What's this stock worth?

[Trey Veston]

My dad gave me this rifle over 20 years ago. Custom Winchester Model 70 Pre-`64 action.

It was built by a gunsmith in Montana named Mel Smart and features a revolutionary stock design that he called "Accubond". It was basically a laminated stock, but used just a few layers of very nice wood to maintain the beauty of a wood stock while having the benefit of a laminate.

Mr. Smart passed away, and his gunsmithing business was bought and turned into a high-end custom shop called "Kilimanjaro Rifles".

They still make the stocks, but now call them "Stealth Lamination".

I don't know if my stock and/or rifle is worth anything above the value of a decent custom rifle due to the rarity of it, or if it has any collector's value.

Trying to figure values for updating insurance. A comparable rifle from Kilimanjaro starts at $20k. If it's worth that much, then I would just sell it and upgrade my collection with firearms I would actually take into the woods and enjoy.

Has anyone even heard of Mel Smart or Kilimanjaro?

http://www.kilimanjarorifles.com/features/lamination.html

My rifle is a bit plain compared to the current ones...

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

No clue, but its a very sharp gun!
What chambering?

 

[Charlie98]

Boy.... that IS a looker! I even like the laminate layers, which I think is kind of cool.

 

[Trey Veston]

No clue, but its a very sharp gun!
What chambering?

It's in .35 Whelen. My dad built it as a moose gun in the 80's. Gave it to me when I expressed a need for an elk gun. I now have either a .308 or .30-06 Ackley Improved for that.

 

[tommy.duncan]

The flame in the stock is awesome!!

 

[LoonWulf]

No help here.... but very nice!
Ive seen similar laminates done with glass and carbon.

 

[doubleh]

Never heard of them so no help here either. It is a very nice rifle though. I have built a few stocks for myself over the years using the same method. I just dreamed it up as a way to fight warp and still have a nice wood stock but someone, probably many someone's, beat me to to it.

 

[lightman]

Not familiar with the Smith or the new shop but thats an awesome looking rifle. I would have a hard time with selling it!

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

I vaguely recall reading about this stock lamination system, but the passage of time has erased the source. Looks great, no idea of value but I'd sure keep it.

Offfhand might give you more useful info.

 

[bandur60]

Mel lived/ worked just down the hill from us, my wife worked for a while with his daughter. If I understood correctly he used the same blank for his laminations with the grain of the layers in opposing directions (180 degrees) and claim was that this resulted in the least variation of stress in the stock. They were, and are, a beautiful piece of workmanship.

I never owned one of his stocks, but he bedded a Ruger 77 International for me, made more than one trip to the range to check results which I felt was above and beyond at the time, but that was just his operating procedure. My son and his stepsons have it now and it's still taking deer (243 Win). I did bid on a stock he donated for a FofNRA banquet but didn't make the cut. Later kicked myself for that (we've all BTDT!!)

 

[lysanderxiii]

What's this stock worth?

Whatever someone will pay for it . . . .

 

[Trey Veston]

Whatever someone will pay for it . . . .

 

[Scout21]

Whatever someone will pay for it . . . .

I'll pay $10, therefore I declare that it's worth approximately $10.

Realistically considering that the new Kilimanjaro rifles are going for $20,000 it may be worth getting this thing professionally appraised, possibly by a couple different professionals. An appraisal would likely help insurance take such a high dollar amount seriously if they ever needed to pay out as well as lend credence for asking for such a sum if you were to sell it.