As I noted in the thread on lightweight synthetic stocks for 98 Mauser actions, Mark Banser's are great--but the trouble was he's been refining the stocks considerably, so they're a lot easier to fit and finish. He started, of course, with the Remington 700 and Winchester 70 stocks, since they're most popular--but I just got off the phone with Mark, and the 98 stocks are third on the list. He expects to have the mold together any day now, and probably have stocks in 2-3 months.

I put one of the new-model 700 stocks on a .280 AI last, and the amount of fitting and finishing is minimal compared to the original stocks. In fact I had it done in maybe 2 hours, including painting. The downside, of course, is the new model costs over $400.

He's also planning on several more models, including one for Ruger Mark II actions, which should be available sometime this winter.

Thanks for the update MD. I talked to him about the Mauser 98 stock earlier this spring and I was told it would be late August for the stocks.

Good news.

Hmmm... if I end up loving this Ruger .366 Bock and decide to keep it, then I may have to give Mark a call. I already have 2 of his M70 stocks.

I have to call him and get one going for the M70 I own. After talking to Mcmillan yesterday and a quoted price of 705 for a product that is actually heavier then the Bansner, no thanks.

Thanks MD. This is great news...esp because when I called McMillan the other week to ask about a Ruger stock, they told me they no longer make them. Bansner for the win.

Good to know-there's a pawn shop Mark X in the safe in desperate need of a new stock.

I have an older commercial mauser...santa barbara or some such with no markings. Raw bolt finish and side safety which locks the bolt. Whatever it is, i got it from the local smith who'd rebarreled with shilen and reblued it, for a customer who didn't pick it up or pay.

Bottom metal was potmetal...worked fine but triggerguard was thinned in one spot and cracked. That bothered me.

Along the way I came across a bansner large ring stock, and bought it reasonably in the classifieds here. Looked at it real close with the potmetal bottom metal, and was thence determined to turn it into ADL.
*I lopped the potmetal triggerguard off of the mag box.
*I asked here on the fire and Sitka Deer had steel bottom metal from a rifle that was in a fire. Rusty and whatnot. I carved off the triggerguard and shaped it to be like the one found on a kimber montana...little tang up front along with the rear screw. I sanded it down to remove pits and such, and had it parkerized with the rest of the rifle.
*I epoxy'd fiberglass weave over the floorplate area and triggerguard, as one would repair a boat hull...taper grind away from the repair, apply glass/epoxy, fair the structural part, then surface fill/prime/paint. This entombed the potmetal mag box, and I was careful that the box floated and did not bind the action when tightening the action screws.

Result...it's a pretty neat rifle and works well. I don't remember if the mag box comes out offhand...I've not had it apart for a while. Worked well though, and the bansner shape for that action is just right. Light and handy, for a mauser.

On the other hand, the inletting for my older bansner ruger stock is off-center visibly, and that made things tough getting an old tang-safety bedded and right. Kind of par for the course, I guess.

I filled out their contact form asking about the estimated lead time for a 70 Classic stock, specifying bottom metal inlet, and recoil pad and LOP. The response said it should only take a 2 weeks.

This thread is going to cost me a lot of money.


Okie John

I suspect you won't alone.

No he won't be.

so is it the Classic or is it the Sheep hunter that I desperately need?

Nope...


Wish I weren't so curious

I finished up a new Bansner Sheep Hunter for a Defiance a couple of weeks ago. Very nice pattern, light, and it was much easier to finish than the versions of old. I really like it.

so, what are you guys choosing? The classic, the sheep hunter or the Miller?

I don't know. I have one on a Model 70 pawn-shop rescue and I want to match that. I'll probably have to send him a picture and go from there.


Okie John

The Sheephunter.
What Bansner originally called the Sheep Hunter had a very short fore end and bit more diminutive size. His current sporting stock for 700’s is almost as light as the original Sheep Hunter but is full size.

The Sheep Hunter I installed this spring on a M700 Mtn fit well, although the tang area was a bit off center. I full length bed the receiver on all my composite stocks and make liberal use of my Dremel to give the bedding compound some room, and shape the tang area anyway.

When I talked to Dave this winter he said the goal is a drop in fit. Mine wasn’t quite there yet, but close.

I put a Bansners stock on a early Mod. 70 "Stainless Classic" .338 Win. Mag. I had customized back in the early 90's, if my memory is correct. I had them do the work as I used Ted Blackburn's one piece bottom metal with the belly drop so four rounds could be carried in the magazine. Except for my old Pre-64 Mod. 70 Featherweight 30-06, it and the .338 are the only two rifles I have hunted with in about 30 years or more.

If I ever put another synthetic on a rifle I will look to Bansner's.

Anything in Rem 700 coming close to a 700 KS stock? Also barrel channel is "Accommodates up to and including Douglas #4".

Does that mean anything smaller than the Douglas #4 will have gaps along the barrel? Especially a 700 Mountain Rifle barrel.

Thanks!

Has anyone seen or heard anything more about these?

Thanks,


Okie John

I got an email reply from Brasner Customer Service in late September saying they were working on the molds and stocks should be available in two months [from September].

So we should see them around March.

Thanks.


Okie John

Talked to Mark about this a few weeks back; he says they have the molds, just backed up with other stuff. He thinks it'll be summer now. Some Winchester stocks I ordered also took 3x as long as they did last year (but 1/4 as long as Manners etc) so I guess they are busy.

I thought Bansner's stock were just fine before. They were easy to finish, compared to Brown Precision, for example, and I liked the shape just fine. For one who started out with the early stocks from Chet Brown or Lee Six, Bansner's were practically finished as they came. Mauser 98's have always been a little difficult to make stocks for. Most 'smiths shaped the tang of the action just a little and it is difficult for the stock manufacturer to anticipate this. The only real solution is just to be sure the wrist of the stock allows for some reshaping.
As I said, I always thought Bansner's stocks were a good product; both for quality and pricing. Sounds like the quality will be there but the price point isn't as attractive. GD

greydog,

I have used Banser's stocks since the 1990s, and while I also found them easier to finish up than other lay-up synthetic stocks of it took FAR less time to finish one of the new ones than the previous ones, due both to closer inletting of the action area, and being able to order various barrel-channel dimensions.

The price is somewhat higher, but then it essentially hadn't been raised for at least a decade. I found the difference well worth the price in time spent.

My only Bansner experience was with the early addition. I had to take it to a smith who had a mill to get it inletted for a m70. Personally, I would prefer paying more upfront for close tolerances out of the box, than having it lay around in a gunsmith shop while I'm excited to get started working on it.

A picture I made 10 years ago showing High Tech Specialities [Bansner from Brownells] stocks one before and one after me trimming the flashing.





Me epoxying in wooden butt plugs for recoil pad attachment.

I have one that I think is from about 2017 or so, which came looking like the "after" picture in Clarkm's picture above. Ie...it was mostly already finished as it came out of the box, but wasn't beautiful before painting.

The ones I've gotten in the past year or so didn't require any meaningful finish work, looked very good out of the box, whatever imperfections they had disappeared under the paint. And as Mule Deer has said the inletting is very good out of the box as well.

Anyone care to share some pictures of their stock that's been finished (painted)?
Looking to order one for a Pre64 build I'm still planning.

Here are two I did, a few years apart. The top rifle is one of the older stocks, the bottom one of the newer stocks. They're painted in what I call my "sagebrush" pattern, partly because of using actual sagebrush branches for stencils.

John, do you find the comb height on those suitable for open sights as well?

Bansner redid all his molds and the process after he split off from Law. It took a while to get the tooling in place, I would not expect it to be like a model made 6 years ago which were not bad stocks just needed a little more work.

Ask him, I doubt anyone makes something for the mountain rifle barrel other then Mcmillan. I think he means you can cut the stock to fit a #4 Douglas.

The stock Mark supplied for the lower rifle shown above had a barrel channel for the #2 contour Douglas stainless barrel. I didn't feel the need to add any "bedding" to the channel--unlike the older stock.

Of course, you should ask him, as you noted.

Depends on the height of the open sights and your cheekbones/eye height.

I’ve spent the morning emailing Ben at Bansner’s. Here’s the upshot of our conversations:
1. They are developing a Classic stock inletted to fit the Mauser 98 (and similar actions) with the understanding it won’t fit them all and may need tweaking.
2. Barrel channels will accommodate up to and including a Douglas #4 contour.
3. Bottom metal inletting will fit "factory" Mauser bottom metal. They will add other aftermarket bottom metals based on demand.
4. Stocks should be available by the end of the year.
5. He can put you on a contact list and let you know when we're in production. At that time, they take a 25% deposit.
6. Stock cost is $425. Recoil pad installation is another $100.

Now you know what I know.


Okie John

I got one yesterday from Bansner for a M70 , it is the Miller M70 pattern. Like Mule Deer Said it would take less then 1 hour to completely cleanup the stock, they tell you that the tang bolt cutout , barrel contour have to be checked and possibly addressed. It is better inletted then a Mcmillan Sako Edge I ordered before they changed ownership.

Got the email today:



Okie John

This thread is good news for me as I still have 3 or 4 stripped Mauser actions to be built as I have not found any quality stocks in a while that weren't more work than I want to do at this time.

The best Mauser stocks I've ever used were the original Pacific Research stocks when they were made on Vashon Island, WA before Borden bought the company & the design, screwed it up, then dropped it from their line, still have two...............haven't found anything comparable since, so maybe the Bansner will be the answer.

Thanks for updating the status.

MM

The Pacific research pattern is one of my all time favorites. I still have one on my Sako AV and on a McMillan Talon.
I can't help but wonder why that pattern still isn't being sold by someone with a modern Edge style construction.

The Pacific Research/Borden Rimrock is my favorite: perfect for offhand and very, very good for every other position. It was designed by Jim Cloward, who was heavily influenced by Al Biesen. Jim hunted all over the world and won the Wimbledon Cup at Camp Perry, so he knew what he was doing.

I spoke to Mr. Borden about this a couple of years ago. I seem to remember him saying that he still had the molds and machinery needed to build these stocks but he's focused on building rifles, so he uses McMillan stocks.


Okie John

My only complaint about the Cloward design is that I prefer a more open grip & a slim wrist.

The Cloward design is slim in the wrist, but I'd prefer it to be a little more open.

The Rem KS & the Dakota 76 are both just about perfect in that respect, IMO.

Too bad that McM discontinued the KS as well, maybe my all time favorite.................the B&C Mountain stock gets close on the open side but the wrist is too thick.

MM

When I purchased my most recent Bansner stock less than two years ago it was $425 + $25 shipping for a total of $450.. Just looked at Mark's website and the stocks are $500+$25 shipping + roughly $25 tax (he didn't charge me tax previously) for a total of $550. A $100 increase from 20 months ago. Gotta love this iinflation......

I have both the B&C Mountain stock and the Bansner and the wrists are similar. I would prefer the wrist on both would be a bit thinner too.

I picked one up for a Model 70 this spring and converted it to LH. It’s a great stock and Mark is great to deal with.

Nice job on the conversion pathfinder!

I finished up a long action 700 a while back (last year I think..could have been '20) and received a short action 700 last week. I noticed the price increase but I still think it's one of the best stocks for the $ if you finish it yourself.

Good to hear it worked for you!

I have built and hunted with Borden stock in M70 270 and 98M 6.5-06.
I have built and hunted with High Tech Specialties [Bansner] in R700 6mmBR, R700 7mmRM, 98M 7mmRM, and M70 25-06.

i never knew Bansner and Borden stocks were related.