DIY rifle stock, right hand rifle left hand shooter

[Decker9]

Always liked the look of a cheek piece, but I shoot left handed and never could get comfortable with a left handed rifle. Figured I’d try building a stock for my right handed Brno .22, but with a left handed cheek piece. Luckily, when my grandad passed away many years ago, he left behind this piece of walnut, im guessing he knew I’d like to try a hand at stock making one day.

Anyone else into building rifle stocks? This was my first from a raw blank, needless to say it kinda got me hooked. It’s a pretty cool feeling packing and using a rifle you’ve had a hand in making.

 

[Decker9]

Since I was learning, I figured I’d throw a bit of cast into it. Can’t say Iv shouldered a rifle quite as comfortable as this.



Always liked the schnabel’s too



I find a knife worked wonders for transitions



Ready for finish

 

[Decker9]

A couple go overs with wet sanding, then another 7 coats of hand rubbed tung oil.



It does pretty well at 100 yards over a bench.


And has fed us a few times this season.

 

[joshdidthis]

Wow lots of talent there! Good work looks great

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[Bouldar]

That looks great. You did an awesome job.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I am impressed. Great job!

 

[rashtack]

That looks great! How much woodworking experience did you have prior to this?

 

[ETtikka]

That is beautiful, awesome work with a pretty piece of walnut!!

 

[Grumman]

Excellent work!


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[Macintosh]

Sweet! You clearly have some prior experience with wood…and a nice collection of blades! Nice job keeping the round parts straight and the edges crisp. Also, I like the shape of the grip and comb, thats not easy to get “right”, especially with the personal touches you added. Did you read a book or online or just do it based on your experience with other wood work?
Any thoughts on checkering it?

 

[packer58]

Very nice work .......

 

[Decker9]

Sweet! You clearly have some prior experience with wood…and a nice collection of blades! Nice job keeping the round parts straight and the edges crisp. Also, I like the shape of the grip and comb, thats not easy to get “right”, especially with the personal touches you added. Did you read a book or online or just do it based on your experience with other wood work?
Any thoughts on checkering it?

Thank you fellas!!

Mac, I actually just sent that stock out for checkering. Iv played a bit with my tools, but I’m not confident enough yet to touch a stock lol.

I did finish 2 semi inlet stocks before jumping into this blank. Iv never worked with wood, other then making lumber in sawmills. I did read every piece of internet I could find though, and I have a couple old books left behind by my grandad that helped alot, along with most of his tools. One particular book is written by Alvin Linden, restocking a rifle it’s called, it’s what really got me going on a raw blank.

I do have it in my blood I guess though. My grandad was a gunsmith / stock maker, I spent a lot of my childhood in his shop, trying out his new builds. My stock very closely resembles his style of stocks. I have a couple built by him that I used as ideas, minus the left hand cheek piece lol.

What finally got me going with stock making (30 years later), my grandmother shot a pre 64 in .375 h&h, which I inherited many years ago. The stock that she used though had a very short length of pull, so it kicked me pretty hard. I really wanted to use that rifle more, so I had a smith rough out a semi inlet stock for it.

 

[feanor]

Really good stuff. I’ve always wanted to do this and your step by step is really helpful. Even better that your grandpa left you that piece. What a cool project- thanks for sharing!

 

[Decker9]

That looks great! How much woodworking experience did you have prior to this?

Not really no, other then a couple semi inlet stocks. I’ll show the other one here.

This was my best friends 30-06. Shortly after finishing the .375, I really wanted to start another. My buddy’s dad passed when we were little kids, and he inherited his -06. It was pretty rough, so thought I’d do him a favour and try doing up a stock for it.

 

[Decker9]

Here’s a few photos of the bit of “bling” I tried out. This was my first cheek piece, I figured it had to have a shadow line.



Ordered a block of Ebony to try out, my buddy’s request.



These two semi inlets I did, were just at the kitchen table usually. On nice days I’d sit outside and putter away with my box of scrapers and files with the stock on my lap. I never did get a vice until I started the .22 stock from the blank. I highly recommend trying out a semi inlet for anyone interested. There’s not many tools needed, only sharp ones lol.

 

[axeforce6]

Looks great. I'll take a high gloss maple for my CA MPR.

 

[gbflyer]

Regardless of you experience level building a stock, I suspect you have some artistic genes running around in you, passed from your grandfather. Really neat that you have that gift, appreciate your sharing the work you’ve done with others. Fantastic!

 

[Loper]

Very impressive! How long did that take you?

 

[Macintosh]

Eh, youre selling yourself short, if you can keep your edges crisp like that and do a shadow line on that cheek, you can checker just fine. Just finish a thick hardwood dowel and practice on that.

 

[Decker9]

Very impressive! How long did that take you?

Thanks Loper, the two semi inlets took me a whole winter. I can’t really put hours on them because so much time was spent just fondling and looking, deciding on the next move.

The one I’m currently working on (build #3 from a blank) I have about 50 hours into, and am still not done the top inletting. This one has gone way faster then #1 and #2 blanks. I would have been closer to 100 hours on the previous 2 to get this far, learning as I go.