CraigC
Sixgun Nut
Back in the mid 1990's, my favorite thing to do was hunt rabbits and other small game as often as I could. In 1996 I was heavily under the influence of writer John Lachuk, who had written most the articles in the Guns & Ammo rimfire special issue. One of the guns heavily featured was a Remington 541. Didn't take long for me to pick one up myself, the heavy barrel version. I first put the only scope I had on it, the $30 Walmart special, a Tasco Pronghorn 4x. It quickly became my favorite rimfire rifle and I killed a ton of critters with it. I procured a Tasco 24x for range use and tested all manner of ammo through it. This was really the rifle I developed my bench technique with. At some point I glass bedded the action, added a recoil lug and replaced the Tasco with a Redfield Tracker 4x in Warne rings. Later on, there was an article in Rifle Shooter magazine with a how-to refinish a rifle stock in automotive trunk paint. I wanted to try it and because the Remington 541 stock was fairly dinged up, I decided to use it as the guinea pig. It actually turned out pretty good and has held up well all these years. However, we grow wiser with age (hopefully!) and it didn't take long before I started regretting the decision. I looked for a replacement stock numerous times over the years to no avail. No factory stocks and no acceptable aftermarket ones. The rifle was pretty much retired and nearly forgotten about.
Fast forward 20yrs and the rifle resurfaced after our 2018 move. I shot it again and again looked for a replacement stock. Boyd's will make one and even use an upgraded walnut blank but not in a pattern I would want. In the past couple years, I had basically decided it might one of the guns I let go to fund that optioned-out Cooper I've always wanted. A couple weeks ago I looked for a stock one last time. On Ebay, of all places, I found not only a factory walnut stock in great, perhaps unused condition but it had some gorgeous figure in it. Except for that special edition with maple, I've never seen a 541 with anything but the plainest walnut, so I probably sat here a good 10mins with my mouth hanging open as I scrolled through the pictures. I decided right then that I would get this stock no matter what it cost and upgrade the scope and mounts while I'm at it. At the time, it was not much more than $100 but before the end, it went up considerably. While waiting for the auction to end, worried to death I would lose it, I went shopping for a new scope. Nothing would do but a gloss finished Leupold variable, either a rimfire special or one with an adjustable objective. Unfortunately, Leupold has discontinued their gloss finished scopes so used or "new old stock" was the only option. I scoured the web and settled on a VXIII 3.5-10x with AO. For mounts, I went old school with two-piece Leupold bases and Burris gloss blued rings. I waited to see how the auction panned out before ordering anything else. It ended without any last second sniping and the stock was mine! I paid more than I wanted but less than I would have. Then I started worrying about it surviving the trip. I've had more lost or damaged packages in the last several months than my entire life before. Somehow everything arrived within a couple days of each other. I put the rifle together and it has turned out better than I ever imagined. I'm thrilled to have my old favorite back in the rotation.
Before:
After:
Both sides!
Fast forward 20yrs and the rifle resurfaced after our 2018 move. I shot it again and again looked for a replacement stock. Boyd's will make one and even use an upgraded walnut blank but not in a pattern I would want. In the past couple years, I had basically decided it might one of the guns I let go to fund that optioned-out Cooper I've always wanted. A couple weeks ago I looked for a stock one last time. On Ebay, of all places, I found not only a factory walnut stock in great, perhaps unused condition but it had some gorgeous figure in it. Except for that special edition with maple, I've never seen a 541 with anything but the plainest walnut, so I probably sat here a good 10mins with my mouth hanging open as I scrolled through the pictures. I decided right then that I would get this stock no matter what it cost and upgrade the scope and mounts while I'm at it. At the time, it was not much more than $100 but before the end, it went up considerably. While waiting for the auction to end, worried to death I would lose it, I went shopping for a new scope. Nothing would do but a gloss finished Leupold variable, either a rimfire special or one with an adjustable objective. Unfortunately, Leupold has discontinued their gloss finished scopes so used or "new old stock" was the only option. I scoured the web and settled on a VXIII 3.5-10x with AO. For mounts, I went old school with two-piece Leupold bases and Burris gloss blued rings. I waited to see how the auction panned out before ordering anything else. It ended without any last second sniping and the stock was mine! I paid more than I wanted but less than I would have. Then I started worrying about it surviving the trip. I've had more lost or damaged packages in the last several months than my entire life before. Somehow everything arrived within a couple days of each other. I put the rifle together and it has turned out better than I ever imagined. I'm thrilled to have my old favorite back in the rotation.
Before:
After:
Both sides!
