wood blank to fully inletted stock

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brybenn

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southern ontario
I'd like to have a rifle built as I've decided to go a different route than another double rifle that I was saving for.
So I'm thinking I want a full stocked Mauser in 250 savage.
I love the look of new Zealand walnut. Is there a type of Walnut that's better for this type of stock? I want lots of grain and color and always seem to go back the the new Zealand blanks
Who in Canada is recommended for this type of stock work from blank to finished product. I'd like to have it completed within 3 years as of next March as that should easily fit in my budget.
Metal work should only be express rear sights and ramped front sight with ivory flip up bead installed and the finishing. I would like deep gloss bluing and case coloring of the action and other metal parts
Since my original plan was a new double rifle I've budgeted $100 per week for the next 2 years with a half year currently banked. I'm hoping to spend considerably less than that.
Could such a rifle be had for around less than 4 grand considering $1000 for a blank?
How do most stock makers charge? All up front or 50% deposit and the rest upon finishing?
How do I go about measurements? How do you measure things like grip opening and angles and thicknesses? Is it as simple as finding a factory stock I like and having it copied with a longer for end?
I realize ill spend way more than what it will be worth but I want some thing nice that was touched by craftsman and not available off the shelf

Any helpful tips or suggestions and experience is welcomed
 
You should reach out to some of the better known gunsmiths/gunmakers in Canada, they'll likely be able to answer everything you could ever want to know.

Stephen Milton, at Precision Arms in King City, Ralf Martini and Martin Hagn - both in BC, and the gunsmith at the Calgary Shooting Centre looks to some gorgeous work as well! They have a thread in their forum on some of the work he has completed. I'm sure there are others I'm missing, but all of those have a great reputation for very high quality work.

Have fun with the future build!
 
I found the CaliCo Hardwoods site a good reference for the types of available walnut. Been told by a stockmaker (now retired) that their stuff is cut pretty close, and takes some care getting it to fit on a duplicator, when doing that.
There is a nice list of stateside suppliers of wood slabs, on the MartiniHenry.com resources list. Actually a pretty good list of resources for about any gun project!

Worth having a good look around, as prices vary widely, as does the grade of wood. You can get anything you are willing to pay for, and more, or less.

Well worth shopping around. Not every guy that does decent metalwork is a decent wood worker, and vise-versa. Try to stick within the core expertise of the smith you choose. One example where that went wrong for a guy here on CGN, was a fellow that went to Martini and Hagn when they were still working together, and had them make him a Tactical type rifle. He wasn't happy with it, I am pretty sure the makers were not happy with it, and I sorta doubt I was the only one not really surprised by that.

Cheers
Trev
 
The smith at the Calgary Shooting Center has some impressive attention to detail on his stock work. If I wasn't able to do it myself, I would be discussing my project with that young man. Just my 5cents....
 
With walnut, terrior -- like with wine -- is a big deal. The primary varieties are English juglans regia (which I believe includes anything from Europe or New Zealand), Black juglans negra (American or North American), Claro and Bastogne which I believe are North American hybrids. There's also a Japanese variety of walnut if I recall, as well as figured maple.

You need to know what kind if finish you're after to know what kind of wood you're after. If you want English or classic Euro style gloss or semi-gloss finish like Westley Richards then you'll need English walnut that is basically yellow wood with black mineralization, like New Zealand stuff or Garry Flache, as well as someone who can reproduce the authentic finishes; they CAN'T be done with 'modern' materials; the whole 'eye of newt' joke line disguises real skill needed in blending finish.

If you want the Martin Hagn or American Guild look you want French or Circassian wood with modern tung or shaftol, Danish oil type finishes. If you want American bling kind of look, you want Bastogne, Claro, or good Black walnut done with a varnish type finish.

The finish must suit the wood. Linseed buries the figure in high tannin American walnuts. Likewise, varnish doesn't bring out the richness or contrast in lighter English and Circassion woods and looks flat.

The various 'looks' are precisely specific and need to be tuned to the stick being used.
 
Thanks for that info. I will use this rifle for hunting so I don't want a high gloss on the wood. The barrel will give off enough shine I'm sure. I really like the look of the oil finish used on AyA number 1 and 2 sxs guns.
 
Gotcha. So if you want that look, you want dull oil finish on French or Turkish walnut as for whatever reason those forests produce that color. I think most wood of this type is coming out of Turkey right now with a far amount from the Baltics and Ex Soviet -stans. The red color in this wood is in the wood itself.
 
bb........For a full stock rifle (which I love by the way) you have to be careful with your grain. Now recoil isn't going to be a factor with the 250 but you need a nice straight grain through the fore end, flowing slightly from bottom to top. You can have all the figure you want in the butt, however the fore stock must be relatively plain and straight if you want this rifle to hold POI.
You may be able to get this rifle for your mentioned budget but I sincerely doubt it. The stock alone will likely cost you more than that, mine on my Sako Safari did with no metal work at all, and it ain't a full stock.
Case coloring is best done by Oskar Cobb and he's somewhere down there, I can get his number for you if you can't find him, we have several mutual friends. I know Ralf Martini and he lives just a couple hours from me, he is certainly capable of such work but I'm fairly certain you're gonna be looking at 10K for Ralf to do this for you.
As far as stock fitting it's best if you have a stock that really fits you the way you like and can supply it to the stock maker. Most will pantograph from this sample and then finish how you like from there. You also need to consider what style and coverage you want for the checkering and be very specific of where exactly you want it on the fore stock. A 1/2" forward or back makes a big difference in appearance and especially so on a full stock. There is full cut pointed checkering, and there is flat top European style, then there is pattern. Simple point pattern, swirly like the model 70 featherweight, fleur-dis-le insets, arrow head insets, full wrap over the pistol grip or two panel, how wide a ribbon between the panels, full wrap on the fore stock or ribboned or 3 panel, 2 ribbons...........etc. Do you want a cheek piece and what style European panel, American tear drop, shadow line..........
On the metal work are you going to have dual set triggers, floor plate, blind or detachable magazine. If you are going floorplate, do want button release, lever release, inside trigger bow release. What shape do you want the trigger bow, what style floorplate, standard Mauser, Oberndorf, or any number of variations. Do you want your scope mounts integral with your bridges or screw on ones. Do you want the dual set triggers like I mentioned above with a Mauser low swing safety or 3 position safety like the mod 70 or a single aftermarket trigger with a side safety.
Barrel length to depth of stock is also a crucial esthetic issue, too short with a deep stock and they look clubby, too long with a relatively shallow stock and they look spindly and fragile, it only takes an inch or so to change the entire aesthetics of the rifle. Most full stock rifles have an extremely light barrel to offset the extra wood so they balance correctly and as such can be somewhat difficult to get MOA groups from.
Another stock build you might consider is a 3 slab laminate, not like my Rems or Boyds, but it is made up from all the same wood and only has 3 slabs to it. It makes the stock very stable and you can't even see the joints if it is done well. The center slab is still the same colored walnut, but is laminated at a different angle to the exterior slabs giving extreme strength and stability to the stock and will maintain POI indefinitely. Just a thought for you.
It's best to have all this thought out before you engage a smith to do the work, because it is vastly more expensive to change things once the work has begun.

bb........Just thought I would give you some things to think about so you consider all options before going ahead, maybe you already have and all this is redundant..........Just be very certain your smith and stock maker are on the same page as you, or you will have spent a sh!t load of money for something that is not exactly what you wanted. Have fun with it and good luck. If I can be any help don't hesitate to contact me, I know a great many people in this industry.
 
Thanks. You added a few more things to think about. I'd like to pattern it similar to my 458 wm which is cut very similar to the Parker Hale deluxe stock but extend the fore end to a full stock. It fits perfectly. My 458 is a interarms mark X action and that's Ok with me. I see TradeEx had several actions. I wasn't planning on going extravagant with the metal work or action. A 98 pattern works for me. May have the floor plate engraved. I'd like a single trigger and 3 piece safety. Basically a pretty version of a working gun is what I'd like. I admit it's more involved than picking a caliber and barrel and slapping it on a savage lol
I have Oscar kob number. He does beautiful work
I don't think I want checkering on the fore end. I would like a rolled over monty carlo type comb and cheek rise. Not sure about butt pad. I wanted a case colored metal but i've been looking online at full stocked stocks and the rubber black pad looks good to
A thin barrel is ok because it won't be shot often. As long as the first shot is going where I want it I'm happy. I've killed the 4 biggest bucks of my life with a rifle that almost patterns at 100 yards (3" 3 shot group) but it fits nice and the cross hairs come up on what ever I look at. This 250 will be Mainly used for those nice days i just want to get out and sit in the bush and blow a few predator calls and hope a hungry coyote shows up. I've got my savage rifles for serious hunting and crappy weather.
I may ask the guy who made the stock for my 458 if he will come out of retirement and make another. Best part is he's local and a perfectionist.

I'll have to try to handle some full stocked guns to see what I like regarding the depth. You made me think so I went to my gun room and looked at every rifle I have. Seems 50/50 barrel depth looks best of what I have.

I'm still trying to weigh out cost factors. A Bailey Bradshaw small bore double is 9-10 grand usd and a 450/400 double will run me about 12-15 grand. Trying to decide if i should wait a couple years and get the double or start this project
 
If you want a roll over Monte Carlo cheek piece on a working rifle with a mark-x action you could save a boat load of cash and just get one of those zastava full stocks tarted up a bit by a good gunsmith.
 
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