New AR-15 Project

[marksman13]

I’ve got an old family friend whom is an awesome wood-worker. He’s built dozens of rifle stocks for friends and family and they are all awesomely unique. Well, he hit me up last week and asked if I had an AR-15 he could borrow for a project, so I dropped a rifle off with him yesterday and he sent me some pictures today of what he’s doing.

Looks pretty cool so far. He asked what wood I wanted and said the first set of furniture is going on my rifle. As a guy who’s gotten a bit bored with ARs I thought this was something pretty cool. Never had any inclination to purchase any of the commercially available wood furniture for an AR, but the fact that a family friend is carving it by hand makes it pretty cool. I think the black lines in the spalted sycamore will contrast nicely with the black anodized finish. He’s also making a grip and rail covers.

 

[Varminterror]

I haven’t been able to warm up to the wooden AR furniture yet, but I bet that spalting is going to look fantastic.

 

[rabid wombat]

Be thankful for the quality of your friends....

 

[marksman13]

Be thankful for the quality of your friends....

Absolutely. I named my son after this guy. Really good family.

 

[marksman13]

I haven’t been able to warm up to the wooden AR furniture yet, but I bet that spalting is going to look fantastic.

I’m in the same boat. Always thought it looked out of place. Still not convinced this won’t look weird when it’s finished, but I couldn’t tell him no. I think I’m gonna build another 458 SOCOM upper and call this a hunting rifle.

 

[CapnMac]

See if you can get a buffer tube for your friend (actually, two, a carbine and a rifle).
Then he can go see if he can find a suitable Forstner bit to drill the blank. And a really long auger bit will really be wanted to pilot drill the blank. (Or, if blind boring, an extension to the bit will be needed.)

If using the standard buttplate, consider blind boring the storage pocket--this is not necessary if using a "recoil" pad.

Having a buffer tube will make the fit much better. And, you want it to support the blank while carving the final stock dimensions--the wood gets pretty thin in a spot with potentially contrary grain.

So over sling options, too. Side and bottom mounts are both usable. The recessed QD mounts can be slick, too. Or, skip the swivels and use a delta ring--but that needs a different stock profile.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Im a sucker for light colored wood on firearms. But laminated wood is not for me. Cool that its solid and crafted by hand by a friend. I dig it.

Of course im biased as my furniture is a realtree type pattern camo set from yankee hill so my gun isn't all black either

 

[marksman13]

See if you can get a buffer tube for your friend (actually, two, a carbine and a rifle).
Then he can go see if he can find a suitable Forstner bit to drill the blank. And a really long auger bit will really be wanted to pilot drill the blank. (Or, if blind boring, an extension to the bit will be needed.)

If using the standard buttplate, consider blind boring the storage pocket--this is not necessary if using a "recoil" pad.

Having a buffer tube will make the fit much better. And, you want it to support the blank while carving the final stock dimensions--the wood gets pretty thin in a spot with potentially contrary grain.

So over sling options, too. Side and bottom mounts are both usable. The recessed QD mounts can be slick, too. Or, skip the swivels and use a delta ring--but that needs a different stock profile.

I already dropped off a complete lower with him. He doesn’t really want to fool with a carbine tube because he doesn’t want to have to cut it in a keyhole pattern. I’m not sure how he made the hole for the buffer tube, but he has already cut it. He is concerned that the wood will be too thin on the top of the stock if we use a conventional charging handle, so I’m kinda halfway looking for a side charging upper as much as I don’t care for side chargers.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I already dropped off a complete lower with him. He doesn’t really want to fool with a carbine tube because he doesn’t want to have to cut it in a keyhole pattern. I’m not sure how he made the hole for the buffer tube, but he has already cut it. He is concerned that the wood will be too thin on the top of the stock if we use a conventional charging handle, so I’m kinda halfway looking for a side charging upper as much as I don’t care for side chargers.

My question is how flammable is the forearm going to be? That gas tube can get hot if you run it hard.

 

[marksman13]

My question is how flammable is the forearm going to be? That gas tube can get hot if you run it hard.

Forearm will be a Midwest Industries M-Lok rail. Not flammable at all. He is only making rail covers for it. It won’t be anymore flammable than the stuff already available from Blackwood. Plus, this rifle won’t get shot enough, or rapidly enough to get hot.

 

[marksman13]

Waiting on the Blackwood grip and rail to get here, so I can assemble this thing. It’s all hand carved, and therefor, not perfect, but it is pretty danged cool. The big decision now is what to chamber it in. I’m torn between 6.5 G, 6.8 SPC and 458 SOCOM. I already own rifles in all three of these cartridges and I’m leaning towards 6.8 SPC.

 

[David Hoback]

I’ve never been a fan of wood furniture on an AR. Many cases I’ve thought it just outright FUGLY!

But then my son built this one. I machined the 80% Lower for him & he chose all the parts.


It’s downright a handsome build! Yours looks to going a similar path and it should be a good looking rig. Still not my cup o’ tea... but good stuff.

 

[Dr.Rob]

That wood is sweet

 

[BigBlue 94]

The spalting gives it a sort of camo-esque appearance. I dig it. Especially the pistol grips.

Ive wanted a stock for my savage stryker made from osage orange for a long time. Some day ill carve one out.

 

[mshootnit]

I liked it in the rough. Its sharp edges reminded me of that weapon that Daniel Day Louis' dad carried in Last of the Mohicans.

 

[David Hoback]

I liked it in the rough. Its sharp edges reminded me of that weapon that Daniel Day Louis' dad carried in Last of the Mohicans.

LOL! Your right. That weapon was actually called the “Gunstock War Club”, and it was a popular weapon used by Native Americans.



One of my favorite movies, btw. And has one of their most triumphant & powerful ending fight scenes! If you haven't seen it, watch!

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I’ve never been a fan of wood furniture on an AR. Many cases I’ve thought it just outright FUGLY!

But then my son built this one. I machined the 80% Lower for him & he chose all the parts.
View attachment 937139

It’s downright a handsome build! Yours looks to going a similar path and it should be a good looking rig. Still not my cup o’ tea... but good stuff.

Now that looks sweet.

 

[Speedo66]

Turnbull has done some with wood stocks, and case colors.

Price of entry may be a little high though.

 

[Dead Eye Duck]

some nice looking stocks and forearms in these pictures Nice work

 

[mshootnit]

View attachment 937752

Turnbull has done some with wood stocks, and case colors.

Price of entry may be a little high though.

Interesting that it has a shadow cheekpiece on the right side for the lefties

 

[doubleh]

I'm pretty forgiving in the"what people do to their guns" department but wood on a AR is just wrong in my book. I don't care who does it or how good their work is but I'm not the one living with it so if it suits you that's great.

 

[marksman13]

I'm pretty forgiving in the"what people do to their guns" department but wood on a AR is just wrong in my book. I don't care who does it or how good their work is but I'm not the one living with it so if it suits you that's great.

Yeah. I’ve never been a fan of wood on an AR, but I also don’t put a lot of stock in what other people like either.

 

[Dunross]

These are nice looking. Never heard of using sycamore for a gunstock, but then I've never really looked into it either. Regardless, it looks nice.

I've been wanting a nice AR wood stock for the longest time.

 

[Weflyfast]

Maybe we should all do that- that black is really scarry...and makes them much more dangerous for us all to have.......

... beautiful looking guns by the way....

 

[horsemen61]

Hey OP your friend does great work!