatiful! Did you use plans, or did you just go with it?
Click to expand...

I used some commercial stocks as a guide and then modified where I thought I could improve for my fit. But yes, basically eyeballing it. The rough inletting was done by router using router templates I made myself. The final inletting was done with chisels, rasps and sandpaper. All actions were bedded using Acraglass. These days, there are good epoxies which are just as good. The finish is a hand-rubbed Tru-oil.

Here's the tang detail of the 1917 Enfield:

1917EnfieldSafety.jpg
 
Last edited:
I have done several. Two out of walnut, one out of maple, and another out of mystery wood that I am just in the process of finishing. I'm painting this one white with brass butt-plate, grip cap, bottom metal and trigger guard. If you are gonna try one yourself, I would strongly recommend walnut rather than maple because walnut is much easier to work with and is easier to finish. Better looking , too.
 
AWESOME work RifleDude!!
I am starting out with a semi-inletted stock....hope it turns out half as nice as your homebuilts!!!
Have you got some close-ups of the Mauser? That is what I am going to start right away.

Thanks, LeRoy.
 
That detail around the tang is excellent work,congrats.I've done a couple of semis. The woodworking tools can be found at Lee Valley.I'm fond of a Nickolson(sp) #50 wood rasp and sharp spokeshave.I have used Lee Valley's little spoon scraper a lot,too.
 
Great job RifleDude :cool:

Here is one I made - not nearly as nice but a bit different ;). Still need a few final touches. Probably would have been better if I used any decent tools, but overall it turned out allright. Used a hand saw, wood rasp and jig saw :D

100_4394.jpg
 
bruno said:
will any wood work?, or does it have to be a hard heavy wood?
Click to expand...

No, not all hardwoods work. Some, like cherry wood can work but are so hard that it is very difficult to work. Others, like oak, are too brittle and will splinter too easily. Maple and beech are ok too. There are other, more exotic woods that can be used but are hard to find or have their own problem areas. BTW, technically, balsa is a hardwood but I wouldn't recommend it as a stock wood :rolleyes:

Walnut has the right density, ease of working with, and grain figure to make it the ideal stockwood IMHO.
 
RifleDude said:
No, not all hardwoods work. Some, like cherry wood can work but are so hard that it is very difficult to work. Others, like oak, are too brittle and will splinter too easily. Maple and beech are ok too. There are other, more exotic woods that can be used but are hard to find or have their own problem areas. BTW, technically, balsa is a hardwood but I wouldn't recommend it as a stock wood :rolleyes:

Walnut has the right density, ease of working with, and grain figure to make it the ideal stockwood IMHO.
Click to expand...

Yes, oak's grain is typically rather open and beautiful for furniture but would crack from use as a rifle stock.

Where is the resident wood doctor?
 
stocks

whammy
Walnut is the best choice as a newbie as it is consistant to work and most shaping can be done with very basic (sharp)tools.
Here are some pics of a couple of shotguns that I have stocked in the past year.
stocks007.jpg

stocks010.jpg

stocks002.jpg

stocks005.jpg

stocks006.jpg

The checkering is tedious work but seems to be needed to look finished, overall I find it to be very rewarding. Feel free to pm me if you get stuck or are looking for a tip.
regards
 
Striker said:
I don't know who made it but the stock on this 22 is handmade out of maple.

belguim018copy.jpg
Click to expand...

Man, thats beautiful. It even caught my wife's eye- she said it was gorgeous wood and great design, and she doesn't normally notice firearms. Not mine, anyway... which may be a good thing, come to think of it... ;)
 
Not to hijack the thread, but any advice on patching cracks in wooden furniture? Feel free to post links to former threads dealing with this.

Sincere thanks.
 
I have a question

How are you guys doing the Inletting ?
I was thinking of a project and was thinking it might be a good idea to inlet first then "shape" out the stock
 
Yes ,do all your inlaying first.Then start the shaping.I have came to the point that I'm going to build a stock duplicator for myself.Build a cheapy machine 300 or nice one 1000. Try as many books on stock making as you can and try a cheap piece a wood to practice on .good luck
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom