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Richard's Microfit stocks

I ordered a Pre-war M-70, 'clover leaf tang', it was pretty rough, but nicely figured. I took it to the gun smith to inlet, after I paid him $400, he told informed me it s the wrong stock. So now I have $600 in a stock that doesn't fit around the tang. That is why I changed stocks. Every time I started to finish the stock I'd get upset, took it to stock builder in the area to sand it, and oil finish. He used varnish or something and the wrong color epoxy around the tang. So $180 gone, I stripped the varnish, sanded and steamed a bunch more, finished with Tru-Oil. Looks really good, except at the tang. Everyone says just ignore it, it's beautiful. Then I took it to a really great stock man in Wenatchee, WA. for checkering, it came back just super. Now I'm thinking I'll take it back to him to fit a piece of wood in around the tang. I want it right. The gun is a 25-06 built before Remington standardized it. It shoots well, nickle size groups, looks old fashioned good, kills antelope, deer, prairie dogs and gophers. I killed a gopher at just over 500 yds. I just decided who's gonna get Unc's gun and it will be perfect. That's my story on Richard's Microfit Stocks.


My long gone 25-06 would have taken at least 2 boxes of ammo to make the first hit at 500yds.
 
The problem with Boyds is they lack many styles and do not inlet for enough actions. I am familiar with Boyds and they are some lifeless stocks with about as much personality as a blank sheet of printer paper! It is true they are ready to use but nothing to right home to mom about. The fact that you can not get one in naked wood to apply your own finish too troubles me.

Anyone that has looked at inletting on famous rifles from pre-WW1 until today can attest to how little attention was often paid to the inletting. It is clear most of the time was placed on the outside of the stock not the inside!

I have to admit I miss Fajen so much and whish I had purchased what I wanted when they where still around.

I think you guys are dogging on Richards Microfit Stocks a bit too hard. If you thought you could just push the "Easy" button that is on you. They tell you on their sight what they offer and that it needs significant finishing. If you think what they offer is not that great than you clearly have never attempted to make a stock from scratch yourself or you would understand just how fantastic they are. My 68 year old mom could finish a Richards Microfit stock with just sanding blocks, dowels and an orbital sander and she is not at all trained wood worker. She has restored hundreds of antiques over the years. Everything she knows about these things she learned from watching TV shows and doing.

I am a terrible wood worker I am fantastic with steel but not so much with wood. That said I refinished my first stock when I was 11 or 12. Half of my family are fantastic wood workers and old school carpenters thats not me. I have watched my uncles cut compound curves free hand that matched up to thing being repaired perfectly. I am the guy that guy! I have to layout lines, measure everything a million times, stop check my work make new layout lines....That said even I can can do stock work when the hardest part is already done by Richards Microfit. This is wood not a wheel bearing on a Chevy Truck this is not Lego's.

To the men that make absolutely beautiful stocks from scratch having done this before and understanding how hard it is to get right I have the utmost respect for you all and your masterpieces are worth every dime you charge! To the people complaining about Richards Microfit Stocks I think your expectations or out of line with reality. Richards Microfit has not changed a thing they are older than most of the people on this site having been in business since 1948 no secret about what they sell. I think the real issue is that men today are not as manly as they once where or as skilled, patient as they once where they expect everything to be easy and drop in. To many youngsters on here do not even remember the days before computer parts where Plug'N Play let alone DOS have no memory of starting carbureted cars in the Winter and operating a hand choke. The days before electronic fuel injection a lot of women could not reliable start a car if it was cold outside and guys would offer to go out and start the ladies cars for them and warm them up.

If you where so inclined you could finish a Richards Microfit stock with no sand paper just a metal scrapper. It would take some time for sure!

Now if Boyds could get all the profiles Richards Microfit has and offer them in all of the grades of wood they offer and send you a finished stock with no finish that would be fantastic! I would order from them in a made minute even I can be lazy and want to push the "easy" button sometimes! LOL It never fails that what I want and can get from Richards Microfit I can not get from Boyds!
 
Have u look at Landolt’s Custom Stocks. He took over the McGee stock business. Darrel takes great pride in a producing a quality product. He inlets for a bunch of custom actions as well as Remington. He specializes in laminated stocks but has other woods as well. His inlets are ready for bedding compounds.
Don’t expect instant delivery but u will get a quality piece.
 
The only reason 'micro-junk' gets any notoriety is because pf their fancy website . There are many, many professional 'pre-inletters' and stockmakers who do a more than acceptable job of machining a stock blank into a pre-inlet to be hand fit and finished. They are not intended to be "drop-in". The last blank I sent out to be 'turned' was back to me in under 2 weeks. I like to supply my own blank, so I know what walnut it is , and can have an idea of its weight/density , layout when cut and figure. It's a matter of "Micro" being a mass producer and those I prefer to use being "one off, custom". I never expect or want 'drop-in'.
 
The problem with Boyds is they lack many styles and do not inlet for enough actions. I am familiar with Boyds and they are some lifeless stocks with about as much personality as a blank sheet of printer paper! It is true they are ready to use but nothing to right home to mom about. The fact that you can not get one in naked wood to apply your own finish too troubles me.

Anyone that has looked at inletting on famous rifles from pre-WW1 until today can attest to how little attention was often paid to the inletting. It is clear most of the time was placed on the outside of the stock not the inside!

I have to admit I miss Fajen so much and whish I had purchased what I wanted when they where still around.

I think you guys are dogging on Richards Microfit Stocks a bit too hard. If you thought you could just push the "Easy" button that is on you. They tell you on their sight what they offer and that it needs significant finishing. If you think what they offer is not that great than you clearly have never attempted to make a stock from scratch yourself or you would understand just how fantastic they are. My 68 year old mom could finish a Richards Microfit stock with just sanding blocks, dowels and an orbital sander and she is not at all trained wood worker. She has restored hundreds of antiques over the years. Everything she knows about these things she learned from watching TV shows and doing.

I am a terrible wood worker I am fantastic with steel but not so much with wood. That said I refinished my first stock when I was 11 or 12. Half of my family are fantastic wood workers and old school carpenters thats not me. I have watched my uncles cut compound curves free hand that matched up to thing being repaired perfectly. I am the guy that guy! I have to layout lines, measure everything a million times, stop check my work make new layout lines....That said even I can can do stock work when the hardest part is already done by Richards Microfit. This is wood not a wheel bearing on a Chevy Truck this is not Lego's.

To the men that make absolutely beautiful stocks from scratch having done this before and understanding how hard it is to get right I have the utmost respect for you all and your masterpieces are worth every dime you charge! To the people complaining about Richards Microfit Stocks I think your expectations or out of line with reality. Richards Microfit has not changed a thing they are older than most of the people on this site having been in business since 1948 no secret about what they sell. I think the real issue is that men today are not as manly as they once where or as skilled, patient as they once where they expect everything to be easy and drop in. To many youngsters on here do not even remember the days before computer parts where Plug'N Play let alone DOS have no memory of starting carbureted cars in the Winter and operating a hand choke. The days before electronic fuel injection a lot of women could not reliable start a car if it was cold outside and guys would offer to go out and start the ladies cars for them and warm them up.

If you where so inclined you could finish a Richards Microfit stock with no sand paper just a metal scrapper. It would take some time for sure!

Now if Boyds could get all the profiles Richards Microfit has and offer them in all of the grades of wood they offer and send you a finished stock with no finish that would be fantastic! I would order from them in a made minute even I can be lazy and want to push the "easy" button sometimes! LOL It never fails that what I want and can get from Richards Microfit I can not get from Boyds!

I purchased a nice walnut Microfit a couple of years ago, expecting the worst based on forum reviews. Maybe I got lucky, because the inletting fit fine considering I would bed it. The extra wood I requested allowed me to customize the fit based on shooting and fine tuning. Or you can pay for the custom fit gizmos. With a little sanding and Arrow Wood Finish it is a beauty, and I'll soon buy another for my new 22. Nice winter project!
 
The only reason 'micro-junk' gets any notoriety is because pf their fancy website . There are many, many professional 'pre-inletters' and stockmakers who do a more than acceptable job of machining a stock blank into a pre-inlet to be hand fit and finished. They are not intended to be "drop-in". The last blank I sent out to be 'turned' was back to me in under 2 weeks. I like to supply my own blank, so I know what walnut it is , and can have an idea of its weight/density , layout when cut and figure. It's a matter of "Micro" being a mass producer and those I prefer to use being "one off, custom". I never expect or want 'drop-in'.
Please provide the many pre-intletters that work with wood other than boyds. I'm in the market for a new hunting rifle wood stock.
 
Boyds stocks are SO boring! I have no trouble with Richards Micro-fit, They are not for people that have no skills, I have enjoyed the ones I bought from them. They have some nice designs that Boyds doesn't have. If you want to buy a stock that an action drops into and already has a cheap spray on finish then Boyds are fine.
 
I finished a Richards Microfit stock 10 years ago and I still smile every time I take it out of the safe and I still get compliments every time I take it to the range. Yes is was rougher than tree bark and yes the inlet needed some extra attention but when I was finished I was very proud of the finished product because my woodworking skill set is along the lines of "beat to fit and paint to match".

Think I will go order another one!
 
Over the years, I have figured out (at times) that some folks don't know how to sharpen tools on a stock duplicating machine and at times are color blind.
What you see in pictures won't be an exact color match so keep that in mind when thinking of a laminated color.
Thinking maybe 8 or 10 over the years (I've lost count) and only sold 1 because it didn't meet my expectations. Someone REALLY wanted it so I was happy to pass it along.
RMF has been known as the "Gunsmith Stocks". And again, anything you put into it, big or little, makes it YOURS. ;)
 
As the only maker offering a BSA inlet, I bought a thumbhole stock back in the 1990's. yes- the inlet was "approximate" and took some work, but I had my first varmint gun built, with a Pac-Nor barrel in 243 AI and it shot quite well. I finished it with several coats of rattle can satin clear.

I changed the barrel onto another action with a better trigger at some point and still have the stock/gun, now in 243 with a sporter weight barrel.

As it's a wet Sunday, I may put a scope on it and take it for a shoot next week. I must be a few years since it was last fired.
 
Newest, just started on it. Exhibition Claro in Rollover style. Just wet to see the grain & figure. In terms of value, I think their AA or AAA may be the best bang for the buck. I just ordered a lower grade Monte Carlo for a hunting rifle in 8x57, American Black Walnut. Haven’t gotten it yet. I like them. The work time is not insignificant, but for the money, not bad. I enjoy the work bench time. Still learning as I go. From Richard’s in ‘23.

IMG_2685.jpegIMG_2684.jpeg
 
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Remington Mosin Nagant 6.5x54R on A Richards "Prone Culbertson" Stock. I don't care for gloss finishes, This one has a satin wipe on poly finish.
Do you field hunt with that rifle? Looks like you do. I’m wondering how you like the shape and function of that style stock?
 
Do you field hunt with that rifle? Looks like you do. I’m wondering how you like the shape and function of that style stock?
No sir, It has a Heavy Varmint Broughton 5C barrel on it, I don't have that kind of muscle to lug that around, I use it for long range.

The stock is for lying prone.
 
Did you make that cutout in the cheek piece for the bolt? Or did it come with the inlet work?

It's beautifully finished. I love the satin look
 
Did you make that cutout in the cheek piece for the bolt? Or did it come with the inlet work?

It's beautifully finished. I love the satin look
No, I milled it out with a core box router bit for most of it, The stock is very wide and it needed clearance for the hand to manipulate the bolt, Thanks for the compliments!

Oh yes, The slot in the cheek was done by myself for clearance when manipulating the bolt.
 
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