Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB - MD - Chassis Stocks

I've read your article in the February 2018 GUNS Magazine entitled "The Essential Interface". Essentially, the chassis stock seems to be the wave of the future, (unfortunately) replacing my favored walnut as the stocking material of choice. In the article, you describe the warping potential of walnut and even synthetic stocks. But my question concerns the warping potential of aluminum chassis stocks - in the hot desert sun (say 120 degrees) or the cold Montana months (say -10 degrees or lower), would not aluminum warp and affect accuracy just as does walnut in moist and then dry conditions? What is the advantage of aluminum chassis stocks (other than great adjustability) over walnut or synthetic stocks? What would their effect be on accuracy?

Thanks

further monkey wrench....

what about a synthetic stock with an aluminum bedding block like Bell and Carlson??? swell/ shrink/ warp at different rates?

djs,

While aluminum does change dimensions at different temperatures, it doesn't squirm around like wood or "plastics." Which is one reason so many wood or synthetic stocks now include aluminum pillars for the action screws.

On a less theoretical level, I haven't witnessed the same sorts of shifts in stocks with any sort of integral bedding block (including the Ruger American Rifle's system) that I have with epoxy-bedded wood or synthetic stocks.

Thanks, John.

Not many complaints with ours...............Accurate Innovations

February's 2018 Guns is already published? What are magazines thinking? Haven't read a gun rag in years

I played with one about 25 years back which was made for Weatherby Mark V actions. As I owned several of them, mostly in the largest chamberings I wanted to see if the classic stock/butt shape made any difference in the recoil management. It really was a novelty back then on a sporting rifle. Because this stock was made by a company that specialized in bench rest accuracy, it was very skeletonized around the action so movement and support was not consideration though the recoil areas was still bedded to provide mated and stress free contact.

Because Australia does not have the cold climate we have here, talk of stock shift and variables is largely non applicable as you would never see it there though we did have higher temps in warmer weather, barrel heat was the determinator rather than stock movement when range shooting.

Will tell you this though, Accuracy was as good as the barrel and load amnd they get cold in winter which is not face friendly.

John

PS, They aren't very pretty either.

I agree with the temp thing. AL gets too hot in the sun and too cold in the Winter. It will suck the heat right out of a gloved hand.

Should have added that the stock I used minimized action contact to action screw support only, so stresses are also minimized with 100% free floated batrel. Very clinical.
John