Stock Mystery - Ruger Tang Safety with Fiberglass Schnabel Stock

[Rockin Review]

I bought this nifty 1986 Ruger M77 tang safety in .270. The interesting thing is that it was put into a stock the likes of which I have never seen on a Ruger 77. Somebody found a very nice black fiberglass stock with Schnabel forend and molded stippling in the gripping surfaces. No monte carlo. Has a slim Pachmayr pad with basket weave texture that appears to have been epoxied onto the buttstock. The pad is branded Pachmayr. There are no other markings anywhere on the stock. Stock appears to be foam filled.

It looks very much like a McMillan featherweight from a Winchester Model 70 -- but Josh at McMillan tells me they never made a stock like this for the Ruger tang safety. He said maybe it was Brown Precision, but they don't list anything similar.

All in all a very portable powerhouse and perfect for climbing into and out of tree stands. Shoots great. Whoever put this package together valued compact size -- for he found this very nice stock and a Redfield 1 3/4-5x lo profile scope. There is nothing extra here.

But can anybody identify this stock?

 

[Rockin Review]

 

[troy fairweather]

I like it good find

 

[jmr40]

I'd bet money it was made by Garrett Acculight out of Colorado. They have been out of business for years. I bought one from them in 1983 and haven't hunted with a wood stocked bolt gun since. They are of the same construction and similar quality to Brown Precision or McMillan. I chose Garrett at the time because they were a little cheaper option than the others and by going with the Featherweight stock pattern it was a few ounces lighter than anything offered by the others at the time. They came as a rough blank. I had to do the final fitting, install a recoil pad, swivels, and paint the stock myself.

Mine was for a Rem 700 ADL in 30-06. I've since pretty much retired that 1974 made rifle after putting it in a much nicer McMillan Edge stock. But I still have the old Garrett stock. I finished mine in a gray wrinkle finish paint that provides a rough texture all over. Cost me $175 in 1983. Exactly the same price I paid for the rifle in 1975.

 

[Rockin Review]

Now that's what I'm talking about!!! Such a great answer jmr40! Thank you.

It's been a fun little mystery to try and figure it out. Is yours foam-filled?

 

[jmr40]

Is yours foam-filled?

All of the high end stocks made by McMillan, Brown Precision, Hi-Tech, and Manners, etc, use laminated layers of either fiberglass or kevlar cloth between the pistol grip and as far up the forend to the mortise for the recoil lug. It is just like a block of plywood, except made from cloth. The outer skin for the rest of he stock is made up of 2 or 3 layers of fiberglass cloth and is initially hollow. It is then filled with foam to deaden the sound. The action area is milled out to fit the individual action exactly like would be done with a wood stock. Back in the day fiberglass was used, but kevlar is now available too. It is lighter, and stiffer than fiberglass. Also a lot more expensive. Kevlar will add about $100-$150 to the cost, but reduce weight by about 1/2 lb. Most fiberglass stocks aren't much, if any lighter than wood.

The mid priced stocks like Bell & Carlson and HS-Precision start with an aluminum chassis designed for individual actions. The only fiberglass cloth is on the outer skin of the stocks. The chassis is placed in a mold and molten plastic mixed with chopped fiberglass ( think blown in attic insulation) is poured into the mold for to make the stock. Due to the metal chassis they can be much less expensive, and pretty stiff. They are also quite heavy, usually much more than wood, and tend to be thick and chunky.

 

[Rockin Review]

I appreciate the information very much.

And by the way, you are correct philosophically as well. Most people want to be reassured of their prejudices, feelings and hunches -- they don't want to actually learn.