Making a gunstock

Mr. 16 gauge · Jul 2, 2015

Has anyone here made their own gun stocks? I have a nice piece of walnut blank that has just been sitting in the corner of the basement for the past 20+ years, and since I just found out that I will be spending even more time "on call" for the hospital

, I figure it might make a decent project to fritter away the hours.....

So....I'm looking for recommendations for books/websites that will give me some basic "step-by-step" directions on how to accomplish this.
I have done some stock refinishing work in the past; mostly shotguns, but here is a .22 rimfire that I did...I sanded down the stained birch stock, left the original color, sanded off the branded oak leaves and squirrels, and attempted to do some checkering (some of it turned out o.k., some didnt

).
Before:

and after:

Anyways, thanks in advance for any help you can give me................

brushmore · Jul 2, 2015

I've sort of done this before. When I was in high school I built a muzzleloader from a kit. It had a blank that was close to the final shape. I learned to do this in a class and there some guys just started form hunks of wood which was very cool. I just remember it took them a very long time.

Larry Potterfield form Midway USA has some pretty good how to videos for this type of thing. I am sure there are plenty of things like this on YouTube to help you.

I've done the stock refinishing as well. I never tried checkering but I have refinished and rebelled a few things. I redid my grandfathers 16 gauge Stevens 311:

Mr. 16 gauge · Jul 2, 2015

Nice job on that 311, Brushmore! What a coincidence......I did the stock on a 311 as well, only it was a 20 gauge; someone had painted it an ugly brown color, so I sanded it down and refinished it, leaving the wood in it's natural state (birch).

Rob404 · Jul 2, 2015

I Re-finish a lot of my own gunstock projects, Savage uses a lot of birch and it's tough to get them to look decent, I also buy stocks from Boyds un finished and stain/dye them then either I use Polyurathane or Boiled linseed oil to get the desired look I want.. I'd like to learn how to do checkering somewhere in the future

nztimb · Jul 2, 2015

I have made all my stocks (and a few for others) from the blank and it is a very satisfying thing to do
Have been doing lot (at least 8 so far) Lee Speeds, 4 Martini's, quite a few Mausers, one mini mauser, 2 remingtons, a Howa and a couple of rimfires.
Checkering is something I am just dipping my toes in the water with though.
A few words of advise are to learn to sharpen your tools, have a movable light, and an air hose is handy as well. I have a swivel vise and a movable stand and that has made things easier again.
As well as the general run of chsels I have a coule of scrapers made from files that I have ground the teeth off, heated enough to bend and sharpened. They make a very good tool for scraping in the mag well etc but files and fine rasps are equally handy.
I made my own barrel channel tools and they have made this part much simpler to accomplish.
This is the file scraper opening out the rough cut for a Lee Speed

nztimb · Jul 2, 2015

For the barrel channel I had used a few barrel pieces with the cut end stoned sharp as push scrapers but made some pull scrapers as well. Cut some 3/4" pieces of the various sized barrels

If necessary drill them out to take a 1/4 dia bolt

Two nuts for each bolt but I ground the rear one to as small a dia as would still hold the scraper so it wouldn't interfere the channel. Cut some lengths of dowel for handles, cut the heads off the bolts and mmake a couple of hacksaw cuts that you can spread a bit to hold into the handle

Put them together and make a bend on the shaft so it gives a better angle for scraping

They work very well indeed

nztimb · Jul 2, 2015

A smoker is a good aid for inletting and I use the wick mechanism from a simple kero lantern. The mechanism is easily removed and a small tin with a couple of tabs riveted on makes a dandy holder. The good thing is that it takes just a few seconds to have ot back in use as a lantern

bluey · Jul 2, 2015

l'd love to have the time, patience and skill , to do something as rewarding as making my own stocks ,from scratch, von groff...
could you possibly put up a few pictures of the finished product?
thanks in advance

nztimb · Jul 2, 2015

Before for the 404 Jeffery

and after

Before for the 7x57

and after

Before for the 577-450 Martini

and after

And I needed a carrying case for it as well because of its length

bluey · Jul 2, 2015

sensational , thanks ,mate......

nztimb · Jul 2, 2015

Before for the Martini Enfield 303 carbine

and after

Before for my 303 Lee Speed

and after

Before for my 400 Lee Speed

and after

nztimb · Jul 3, 2015

before for a Howa (for a very tall shooter who needed the monty carlo to get the vbutt on his shoulder)

and after

Before for my 6.5 Grendel Max (my own wildcat) This was a laminated blank I made so the outside laminates would not be cut through with the shaping. I shaped the centre 15mm core and laminated the 6mm laminates outside that

re-did the bolt handle on the mini mauser

and after

dory · Jul 3, 2015

Something i always wanted to do but never found the time as i have a couple of old favourites with stuffed stocks .
You have done a sensational job Von Gruff , well done .

stug · Jul 3, 2015

Beautiful work Von Gruff!!

CTDolan · Jul 3, 2015

Best book on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Professional-Stockmaking-Through-Eyes-Stockmaker/dp/1879356155

Not inexpensive, but worth every penny.

CTDolan · Jul 3, 2015

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/287366/professional-stockmaking-book-by-david-l-wesbrook

BRICKBURN · Jul 3, 2015

It was mesmerizing to watch the Rigby Gunsmith at SCI checkering the fore end of a rifle stock.

Hope you can whittle away the hours on hold.

Rob404 · Jul 3, 2015

Way beyond my level of expertise,,beautiful work thanks for sharing

Mr. 16 gauge · Jul 3, 2015

Von Gruff;
Your work is truly awe ispiring!

Redruff · Jul 3, 2015

Simply amazing work. It must be quite the feeling to put together something that looks so nice with your own hands. You have great skill sir! R.

Making a gunstock

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