Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing McMillan Stocks

Ok, I'm going to try and simplify my question. Everyone seems to love McMillan Stocks. I've been thinking about one myself. One of the gunsmiths I use, told me to buy a Bansner stock and save myself about half the cost of a McMillan, and get the same quality. If the stock still needs pillars, and or bedded, what makes them so desirable? I've bedded wood stocks, and cheap plastic remington tupperware stocks with good results. I'm not cheap by any means, and am willing to pay the price. Just some honest opinions what makes the McMillan stock the cat's meow? I don't want to drive a Hummer, when my explorer is pretty good, just to say I have a Hummer. I'm not a trendy person. Please give some pros and cons. Thanks

My experience with McMillan stocks is limited to just one and to Bansner none. Quite frankly I'd listen to your gunsmith-especially if he's doing the install. With my McMillan the action inletting was a "drop in" but the inletting of the barrel channel was terrible. Plus I think the wait time is much longer nowadays. A sign of success I suppose.

I think the "drop in" feature is attractive to us non gunsmiths and there is no doubt they are good stocks but also are quite heavy unless you get the Edge stock. They also have an extensive list of patterns.

In the end I glass bedded mine & floated the barrel so all is fine. But my next stock may well be a Bansner.

Regards,
JohnT

I HAD a McSwirly. The barrel channel inlet was way oversized. It was heavier than the factory synthetic. It got sold and replaced with a B&C Alaskan which weighed 29 oz's. It is a great stock and I like it WAY GOODER than the McSwirly.

Manufacturing tolerances (for receivers, barrels, bottom metal, and stocks) being what they are, "drop-in" is always going to be somewhat of a crap shoot no matter what company you are dealing with.

McMillan's reputation was built on the composition and ruggedness of their stocks as well as the large number of styles they offer.

If you want a "custom" fit stock there is only one way to get it...buy a non-inletted stock/blank and inlet it for your particular barreled receiver and bottom metal.

I'll try to present only the objective differences, as I am a McMillan dealer. I have worked many Bansers, and still own one on a custom rifle.

A Bansner blank runs $250 retail. At a minimum, you'll need to install a pad, prep and paint. In my experience, a good bedding job is in order as well. If your gunsmith will do all that for free, then you will, indeed, save half. Bansners have no checkering, FWIW.

McMillan EDGE (to compare apples to apples weight-wise) run $499 here:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22

For that, you will receive a finished stock, with a premium recoil pad installed at your desired LOP, fully machine-inletted for your exact barreled-action specs, pillars installed, and painted, studs included. You'll be able to choose from quite a few more patterns and options.

I see some guys here noting that their inletting was off. It happens, but those are the exceptions. With McMillan, you can specify every last detail from tang to tip, and to include bottom metal, and have it CNC-inletted so that it drops right in. The large majority of the time, it's a tighten-bolts-and-go-shoot proposition. A Bansner has molded-in inletting, and so gunsmith mods are the order of the day unless you're running a factory rig.

Bansners are good stocks. I have one on a lightweight rifle and see no need to sell it. They are sold as blanks, and so comparing the price of a Bansner blank to a completely finished McMillan is not valid. Factor in the cost of finish work, and then compare pricing.

After that, compare absolute quality (you'll have to solicit the opinions of others on that), and see which you prefer.

rb

And in addition...despite them not being wood, McMillan stocks can hardly be called "tupperware" stocks.

The story goes that Gale McMillan let the Marine Corps run over one of his stocks with a 6X truck and also use it like a bat against a pipe to see if they could break it. To this day the Marine Corps M40's use McMillan stocks and that says allot.

I run a lot of Banser's. If you do your own work, they are a bunch cheaper. Banser fitting one vs Mcmillan fitting one, a Banser will come in around a $100 cheaper, but you do not have the options. I think a good smith charging you for a bed job on a McMillian and the same smith doing a bed job, fit, pad and paint, the price will be a wash. I love banser's great stocks, very light and their ergos fit me like a glove. I can get a Basner from Brownell's in a week. Mickey's take a long time. My smith can true an action and hang a barrel in about 10 days. I am impatient and do not like to wait, plus I like to get my hands dirty. That said, I will be grabbing an edge for my 338-06AI from the X-Mas sale. That gun is done so waiting will not be a deal

Both High quality
Banser gets them to you fast
McMillian has more options
If you do not do your own work price is a wash
McMillian will command a higher resale value.

Thanks for all the input. I do love the McMillan Swirly, weight is not that big a deal, as I mostly field hunt. Seems lots of folks like the McMillan's, and opinion does count. I'm thinking of a build, and want it to be right the first time. I have to get my hands on one of each, and that will be the deciding factor. Thanks again to all. Don