Steel and wood?

[AStone]

Really enjoyed reading this. Much along the lines I am thinking. I'll add another element or two -- but not tonight. Off to sleep soon ...

The blued metal is "cold" and the wood is "warm." It is a nice set of contrasts. Figured wood adds the dimension of depth, as does rust blued steel. So in aesthetic terms piano finished wood on rust blued steel is the best visual aesthetic.

In use, wood is also more pleasant to touch, as is polished steel.

Lastly there is an element of hand fitting which, near as I can tell, cannot be duplicated with CNC or moulded plastics. Properly prepared steel is smooth and shiny where it needs to be, rounded and nice to the touch where it needs to be, and if matted or checkered, also takes on the proper texture both for reflection/refraction and in the tactile sense.

 

[agtman]

* * * Do you find the modern aluminum and plastic firearms to be lacking in character? When you read about an AR15, do you say, "meh."

Nope, ... if I'm perusing a gun-zine somewhere and spot some hot AR-bling, I usually scream out:

"Dude! That kit right there is so totally Navy-Seal-awesome!"

Yeah, sometimes people turn and look, but being retired I don't really give a schiznitz.

Anybody else here like firearms of steel and wood?

Well, it might be prettified old-school bling, but if it can't do 2MOA or less @ 100yds, it might as well be a wallhanger in Grandpa's tool shed.

 

[MountainBear]

Well, I thought I was all set for deer season, and then someone went and bought my deer rifle. I gave them the "I don't want to sell it, but..." price, and they said yes. So, it was a scramble to get another rifle for deer season this year. Seems to happen every year that I am busy working on my guns when deer season sneaks up and smacks me on the head...

This gun came to me covered in Alkanet Root stain to almost a dark merlot color. It was then finished with a high polish plastic like finish. Looked and felt like they dipped the stock in a wine vat and then spar varnished it.



But there was a hint of grain showing out from under it all, so after many, many, many hours of stripping and sanding, it was actually a beautiful stock.



There was unfortunately a time crunch, so I wasn't able to reshape the stock completely the way I wanted it yet, but it will get refinished and a few details reshaped during the off-season.

 

[agtman]

Well, I thought I was all set for deer season, and then someone went and bought my deer rifle. I gave them the "I don't want to sell it, but ..."price, and they said yes. * * *

Not a problem ... Don't fret. Here's your new deer rifle:



Load it with 62gn Hornady s.p. .223 ammo, get it properly zero-ed for your typical shot-distances, and any deer hit in the vitals will be DRT.

You can thank me later.

 

[30Cal]

Not a problem ... Don't fret. Here's your new deer rifle:

Load it with 62gn Hornady s.p. .223 ammo, get it properly zero-ed for your typical shot-distances, and any deer hit in the vitals will be DRT.

You can thank me later.

And to help this get back on topic, more steel and WOOD.

25-20

 

[Cocked & Locked]

Steel & Wood is good.

 

[Tinpig]

Mountain Bear,
I like what you did with your rifle.
A few years ago I bought a new Savage 14 in .223 cal. The wood was beautiful but the finish looked like shrink-wrapped liquid plastic. I stripped it all off, restained it with a mixture of walnut and Chestnut Ridge military stock stain and rubbed in three coats of linseed oil. Now it looks right. I thought I was the only one who would refinish a new rifle.



Tinpig

 

[dubbleA]

 

[Cocked & Locked]

 

[cdb1]

I have a CZ 550 American 6.5x55 that has very nice wood. My newest rifle, a Vanguard S2 .243 Sporter looks pretty decent also.

 

[gregp74]

I have a CZ 550 American 6.5x55 that has very nice wood. My newest rifle, a Vanguard S2 .243 Sporter looks pretty decent also.

My local shop has a used 550 American in 6.5x55 Swede. I've been thinking about picking it up if it's still around next time I go in there. I like the walnut stock but think I'd like to strip and restain it.

 

[johnnydollar]

My local shop has a used 550 American in 6.5x55 Swede. I've been thinking about picking it up if it's still around next time I go in there. I like the walnut stock but think I'd like to strip and restain it.

I'd go, like, tomorrow. The 6.5 Swede is one sweet cartridge and CZ makes very nice rifles.

 

[gregp74]

I'd go, like, tomorrow. The 6.5 Swede is one sweet cartridge and CZ makes very nice rifles.

I stopped in today and it was still there. I don't have the money to blow on it right now, but I might go back and put down $100 or something on it...

 

[stubbicatt]

agtman, someone like you had to come along and put a plastic fantastic mattel rifle in this thread. Someone always does. Just like the AR fanboy. Did this look to you like a Mini 14 thread?

 

[browningguy]

I like them all, everything from a Browning 1885 in 45-70 to an HK USP in .45 ACP, and just about everything in between.

Here's a few on my older cartridge rifles, all from 1878'ish to 1900 single shot Martini style actions.

 

[Agsalaska]

Yes. Yes. Yes. And Yes.

I have zero interest in guns that are not steel and wood. Zero.

 

[agtman]

stubbicat said:

agtman, someone like you had to come along and put a plastic fantastic mattel rifle in this thread. Someone always does. Just like the AR fanboy. Did this look to you like a Mini 14 thread?

LOL ...

Here's one that'll make it all better for ya:

 

[Offfhand]

More steel and wood, and lots of glass too.

 

[jws916]

HP, Just bought a o3a3 with a loose action and no barrel bed pressure. Do you have any how to literature on accurizing options for 03a3's ? I would like to keep it service rifle legal if possible.

 

[surjimmy]

Here's one you don't see everyday, I picked it up at a local gun show a few weeks ago. H&R Ultra Action. It has a Douglas barrel, Sako trigger, FN Commerical Mauser action, and a Fajen stock. 243 caliber

 

[tark]

Here's some steel and wood for you. The middle Springfield is #1. R.I.A. Museum.

The roller is my home made 30-06

The 514 is my 99+% baby.

These are all right side up on my computer screen. But sometimes they go haywire when I post, for reasons I don't unserstand. Apologies beforehand if they do.

 

[tark]

They did

 

[Hookeye]

Scouted a new area (shed hunting, checking coyote sign) when frozen last week.
Creekbottom.
Thick and nasty, crossed the creek several times, climbed the rough bluffs too.
Was pretty happy my rifle had a synth stock.

Like walnut.........but not on a hard use rig.

Chuck rifles, or on deer stand......nice to admire some decent workmanship in the lull.

"handfitting" wood............uh, I do suppose plastic can be sanded if need be.
The fact that it may require less.......is a bad thing?

Wood grain film dip of synth stock might be a happy medium. Commercial wood stocks are done on what equipment?

A handmade stock.........that is another beast. Functional art.

 

[Hookeye]

Most boring wood ever seen on a #1.
Proly why I got a good price on it.
Not a fan of the RSI stock.
20" bbl instead of 22" on an A model.
Poor man's euro boar rifle (kinda sorta- watch youtube "Wild Boar Fever 6").

Need a black leather lace on cheek riser w 5 ammo loops. Then it'll be complete.
(do have reg rings waiting for an old M8 4x).

View attachment 742053

 

[anothernewb]

Count me in on the walnut and blued steel. There's just something about high polished blue and dark walnut that I love.