Absolutely LIGHTEST rifle stock?

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hq

hq

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I hunt grouse, with a shotgun. I usually carry a rifle as well, in rural areas a .223 and in more populated ones a .22WMR, to limit the distance a bullet flies when shooting at high angles. The latter gun is a Norinco JW-23, essentially a CZ452 clone, an exceptionally cheap one, in less than good sense of the word. The action is ok, trigger is polished to a crisp 2½lbs and the barrel is far better than I originally expected, but the lacquered wooden stock is downright horrible.

So, I'm about to replace it and while I'm at it, I'd like to have one that weighs as little as possible. The rifle is carried 99% of the time and only when I spot a grouse at beyond shotgun range, it will be used. Recoil is very mild so strength of the stock is not really a consideration, except for what will be needed to maintain accuracy.

What is the lightest (reasonably priced) stock available on the market? Wood, laminate, synthetic; it doesn't matter, but I'd prefer a fairly traditional shape, maybe with enough comb for a decent cheek weld for a scoped rifle. I'm not too picky, I just want to shave off as much weight as possible.

Any ideas? Can anyone point me to a right direction?
 
Not sure if they have one for your application but the Ram-Lines I got for my Garands and Carbine were mind blowingly light and still very strong. I got them because I was hunting with the rifles and the wood was getting too collectible to smack around but really grew to love the light weight as well.
 
Lightest will be carbon fiber. Probably the lightest all around that you will find would be a Volquartsen SuperLite (carbon fiber over steel barrel, alloy receiver, fiberglass stock) but that's a @ $1250 item. On the other hand, for your purpose, an H&R Sportster 20" bbl plastic stock in .22lr won't weight much more than 5.5 lbs and can be had brand new for @$200. If you need a .223, the H&R SB2 Handi Rifle will be closer to 7lbs.

But for your needs, I would get a Savage Rascal at $160 (my daughters weighs 4lbs 7oz and is about 30" long) comes with an aperture sight, accutrigger and shoots very well once you sight it in and adjust to the 12" LOP.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, RPRNY, but I don't need a new rifle, just a stock for the JW-23. It's not heavy as it is, 5.9lbs, but shaving off a few oz here and there would make it even more comfortable to carry. I'll have the barrel shortened to about 20" at the same time and my target weight for action + stock + scope + sling is 5lbs.

ApacheCoTodd: Ram-Line stocks are nice but N/A for CZ452 action.

So far the closest has come Richards' Ultra-Lite laminate stock at under 2lbs, but it has been discontinued.
 
Milling out most of the barrel channel and drilling out the butt on the one you have will shave off a few ounces.

But a combo gun might be the biggest weight savings you can get.

http://www.ozgunsales.com/listing/11521/Tikka_412S_222_Rem__12_Gauge_at_750.html

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Savage-Model-24J-DL-22LR-20-GA-combination-gun.cfm?gun_id=100310836

http://www.gunsinternational.com/SA...MINGTON-20-GAUGE-SHOTGUN.cfm?gun_id=100303140

One gun is always going to be lighter then two guns, no matter what you do to one of them.

rc
 
rcmodel,

The whole idea is replacing the stock completely. Sanding and tru-oil might help on the outside, but inletting and barrel channel look like they've been chewed in shape by a trained beaver. Fit and finish are truly abysmal.

I've tried combo guns / drillings, but I'm not too fond of them. Having to carry all the weight in your hands for 9...12 hours straight instead of being able to hang some of it on a sling isn't very tempting and the inertia of an additional barrel or two is a real killer for extremely quick situations that are typical to grouse hunting. You often have less than 2 seconds to shoulder, aim/swing and fire, which is firmly lightweight, short(ish) barrel shotgun territory. The rifle is mainly a late season backup when the cold drives grouse up in trees and you might get that 100yd+ opportunity.

So... back to the stock issue. It, combined with shorter barrel and lightweight scope, seems like the best way to shed weight.
 
MPI, and Brown Precision make Kevlar stocks that weigh 15-16 oz for bolt action centerfires, but at a cost of $600+. Those are the lightest I'm aware of and they don't make anything for your gun.

I seriously doubt if anyone makes anything lighter. Or anything aftermarket period. Your best bet is to use a rasp and files and start removing any un necessary wood on the stock your have and refinish. Or just find a lighter gun.

For the most part wood is still lighter than cheap syntetics. Most folks think all synthetics are lighter, but I've never weighed a factrory synthetic that wasn't heavier than the factroy wood in a comparable gun. I find it right convenient that Ramline does not list weights nor do many other of the cheap makers. My scales say they aren't light at all.

Same 870 shotgun with factory synthetic, 7 7/8 lbs. Factroy walnut, 7 5/8 lbs

003-7.jpg
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jmr40 said:
MPI, and Brown Precision make Kevlar stocks that weigh 15-16 oz for bolt action centerfires, but at a cost of $600+. Those are the lightest I'm aware of and they don't make anything for your gun.

I seriously doubt if anyone makes anything lighter. Or anything aftermarket period. Your best bet is to use a rasp and files and start removing any un necessary wood on the stock your have and refinish. Or just find a lighter gun.
Click to expand...

Ouch. $600 is a bit extravagant for a rifle I paid $99 for, brand new on a discount, seven years ago. It already is quite light, thanks to the very simple and functional action, but I'm kind of in the same mentality as some hardcore hikers who drill holes in their toothbrush handles to make everything even lighter. :D

Balsa/basswood laminate as a DIY project seems like the best option, but I'd really like to find a solution that is a bit less labor intensive. Richards' Ultra-Light was around $100 + S&H when it was still available and I keep kicking myself for not getting one when they still were. :banghead:
 
hq said:
I've tried combo guns / drillings, but I'm not too fond of them. Having to carry all the weight in your hands for 9...12 hours straight instead of being able to hang some of it on a sling
Click to expand...

What drilling are you talking about ? , mine are under 7 pounds...

To have a rifle AND a shotgun in your hands at the same time for instant use, at under 7 pounds, is pretty darn light!

Carrying two guns is the pitts, and trying to make each as light as possible does nothing but make guns that are awkard and hard to hit with because of their lack of proper ballance!

DM
 
DM~ said:
Carrying two guns is the pitts, and trying to make each as light as possible does nothing but make guns that are awkard and hard to hit with because of their lack of proper ballance!
Click to expand...

Merkel I tried was 8lbs or so without the scope. Much of the weight being in the barrel makes it awkward and slow, even though it's less than 2lbs heavier than my Benelli Centro SS. It's all about inertia; a personal preference.

But, now we're talking about a rifle stock. The gun also serves another purpose, as a scout rifle when I'm not actually hunting but want to carry a rifle in the woods, just in case, during the hunting season. Yes, I do want (might even use the word "need" ;)) a lightweight stock for it. The big question is where to get one, aside from making one myself.
 
The rifle is either on a (biathlon, ie. double) sling on my back, or attached to a backpack with velcro straps. Shotgun is held in hands or resting on a metal framed leather hook at waist level; it doesn't limit options how the rifle is carried.
 
hq said:
I hunt grouse, with a shotgun. I usually carry a rifle as well, in rural areas a .223 and in more populated ones a .22WMR, to limit the distance a bullet flies when shooting at high angles. The latter gun is a Norinco JW-23, essentially a CZ452 clone, an exceptionally cheap one, in less than good sense of the word. The action is ok, trigger is polished to a crisp 2½lbs and the barrel is far better than I originally expected, but the lacquered wooden stock is downright horrible.

So, I'm about to replace it and while I'm at it, I'd like to have one that weighs as little as possible. The rifle is carried 99% of the time and only when I spot a grouse at beyond shotgun range, it will be used. Recoil is very mild so strength of the stock is not really a consideration, except for what will be needed to maintain accuracy.

What is the lightest (reasonably priced) stock available on the market? Wood, laminate, synthetic; it doesn't matter, but I'd prefer a fairly traditional shape, maybe with enough comb for a decent cheek weld for a scoped rifle. I'm not too picky, I just want to shave off as much weight as possible.

Any ideas? Can anyone point me to a right direction?
Click to expand...
Check the Bell & Carlson website for the Carbelite hunting stocks: I have a Mini-Mark X that has been fitted with one. Very light and rigid, and it doesn't cost major body parts like the McMillens. Hope they have one to fit, otherwise check Boyd's and start drilling and routing...

IMHO
 
Whoops. $330+ for a base model McMillan. Not impossibly expensive but definitely not cheap either, even though what I paid for the rifle is irrelevant compared to what the end result will cost me. When I saw the inletting and barrel channel I knew I had a project in my hands. Bell & Carlson doesn't seem to do inletting for 452 actions so I'm beginning to lean towards DIY.

I have a spare walnut CZ452 .22lr stock that has a much more comfortable shape than JW-23 OEM stock. A piece of 2" thick balsa laminate and access to copy carver is all it would take, plus finishing and inletting the stock by hand... Decisions, decisions. I already have way too many gun projects in my hands. :scrutiny:
 
Keep original stock. Drill holes where can, maybe even contour fair size triangle in stock to give it a skelotonized look. Cut off two inches of rear stock with plan to put a nice rubber recoil pad to gain length back. Inlet the fore end till barrel has 3/4" of float. Any sections turn out feeling too weak reinforce with inlayed aluminum bar or drill long hole and glue in aluminum rod. Stay away from you poorly fitting areas you already don't like. Gouge out as much bedding area as you can and fill with super light bondo, then press the action in before it dries to get a good fit. Will have to adjust bondo a bit but works easy.

After all that coat it with resin and lay a single layer of fiberglass and resin over top. Let cure a couple days then get your electric sander and start standing with goal of perfecting the fit in areas of complaint. A little dremel tool use may help. Once all metal to wood fit satisfies you then sand well with fine paper. Eventually you will have a better fit and lighter stock.

Take it to a smith have him cut 1.5" off the barrel and recrown it. Amazing how well most barrels take to a well cut crown. While smith has steel parts, paint stock w flat spray paint, color of choice or camo. Bet you can lose little more than a pound, only have a few home improvement store materials invested plus cutting the barrel. I actually did this to a Russian SKS and it turned out well. Most who see it ask where they can get one.
 
hueyville said:
Keep original stock.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the ideas but the original stock is so bad not even a family pack of Acraglass and pillar tube could help bedding it properly after all the splinters are removed and rough surfaces smoothed out. There are some tool marks at the inlet that are nearly through. The wood itself is cheapest possible chinese beech that's both soft and fairly dense/heavy, stained and lacquered in a hurry. It's firewood.

The barrel is about to lose 4" or so (depending on where lead lap gauge finds a tight spot), with a proper recrowning. Bolt has already been polished, the action will be shortly. I'll probably parkerize all steel parts, to hide imperfections and to get a smooth, matte black finish. I've already ended up with a Leupold Ultralite scope for the gun, now all it needs is a new, featherweight stock...
 
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