wood-stock rifles

[wannabeagunsmith]

A guys at the gun store told me that rifles with wooden stocks are unreliable because in cold weather, the cold "expands the wood and ruins your accuracy". Is this true? I plan on getting a Ruger Mini-14 and like the look/feel of the wood rather than the black synthetic stock. And the wooden M1's worked great on the cool beach of Normandy last I heard.....:banghead:

 

[451 Detonics]

Wood can swell and shrink and interfere with accuracy and even change point of impact. But this happens due to humidity, not really temperature. If the wood is well sealed even high humidity isn't a problem normally.

 

[Shadow 7D]

Once again
an example of a counter jockey,
bet the guy has never even been out hunting.

 

[Jonny V]

Lots of old wives tales like this one. Make sure that you seal and oil your wood stock, and you won't have problems. Wood does take more maintenance than plastic, that's true. Pretty girls take more maintenance than "other" girls too. All depends what you want.

 

[pbrktrt]

The only part of a Mini to be affected by the stock would be in the bedding area. The tighter the better on this platform.

 

[P-32]

And the wooden M1's worked great on the cool beach of Normandy last I heard.....

Battle if the Bulge too.

 

[Jonny V]

Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, they might have even shot down a Japanese plane with a good ole' wood stock at Midway..........

No reason to think that a wood stock would ever fail you. You take care of her, she takes care of you......

 

[kozak6]

It's humidity and moisture that cause wood to expand or shift, not cold temperature.

Anything else this guy says should be ignored.

 

[bushmaster1313]

This 88 just wood knot be the same with a plastic stock:

 

[elmerfudd]

If you're not a competitive shooter, a military sniper or a serious accuracy addict and you're not in the habit of submerging your rifle you'll never notice the difference.

 

[Babarsac]

Nothing better then steel and wood....steel and plastic just doesn't have the same ring to it.

 

[Tallinar]

Wood does take more maintenance than plastic, that's true. Pretty girls take more maintenance than "other" girls too. All depends what you want.

I love this analogy.

If you properly treat wood, it won't be an issue. Folks have been using wood stocks for a *lot* longer than plastic, and we seem to be doing ok.

 

[JohnM]

Wood stocked rifles?, there's another kind?
Not in my house.

 

[TwoWheelFiend]

People got by just fine with wood stocks for a LONG time before sythetics. Tell him to shut up.

 

[Gunnerboy]

The only time ive had trouble with a wood stock was after it was soaked from goin for a swim in a creek i attempted to cross and when i got back to camp sat it next to a wood stove to dry it out and the stock by the butt split, but other than that a wood stock cant be beat.

 

[HOOfan_1]

Cold causes things to contract, heat causes them to expand...so "guys at the gun store" are wrong

 

[Art Eatman]

Satisfactory answers.

Lotsa stoopid in gunstores and the Intraw3b.