Stock (firearm)
Inletting and bedding can be accomplished by molding in as part of the manufacturing proceess, machining in the inletting after the stock is finished, molding directly to the action as a separate process, or through the use of a machined metal component molded in place during manufacture. Stocks for bullpup rifles must take into account the dimensions of the rifle s action, as well as ergonomic issues such as ejection. While walnut is the favored gunstock wood, many other woods are used, including maple, myrtle, birch, and mesquite.Since the comb must support the shooter s cheek at a height suitable for use with the sights, high sights such as telescopic sights require higher combs. Two piece stocks use a separate piece for the butt and fore-end, such as that commonly found on break open shotguns, and lever-action rifles and shotguns.
Anschütz stocks (C), for example, use a nearly vertical grip, and many thumbhole style stocks (D) are similar to full pistol grips in shape. Sliding or folding stocks are often seen on military-grade arms. Due to the natural properties and variability in woods, stocks made from solid wood must take into account these properties.
The butt is further divided into the comb (3), heel (4), toe (5), and grip (6). Modern stocks are made from more stable materials, such as thermoplastics and composite materials, such as fiberglass, kevlar, and carbon fiber composites.
Modern laminates consist of 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) thick sheets of wood, usually birch, which are impregnated with epoxy, laid with alternating grain directions, and cured at high temperatures and pressures. Typically, each layer of the laminate is dyed before laminating, often with alternating colors, which provides a pattern similar to wood grain when cut into shape, and with bright, contrasting colors, the results can be very striking.
With both hands available to aim, the arquebus could be braced with the shoulder, giving rise to the basic gunstock shape that has survived for over 500 years. Ironically, the stocks of muskets introduced during the European colonization of the Americas were repurposed as hand-to-hand war clubs by Native Americans and First Nations when fragile accessories were damaged or scarce ammunition exhausted. The semi-pistol grip (B) stock is perhaps the most common sporting stock, with a steeper angle cut into the stock to provide a more diagonal angle for the trigger hand.
The Monte Carlo comb (B) is commonly found on stocks designed for use with scopes, and features an elevated comb to lift the cheek higher, while keeping the heel of the stock low. The response was overwhelming, and that marked the beginning of laminated stocks on production rifles. In some jurisdictions, the nature of the stock may impact the legal status of the firearm.
Traditionally, two piece stocks were easier to make, since finding a wood blank suitable for a long one piece stock is harder than finding short blanks for a two piece stock. The grip area is one that varies widely. Wood is still a top choice for aesthetic reasons, however, and solutions such as bedding provide the stability of a synthetic with the aesthetics of wood. Traditionally, stocks are made from wood, generally a durable hardwood such as walnut.
Firing a hand cannon requires careful application of the match while simultaneously aiming; the use of a matchlock handles the application of the slow match, freeing up a hand for support. It can also be as little as half the weight of an injection molded stock.
Examples of this are: Stechkin APS machine pistol with a detachable stock SIG 550 rifle with folding stock Ruger 10/22 International, with full length Mannlicher style stock AK-47, with the two piece pistol grip stock commonly found on military assault rifles . While a basic, straight grained blank suitable for a utilitarian stock might sell for US$20, an exhibition grade blank with superb figure could fetch in the range of US$2000.
Techniques for gunstock hand weapons are being revived by martial arts such as Okichitaw. A gunstock is broadly divided into two parts (see above). Wood is, however, a poor choice from a functional standpoint, as it tends to absorb water and change its shape, and this can cause serious issues with accuracy.
A straight grip stock (A) proceeds smoothly from toe to the trigger, giving a nearly horizontal angle for the trigger hand, while a full pistol grip stock (E) contains a separate piece for the grip, providing a near vertical angle for the trigger hand, and is commonly found on modern military rifles, such as the ubiquitous AK-47 family of assault rifles. A stock, also known as a buttstock or shoulder stock, is a part of a rifle or other firearm, which the barrel and firing mechanism are attached to, that is held against one s shoulder when firing the gun.
The stock pictured is a thumbhole (7) style. The most basic breakdown of stock types is into one-piece and two piece stocks. Wood for gunstocks should be slowly dried, to prevent grain collapse and splitting, and also to preserve the natural color of the wood; custom stockmakers will buy blanks that have been dried two to three years and then dry it for several additional years before working it into a stock.
The disadvantage of laminate stocks is that the density, with laminates weighing about 4 to 5 ounces (110 to 140 g) more than walnut for a typical stock. While wood laminates have been available for many years on the custom market (and, in subdued form, in some military rifles), in 1987 Rutland Plywood, a maker of wood laminates, convinced Sturm, Ruger, Savage Arms, and U.S. Careful selection can yield distinctive and attractive features, such as crotch figure, feathering, fiddleback, and burl, which can significantly add to the desirability of a stock.
The modern gunstock shape began to evolve with the introduction of the arquebus, a matchlock with a longer barrel and an actual lock mechanism, unlike the hand-applied match of the hand cannon. The resulting stock is stronger and more stable than an injection molded stock.
Modern target style stocks have moved towards a fuller, more vertical pistol grip, though built into the stock rather than made as a separate piece, and may be considered pistol grip stocks. A butt hook, which is an attachment to the butt of the gun that is put under the shooter s arm to prevent the rifle from pivoting forward from the weight of the barrel is sometimes used in competitive rifle shooting. The comb is another area of wide variation.
Two piece stocks are ideally made from a single blank, so that the wood in both parts shows similar color and figure. While setup costs are high, once ready to produce, injection molding produces stocks for less than the cost of the cheapest wood stocks. Stocks are also found on crossbows though a crossbow stock is more properly referred to as a tiller. The term stock in reference to firearms dates to 1571 is derived from the Germanic word stoc, meaning tree trunk, referring to the wooden nature of the gunstock. Early hand cannons used a simple stick fitted into a socket in the breech end to provide a handle.
The combination of the two pieces of wood, if laid out correctly, results in the separate pieces moderating the effects of changes in temperature and humidity. The resulting composite material is far stronger than the original wood, free from internal defects, and nearly immune to warping from heat or moisture.
A growing option is the laminated wood stock, consisting of many thin layers of wood bonded together at high pressures with epoxy, resulting in a dense, stable composite. Folding, collapsible, or removable stocks tend to be made from a mix of steel or alloy for strength and locking mechanisms, and wood or plastics for shape. The key factors are: A well designed and well built wooden stock can provide the secure, stable base needed for an accurate rifle, but the properties of wood make it more difficult than more stable synthetic materials.
The grain of the wood determines the strength, and the grain should flow through the wrist of the stock and out the toe; having the grain perpendicular to these areas weakens the stock considerably. In addition to the type of wood, how it is treated can have a significant impact on its properties. A one piece stock is a single unit from butt to fore-end, such as that commonly found on bolt action rifles.
A cheekpiece (C) is a raised section on the side of the stock, which provides support for the shooter s cheek. Finish is provided by a layer of gel coat applied to the mold before the cloth is laid up. Laminated wood consists of two or more layers of wood, impregnated with glue and attached permanently to each other.
The rear portion is the butt (1) and front portion is the fore-end (2). Every stock is virtually identical in dimension, and requires no bedding, inletting, or finishing.
When having a stock custom built or bent to fit, there are a number of measurements that are important. In addition to ergonomic issues, the stock can also have a significant impact on the accuracy of the rifle. There is some confusion between these terms, as the features are often combined, with the raised rollover cheekpiece (D) extending to the top of the stock to form a high Monte Carlo comb. Fore-ends tend to vary both in thickness, from the splinter fore-ends common on British side-by-side shotguns to the wide, flat bottomed beavertail fore-ends found on benchrest shooting guns, and in length, from the short AK-47 style to the long Mannlicher stock that runs all the way to the muzzle.
Blanks for one piece stocks are more expensive than blanks for two piece stocks, due to the greater difficulty in finding the longer blanks with desirable figure. Most common on sporting firearms is the half-stock, which extends roughly half the length of the barrel. Stock measurement is especially important with shotguns, where the typical front-bead-only sight requires a consistent positioning of the shooter s eye over the center of the barrel for good accuracy.
Repeating Arms Company (Winchester) to display some laminate stocks on their rifles in a green, brown and black pattern (often called camo). The downsides are a lack of rigidity and thermal stability, which are side effects of the thermoplastic materials used for injection molding. A hand laid composite stock, out of materials such as fiberglass, kevlar, and/or graphite cloth, saturated in an appropriate binder, into a mold.
