Hi Folks, has anyone made their own rifle stock?
I still need to restart work in my own 303 stock, and I am considering paying someone to do the basic inletting.
It is just to much work if you have any other life to live. Unless you have all the tools you will likely just find it becoming a chore.
If you wish do do this, do it with the idea of it being finished one day, perhaps not this year, that way it becomes a labour of love and not a monkey on your back.
I've never made a stock from scratch but have done very extensive repair, refurbishment and refinishing on quite a few.
If I was to decide to do one from scratch I would most likely look to buy a roughed out one from a stock maker straight off their duplicator as the material removal part is the bit that puts me off. Finish inletting, checkering and hand finishig are all quite relaxing passtimes by comparison.
From personal experience, pay someone else. If you do not have the correct tools for the inletting or know exactly what you want, it gets expensive very quickly.
Finishing it off is another matter. That can be rewarding in itself.
If I was OK with the profile and felt the need to DIY I'd start with something the like this:
https://classicarms.co.za/product/084b-a12-001-un-inletted-walnut-rifle-stock/
If the action was a k98 i'd jump on this one:
https://classicarms.co.za/product/084b-a12-002-fajen-m98-mauser-semi-inletted-stock-new/
I have not watched this video. Maybe it will inspire or make you decide to let someone else do it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYLSL8wm0M