Anyone had any recent dealings/experience with them ?

It's been a few years but my experiences were not great. Inletting was not even close. I was used to Boyd's almost drop-in inletting and was disappointed in Richards.

I had them cut a stock for a old Herter's J9 (BSA) because they had a pattern for that action. I got a medium-high grade walnut. Inletting was close enough, and the wood was better than I expected. Turned into a handsome vintage type rifle. They don't like to hurry, but I would use their services again. This was 15 years ago, if that could be considered recent.

Wood on the ones that I received were good, but it appears that a beaver had a go at it before shipped. Inletting was about 20%.

Every Richards I ever bought or saw was very nice wood, usually better than expected / advertised. They usually need a bit of work to fit them though. I am assuming so that you have a nice close fit; fine for pros, not so much for amateurs. We always called them Richards Maybe Fits instead of Microfits! I would take one over a Boyd's anyday. Boyd's drop-ins are flat sloppy. Their solution is for you to fill the gaps with glas.

Their wood is good, generally you get a little better than you pay for.

Their inletting isn't so good, they always need a lot of work and unless you are a better than average stock finisher I would avoid Richards Micro-Fit. The observation that they should call themselves "Richards Maybe-Fit" is an accurate reflection of my experience with them. If you have time and skill they are sometimes the only option.

I had a poor experience with Boyd's customer service. You might check with Stockys.

Thanks for the input. Last one I used had to be at least 10-12 years ago. Sounds like things at Richard's are pretty much the same today.

+1

Boyd’s inletting is as good as Richards is bad. No comparison.

Richards has more wood and style options, which I like. But I’ll never buy another Richards due to their exceedingly poor inletting.

DF

+1 on Boyd's customer service. Very poor.

Back in the day Fajen was the best followed by Bishop, Richards was always regarded as pretty crummy as far as inletting.

Agreed. They sent me a stock with the barrel channel cut off-center and while they did replace it, they didn't reimburse me for the cost of the return shipping and then charged me for the shipping on the replacement stock. Since the stock was defective, I felt that Boyd's should have paid all of the costs associated with replacing it.

The same thing happened to me.

Do they offer an inletting service whereby you send in your pattern, already glass bedded for your rife, and they then use your pattern with their wood.

I don't see how they could mill a crooked barrel channel. Sounds to me like they are using wet wood and it warps after inletting.

Got better than expected wood. A plus in my book was that many hours or fitting were needed to bed a Yugo 24/47 revamped to a 240 Weatherby. Anything that is drop in ready has had way too much wood removed. If I wanted "drop in" I'd go plastic.

More likely sloppy machine set up.

I don't see why Richards can't get a CNC machine to do more accurate inletting. Boyds look more like CNC machined, not sure about what they use.

Or at least set up their machines better.

DF

Kevin, might give 'em a call, I think they do.

http://www.rifle-stocks.com/frequently_asked_questions.htm

I got a guy in MN that does real nice duplicating, your wood or his, PM me if you want his number

50 years ago they were a top notch company. Many of their stock designs were developed by Monte Kennedy and Jerry Fisher. They always had outstanding wood but has been noted their inletting at that time left a lot to be desired if you were not a pro. stock builder which at that time they mostly catered to. They were the only stock company that handled Yama Wood from Japan which was the lightest and strongest wood you could get for a stock and had outstand color patterns in it. We developed a formula which when applied to the wood really enhanced it appearance. In those days Fajen and Bishop didn't even compare with Richards

Yama is nothing but Japanese maple and a very small tree. Blanks were rare because they seldom got big enough. Bigleaf maple has slightly better mechanical characteristics and in wood of equal density is about the only wood that is better than the walnuts. The differences are tiny.

Bigleaf is readily available, but highly figured pieces are usually quite dense, thus stronger...

Actually it was common practice to cure it in salt water. The Japanese later claimed it as a national treasure and would not export it any longer. I have a Peterson rollover stock in it that is over 50 years old and it is still as good as the day I fitted and finished it. Outstanding figure and color in it plus it is as stable as the day it was done.

Saltwater would eliminate its use in stocks... as Browning discovered too late.

My son recently purchased a stock from Richards. It was very expensive wood, and inlet, cost him somewhere upwards of $500, quite a bit more actually with shipping, and it was terrible.
The pistol grip was cracked, the inlet was way to far forward, resulting in the action being in completely the wrong place. The wood was not very decent either, with several flaws.
He immediately called them back and complained about the work, the wood, and the cost. They told him because it was a custom job he could go pound sand.

I have used Richards a bit in the past, but would never recommend them in the future, will never do business with them again. They are total crap in my mind from this point forward.
While my experience in the past was alright, this was beyond measure. The stock is completely worthless in my book. Cant fix an inlet that is over an inch too far forward. Pathetic work, terrible customer service, unbelievably bad.
I would build a stock out of an old fence post before I would ever do business with Richards again.
re

A drunk beaver at that.

I got one and moved it. Sold it to another party who was OK with it. I wasn't.

They have great wood, a good selection of shapes and styles.

If one could combine that with Boyd quality inletting, you'd have something. Until that happens, no more "microfit" for me. They need to research what "microfit" means or implies. What they have is a gross misuse of that term...

DF

I've got one on order...Winter project, hopefully the inletting isn't too bad...I ordered the Classic #102 for my 1930 1903 Springfield...

Eric, which winter?

DF

Ordered one from them the end of August, still waiting.

Wish you the best.

One I ordered for a Mauser had the bottom metal inlet way too long for the bottom metal.

It's easier to remove wood than put it back. And, who wants a patch job on a nice rifle. I sold it to a guy who was OK with it as it was.

DF

I read somewhere that they guy who bought all the Fajen patterns and machinery was opening shop again and is going to be making stocks to order. Anyone else hear this and know the contact information? If it were me, this is the route I would consider but since this is a new enterprise it may be wise to check references first.....

I used Fajen a bit when I first started playing with customizing some of my guns and my 'smith used them a lot back then and we always had excellent results from them. They also had a lot of rare patterns you couldn't get anywhere else....

Bob

Wish him the best.

I miss Fajen...

DF

I think the guys who worked for Fajen when they closed their doors are now running Wenig- if it is still in business.... However, from what I understand the owner of Fajen kept the patterns and tools until recently... Wenig is also a good option, but their prices aren't cheap and I've heard conflicting stories about their service?

Wenig, from what I can tell, is more of a custom or semi-custom operation, not a mass production facility like Fajen was. They are therefore more expensive, but do have a nice selection of wood and shapes.

I've never bought from them, was a regular Fajen customer back in the day.

DF

Came across this on another forum: https://manitoucustomguns.com/

So, that's where Fajen's equipment ended up, moved north from MO to MI...

Good to know.

DF

Well...I may be a fool, but I was hoping this winter.

Jump starting this...

I'm looking for a cheap stock to bolt a Kimber Swedish Mauser into, you may remember Kimber bought up a bunch of old M96 Swedes in the 1990's, either turned the original barrels for the 6.5x55 offering or barrelled them for the rest of the .308.

The gun shoots well but the Tupperware stock sucks big time. I was thinking of a grey wood laminate, Richards has them 99% fit for about $150 with a pad installed. Is their inletting any better on these finished stocks then what you all have been complaining about with the custom inlets?

Eric, ever get your stock?


thanks,

Rob

Buying one of their stocks was one of the worst mistakes I ever made. Your statement about them is being too kind Sir.

I think Eric and I ordered the same time (+/-) late July early August. I got mine in mid December and am just finishing it up. I was not disappointed with the wood or the inletting. But, as we well know, RMFs are not drop ins.

Never got the stock...Credit card not charged FWIW

A member here sold me a nice stock that suits me just fine.

Did you ask them what happened to your order ?

I should have, but I did not.