FWIW, walnut shrinks approx 4% to 8% when dried from green down to 6% moisture content. And consistently air/kiln drying thicker pieces of wood (eg: gun stock blanks) can be difficult. For the dimensional changes you are talking about, in my mind, it is entirely in the realm of possibility that maybe the stock blank was not as dry as it should have been, maybe in a "dead spot" in the kiln charge relative to air flow. And if the finished stock/rifle then spent a year or two sitting in a dry climate like AZ or NM where the wood continued the drying process... Just speculation on my part. But you get the idea.
I wish you the best in your dealings with Winchester. That is a nice piece of wood. I hope it works out to your satisfaction.
My only fuss with the JOC rifles is: No Left handers...
I sincerely hope they make this right for you. Winchester should know that expectations are high for a custom model like yours. I picked up a custom high grade featherweight .270 over a year ago and it is beautiful. The quality of these Model 70s should not be hit or miss.
JR270 not directed at you....just general comments and not dumping on the OP's rifle, nor meaning to offend but...
Expectations may be high but the price is not in accordance with what is expected for top end work; never has been in factory shop "customs",which is why I have always avoided factory "tribute" rifles, and stayed away from factory "custom shop" rifles.
Mostly they have been built deliberately attractive enough to snare the unwary and indiscriminate buyer who really thinks they are going to get Al Biesen or other high end maker fit, finish, and function for a fraction of the price of top quality work. Such rifles will bear superficial resemblance to, say, JOC's rifle...but that's about "it".
Factory wood will be "green", punky, open pored, not properly cured; workmanship will be indifferent compared to the good stuff; finish will be uneven and the checkering not of top quality. A properly cured and sealed high end walnut blank will be as stable as a slab of granite and take years of use to move around. A good stock maker won't use anything but...
I'd rather cowboy up and use the $2k as deposit on something really good.
For an example of a truly nice custom wood/blue rifle at a bargain price(a steal really), take a look at the rifle built by George Betzinger (sp), recently sold by Steven Dodd Hughes for $2500 bucks in the Classifieds. You couldn't get the stock work on that rifle today for the cost of a JOC tribute. Someone recognized this and stole it while many of us slept. Such deals are out there; you have to really look and shop discriminately.
It's the same old story and it will never change....you only get what you pay for. Barring some odd circumstances common to the marketplace, it simply cannot be any other way.
I suspect the factory will swap out the stock for another, but sort of doubt anybody will be laboring over this stock to cure any defects....I could be wrong though.
Well said Bob. I was interested in one of these rifles, until I got my hands on a couple of them to have a good look. A standard featherweight barrelled action with a 2 dollar tacky laser engraving on the floor plate and trigger guard, a two dollar stamped steel butt plate installed on the more expensive tribute, super grade sling swivels and a classic stock style with fleur-de-lis checkering and dark for end tip on wood that varies from quite nice to some of them being rather plain with fit and finish no better than a $750 featherweight. I don't think Jack O'Connor would be really impressed with these guns being sold at the price point their asking.
Good points gentlemen and I do understand the point of getting what you pay for. I do however own 2 other custom rifles but I also own 3 Kimber rifles, 2 Classic Selects and 1 84M Varmint, and they both have beautiful French Claro stocks with impeccable fit and finish, expertly floated barrel channel, rock solid action bedding and pillar bedding on both action screws. The checkering will grate cheese or bloody your hand if you rip it across it fast enough and the accessories including grip caps, recoil pads, etc., are fit perfectly on all 3 Kimbers. However, the price of each of the Kimbers was less than half of what I paid for the JOC Custom Tribute, so I expected the JOC to be comparable in workmanship to the Kimber rifles. I also own a few, actually 4, out of the box 2000 era Winchester M70 Classic actions and the stocks on those were actually fitted and finished better than the JOC, although the grades of wood are obviously in two different spectrums. I couldn't expect the detail I received from Kenny Jarret or the work of art from Montana Rifles but the JOC gun should at least be equal to their Super Grade in fit/finish and detail. I really wanted the gun because I am a fan of Mr. O'Connors work and his great stories of hunting in the west not far from where I grew up in Oklahoma. I guess I thought that somehow Winchester would be able to come close to reproducing his beloved #2. The pictures I saw sure made me think they just might have done it, closer inspection upon receipt has left the experience wanting. Surely Winchester will make this right, I can't see how they won't but the last thing I want is another stock that isn't of the same quality and figure of the one I sent in. I'll keep everyone up to date along the way with progress reports but I do have faith that Winchester will make this right.
Just got off the phone with Winchester and talked to "Dave". He said it is likely that the stock has changed shape and possibly shrank from the time it was produced and the time I purchased it. He said the stock should be able to be corrected but woodwork is normally very labor intensive and I can expect to wait about 2 months for the stock to be finished. Although I do hate the 2 month wait, this does give me hope that I will be able to keep the stock I paid for and it will arrive back in the condition befitting a Custom Tribute rifle, particularly one with Jack O'Connor's name on it. literally. I'll call back in a month and try to get an update. He also said that Winchester will be mailing me a service number and some particulars regarding the work they are doing and the schedule expected for delivery. I told him that I was a little more than uncomfortable having to send a stock via UPS and all I had for any receipt was the UPS pick up label they emailed me. He assured me that this is perfectly normal and that is why I will be receiving the service number, etc. Updates to follow......
Sounds to me like Winchester is making at least a credible effort, and this is good. I hope that the rifle you get back is as nice as you hope for or even better. I will be looking for your update in March or so.
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
After all the trouble I have had with my new Winchester Jack O�Connor Custom Tribute rifle I thought things were turning around yesterday with two items found in the mail on the doorstep. First in the mail bundle was an info card on my rifle and its progress at the service center. Unfortunately the service card lists my gun as a Springfield 30-06, that must make Jack roll over in his grave, and when logging on to check the status is appears that mid-April is the earliest I will see the gun stock again as it will be re-checkered, refinished, and the metal parts re-fit. I tried to call Browning (the actual name on the card) and they were all gone for the day so I'll have to clear up my card/account errors lest I get back a 30-06 of some variety(yuck). The second glimmer of hope rested in a box from Clewiston Idaho which I knew contained my complimentary rifle case from the Jack O'Connor Hunting Heritage & Education Center. Much to my surprise I opened the box and found the custom embroidery spelling Lewiston as "LEWISION". Who knows, maybe Mr. O'Connor moved from Lewiston at some point to a township known as Lewision but I doubt it. Anyway, the rifle matches the case perfectly right now. Designed well, well thought out, but executed very poorly in the production phase. I enclosed a picture of the spelling error on the case and I doubt I'll return it because it probably isn't worth all the hassle anyway. I had planned to use it as a travel case in the vehicle when I went to a hunt club or back home when the gun needed a "Grand Entrance", you know what I mean. Anytime I needed to high hat it just a bit and show off my Winchester. For now, I'll just set back and wonder if this ordeal will ever end and now I can't help but have serious concerns about the rifle function, accuracy, and performance when I get the stock back and get it together. I know manufacturing isn't always a process of perfection but I hate being the guy that apparently got "that gun" but at least I have the case to match! I'll enclose a picture of the case. Kind of funny huh, I guess no one checked the work at any point in the process of these cases and they are named for a writer that was a meticulous wordsmith and editor of the highest quality. I bet he would have caught the spelling error .......... but it is likely that no one would have handed him the rifle I received or the case that I received either. Well, the gun has a history and a story to go with it and it has never had a round chambered, not bad huh?
Had a thought from another member who inquired the manufacturer of the new gun case. Figured it wouldn't be hard to find out so I removed it from the box, looked inside and yup, MADE IN HENRICH CHINA from materials of HENRICH CHINA. Don't know who embroidered it but figured it was probably them too. Unfortunately I feel this thing is a long way from over and I can't help but feel I am going to get the shaft before its all over.
Good luck with Browning/Winchester service centers stock work. I had them respray a faulty finished xbolt a couple years ago. It took 3 times longer than quoted, came back split in the wrist, and the finish looked nowhere near factory. Checkering was half filled with finish. They claimed it was damaged in shipping but both boxes were perfect. Dunno what happened but they ended up refitting a new stock and covered it under warranty. Whole thing took about 8 months IIRC. I would never have them do a refinish again.
