Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Rifle stock semi-inletting

I've looked at numerous company websites that offer stock semi-inletting services but would like some real world experience. I have wood that I will use and would like to have a "classic" style stock done similar to the Dakota 76 style or the Richards Old Style Classic. A number of posts here make me a little leary of actually using Richards but I've not ruled it out. I plan on using a local gunsmith whose work I have seen to finish the inletting and bedding prior to doing the finish work myself. Any suggestions are appreciated.

Try Al Lind. He did one for me that was excellent. He was a good buddy of Don Allen and a member of the ACGG.

That's one I missed when checking websites though I do recognize the name. His work and tooling look very impressive. Just emailed details of what I'm looking for and pics of the blanks I have on hand. Thank you very much for the suggestion.
MC

Talk to the man who will do the finish work as he may or may not care to work with the guy you choose.

Met with him yesterday. His biggest concern is using somebody that knows what they're doing, not pro or con any individuals. He had a "no name" rifle stock a guy had kept so long he didn't know where he got it. It was going under a Mauser/Douglas barrelled action. Smith had tried to talk the guy into throwing it away and starting over because it was turning into a pretty expensive free stock when all the labor was applied. He was pretty animated about that stock. You had to be there but funny.

Sounds like he has in mind "someone who knows what he's doing"????? As for pro or con, I'm sure he has the "pro" or "pros" locked in so you might shop for wood through your smith unless you already have a hefty priced slab of walnut in hand.
It's bit in that "if you have to ask the price you can't afford it" scenario when it comes to labor. So maybe buying wood through or from your smith will be cheaper in the long run. "Animated" eh? I like that. Have fun! Life's an adventure!

If the guy doesn't want to work with Al Lind send him packing.

He's a great guy. Not a big name at all but has been a home-shop gunsmith for many years. Trys NOT to get more customers. While I was there he opened the safe and pulled out one of his personal rifles I hadn't seen before. A full stock 98 he built Euro pattern slim and trim in 7x57 that's as sweet a firearm as you'll ever see. Great lines, wonderful finish on the wood and blue you can stick your finger into. Simple, classic, beautiful. Good people. Heck, knowing how busy he stays I was trying to leave and not to hog all his time and he pulled out pictures of his and son's trip last year to South Africa. Spent another 30 minutes talking about all that. Excited about working with him on this project and the next (next being a 6.5x55 like the 98 he flashed on me. I think he set me up.)