Has anyone seen a worst checkering job on a new rifle? Marlin 1895 in 45/70 purchased in mid 2020.

I don't actually think that is checkering, not sure what it is intended to be but pretty sure checkering isn't it.

We sent some back to Remington with worse checkering, but it seemed like they didn't care. We had several that had entire chunks missing, 2 inch square sections. We'd get replacements in that were just as bad. Made me sick.

^^^ Yeah this, yours isn’t too bad, for a Marlin

Even my attempts look better, chuckle. But rifles from a lot of wood stocked rifles could use repointing. This was on post war rifles of half a century ago. Not all were class "A"

I have made barrel threads that look like that.

Pressed burlap look?

Ha ha. At least nobody gets to see your barrel threads.

Three or four years ago I bought a new Zastava Mauser. The thought of a $300 mauser intrigued me. It came with a stock that makes that look like a custom job. Worse checkering than that. Gun shoots nice and the blueing is superb but the stock is rough

Lools good it's a cheaply.made hunting gun.

(Got me worried, so I had to check.)

I bought a 336 in 35Rem in January this year and it has the exact same "chequering". On the fore end stock there is almost a diamond pattern but that at the grip there is something else. Looks okay at a distance with less than perfect eyesight, and is functional. It shoots good, so I can excuse them in my case.








I'll keep it away from the Anschutz when they are in the rack.

Dang that looks like I did it...lol

Laser cutter gone wild?

I've yet to find a Browning with "hand cut" checkering that didn't look like it was done with the corner of a brick by a 5 year old tourette's victim. My BPS was horrible and I looked at dozens of grade II BL-22's trying to find one with passable checkering before finally giving up and buying a grade I without the sloppy checkering.

More like the company doesn't bother with piss tests.

Now that’s funny! I thought pressed checkering was bad in the 60’s & 70’s - heck it’d be better just left smooth than take the time to rub a cheese grater on it??!

PennDog

There is enough roughness to make it functional though, but not as grippy as proper chequering. I'm almost convinced that the chequering on my Anschutz will remove skin if I mishandled it.

I'm gonna have a closer look at my CZs I think.

I have a friend who is a very competent stock maker...we were rooting through my safe the other day looking for something. One of the rifles I handed to him had my finest example of home checkering, I saw him looking at it and said, I did that (fishing for a complement actually). He said, Hmm. Not willing to give up I said, no, really what do you think of my checkering. He unloaded on me, that...is not checkering, I would generously describe that as texturing. Azshole.

A gunsmith friend of mine, showing off his checkering to another gunsmith was asked if he did it with a knife and fork.

I have an old piece of pine 2x4 I practiced on before I stated on rifles.It looks better than that

Ain't sure if this is a checkering, but not bad for a marlin

Well heck, people who are going to go on to do checkering on real rifles need to be trained on something , right? Might as well be on a rifle no one cares about.... LOL

Believe it or not but I watched hand cut checker on Beretta o/u with women doing it. It was on HOW ITS MADE channel.said it only takes the about 15 minutes per side. The way they were going at it I believe it. After that I started looking at their guns at different clubs I shoot at. I couldn't believe how sloppy much of their checker work is. They use double borders to hide their over runs. First thing I look for on checkered when I pick up a gun is double borders. If the gun has that I look no further.

Have also seen checkering just about as bad (though in somewhat different ways) on late-model pre-'64 Model 70 Winchesters.

I suspect that's stamping.

I would have been much happier if the 1895 I bought was sans any checkering.

You guys must have slept through the '70's. That's better than just about anything made during that era.

It is quite clearly cut. If stamped it would be 100% off.

They are most likely required to go that fast to meet a quota. You can't rush if you want a quality job.

You think that's bad checkering? Here, hold my beer....

Believe it or not, that could actually be repaired by someone who knew how to checker to the point it would look perfect...

Kinda what I was thinking.

Although the pattern seems to wander a bit, which probably wouldn't happen with a die pressed into the wood. I guess a sloppy laser cut, but it is pretty sorry looking.

I've re-cut checkering, but not sure if I could do much with that.

'50's Pre-64 checkering wasn't too good, but there was enough pattern to re-cut. Not sure about those.

DF

Well as a matter of fact I have seen worse, much worse. That’s why I’ll never again attempt to do any kind of checkering!

I think I should stop taking photos. The Anschutz looks worse than I hoped - looks better with the naked eye,

Walther:






Anschutz:






Merkel:






CZ:

That’s not bad for machine cut checkering. It could be re-cut to look better, but to me it’s ok as is.

DF

Yes, it's fully functional and looks good to the naked eye.

You did an excellent job with your re-cut checking.

Thanks. It took a good bit of time.

Manufacturers can’t afford that much time, thus faster ways of doing stuff.

DF

I watched that and they worked FAST.

You get what you are willing to pay for....Most of the engraving today is mostly done with a laser...Sometimes hand chased, but it isn't real engraving...

I like your friend! LOL

Correct. Not likely to get a high end checkering job on a $700 rifle.

This thread makes me wonder who does have exceptional checkering on a factory made rifle that will not put my great grand kids in hock? Checkering has always intrigued me, almost to the point I would love to learn but find little time and gumption to actually learn.

Sako