I picked up a Savage mk2 btv the other day on gunbroker really cheap for an mk2 stock I had bought a few weeks ago off another board. Got the stock in today. First off, its a Richards Microfit Benchmark style inletted for the mk2 in nutmeg laminate. I have read good and bad, mostly bad, about the fitment of these, but seeing as how it came off a rifle that someone was using regulary, I figured it was probably ok to use. It has a 2.5" wide forearm that will be good for shooting of bags and packs, and the stock is full size, much larger all around than the tacticool I have. This is a good thing for me, I'm 6'5 and about 230 with long arms and like a stock that fits me somewhat (I installed the adjustable buttplate on the tacticool in my signature for that reason), even on a 22 trainer. The stock shape itself reminds me of the hs precision stock with the flat tapered rear butt, cant remember the number on it, except with the front vents on the forearm.
Well, I took it out of the box for inspection and noticed the bottom metal/magazine area and the trigger guard were not inletted. Strange, but no biggie, I can inlet those. But, I also noticed that a lot of the flat surfaces were not flat at all. I don't mean wavy, I mean uneven where the forearm would not lay flat on a table. More sanding I guess. This was also the case with the top rails next to the barrel channel and action. All remedied with sanding, I guess, but delays my painting and rifle time.
Anyway, I sanded the stock down and leveled out the top rails and bottom of the forearm, and also evened out the palm swell some as the right side had a not in the center of it which caused a big bump in the palm of your hand when gripped. More sanding. Barrel channel seemed a little tight, so I opened it up some with my trusty 1" pipe and 100 grit. More sanding. I started to wonder if the stock had ever been on a rifle. It was finished, hand rubbed by the guy I bought it from, and although it was rough it looked to have been used. Not sure of the finishing methods, but the stock looked stained in multiple areas, and sand marks and dips and dings had collected more stain and looked darker. I have finished quite a few hardwood and laminate stocks, and usually go from 60 or 100 grit up to 600 and then some ultra fine steel wool before I apply the finish. I use lin-speed oil, but have stained various stocks and have always believed less is more, and if you need more, do multiple coats of stain, not one heavy coat. That said, I will be painting this stock camo of some sort, havent really decided on a pattern yet (still really like the nighthawk camo pattern I did on my budget build). I will probably only sand this one to 400, then use a filler for the laminate, and then a primer before the paint goes on.
Enough words, here's some pics of the stock:
and some after sanding and leveling:
The BTV should be in next week sometime, so I hope I can have this done by the 4th.
Well, I took it out of the box for inspection and noticed the bottom metal/magazine area and the trigger guard were not inletted. Strange, but no biggie, I can inlet those. But, I also noticed that a lot of the flat surfaces were not flat at all. I don't mean wavy, I mean uneven where the forearm would not lay flat on a table. More sanding I guess. This was also the case with the top rails next to the barrel channel and action. All remedied with sanding, I guess, but delays my painting and rifle time.
Anyway, I sanded the stock down and leveled out the top rails and bottom of the forearm, and also evened out the palm swell some as the right side had a not in the center of it which caused a big bump in the palm of your hand when gripped. More sanding. Barrel channel seemed a little tight, so I opened it up some with my trusty 1" pipe and 100 grit. More sanding. I started to wonder if the stock had ever been on a rifle. It was finished, hand rubbed by the guy I bought it from, and although it was rough it looked to have been used. Not sure of the finishing methods, but the stock looked stained in multiple areas, and sand marks and dips and dings had collected more stain and looked darker. I have finished quite a few hardwood and laminate stocks, and usually go from 60 or 100 grit up to 600 and then some ultra fine steel wool before I apply the finish. I use lin-speed oil, but have stained various stocks and have always believed less is more, and if you need more, do multiple coats of stain, not one heavy coat. That said, I will be painting this stock camo of some sort, havent really decided on a pattern yet (still really like the nighthawk camo pattern I did on my budget build). I will probably only sand this one to 400, then use a filler for the laminate, and then a primer before the paint goes on.
Enough words, here's some pics of the stock:
and some after sanding and leveling:
The BTV should be in next week sometime, so I hope I can have this done by the 4th.
