Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Richards Microfit Gunstocks?

How much work is it to finish them in the 96% Semi Inlet?

I cost me $300 to fit mine to my 40XB Rangemaster, and then a whole day with a palm sander and loose paper to get the splinters and edges off them. I was very unhappy and told them that the gunsmith had to mill out the barrel channel, carve out more wood for the action and bottom metal and use a lot of epoxy. When the screw holes were drilled the wood was splintered and there wasn't a half inch of it for the front trigger guard screw to grab. He had to drill it out and epoxy in a brass bushing he made to be able to tighten the thing down. It's definitely less work than carving one yourself, I absolutely could not have opened up the barrel channel and did the fitting on mine. The 96% figure was B.S. I'll never ever buy another one.

There's nothing wrong with buying a semi inletted stock. Your gonna have to buy some tools to do a stock on your own, or a semi finished piece, so account for the investment. There are companies out there that claim a 100 percent drop in fit. I have no experience with them. My suggestion to you is go with a better named company, a serengeti, joel russo, someone that has a good reputation. After you spend all that time fitting an action into a stock you'll be disappointed with Richards. They have extra material out of places they shouldn't. Their wood grading isn't the best.

I've finished one Richards. I can't complain much about the product. It was quite a bit of work to fit it and glass it, but I expected that. As a company, I'll never deal with them again....

I got the 99% finished stock for my 35 Whelen Masuer and it turned out real good. I bougth a factory second in the double A for the price and I was please with the wood itself. Now I'm thinking of getting one of those crazy laminated stock colors for my 25-06 masuer, just for somethng different.

Got a high end 95% piece from them, and was pretty happy. I bought scrapers, planes, chisels, rasp, gouges, and inletting black, and put in about 50 hours on final fit and finish., It stimulates those "Oh Wow" responses when shown. The effort was about what I expected, as I was pretty anal about the finish. Anything that is truly drop in is going to fit and look like one. Delivery took about 16 weeks. There are many though that are upset with the final fit and finish work required. Do one and you will understand why most of us can not afford custom stock work. I enjoy that type of work, but could never do it with deadlines. Don't take it on if one is even remotely short on time.

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I have gotten some nice pieces of wood from them before but have heard of many not too happy.

Their forte might be the laminated stocks.

On the 96% if you can imagine the stock was profiled by hungry beavers and they got stopped just before they ruined the chunk of wood then you have a pretty good idea of what to expect.

Sometime they don't stop the Beavers soon enough, if in doubt send it back immediately and pay with an insured credit card.

80% might be a better figure. I love woodworking and it was still a PITA. I bought a lot of tools to make it easier too. One thing that pissed me of about my last order was that I ordered a AA stock and my order was downgraded to semi-fancy - no communication it just showed up in the mail that way. They only charged me for a semi-fancy but I did not want that grade. I asked for a refund and got it without a hassle.

I might buy another one if there are no other options.

RH

I tried one Richard MF and it will be my last. The 99 % inlet is a joke. The barrel channel was just a small grove cut the length of stock . The action screws where drilled of center. No bolt cut. The stock looked like the took a knife and whittled it out of a piece of wood. It took me two weeks to get it ready to finish and that was after using a lot of Acraglas . Plus it took 9 months to receive after i ordered it and no one would return email or answer the phone in this 9 months. Save yourself a lot of work and trouble and get a Boyd. I guess i don't have to say RMF lost me as a customer.

I'm not complaining about even the time it takes to inlet one, I understand that. I got a stock for a 98 mauser. The floorplate is so badly inletted from them that theres ugly gaps. They aren't horrible, but when I'm putting time into something, I atleast want an oppertunity to screw it up myself. I rather not receive a stock that way. The bolt cut outs aren't the best, and they assume your using a factory safety. Richards has very poor customer service, and their wood grading isn't up to par either. Do yourself a favor, buy a stock from a higher end company. You'll get what you pay for, and in the long run their inletting will be nicer, their woods nicer, and the fits nice also. Although I can't complain on how mine has turned out or the fit of it. My next gun will be getting a stock from serengeti.

Back again. While I was lucky and had a resonably good Microfit experience, I will probably just start with a plank for my subsequent stocks. One can rough them out with the dimensions in every plane being exactly what he wants.

I'm doing one for a 6.5 x 55 Swede right now, and even though I still well away on finish, I can pick a point, close my eyes, shoulder the rifle, and it's pointed right where I want. A quality stock is not just fit to the metal, it also fits the shooter.

Definately more work than I'm looking for.
Was looking to do some LITE wood removal & finish sanding not
become a stockmaker.Serengeti looks good but too pricey.
This is a JC Higgins Model 50,not exactly high end.

But very worthy...

Sure do miss the old Fajen Co. Bishop too for that matter. --- Mel

Fajen was my favorite

I agree, Richard's Micro-Fit stocks are a PITA!

I've done a couple of them for rifles where there wasn't really any other viable options, but I wouldn't wish them on anyone if there are other viable options. The glue used in the laminated stock is really hard and dulls cutter really quickly. I've had to use carbide tipped router bits in the mill to cut the laminated wood/glue.

Jeff

If you want a project and at a bargain price they're good for that.

But in some cases a rough profile job is harder to work with than a raw board. You don't have any straight edges to true things up to.

I hope they improve standards and customer service as there are not many other options in this price range.

Me too.

Yes. Using an old Bishop now as a pattern for a pre64 M70 to be stocked in Turkish.