Wanted to share my great experience with ordering a new stock from Mark.
I came by a deal on a new model 70 extreme weather that I couldn't pass up, which is saying something being a pre 64 M70 guy.
I contacted Mark in December and told him what I was looking for.
After some follow up calls/emails we ironed out the details, just a inletted blank with a pad added.
Well it showed up today( less than 2 months) other than a little light sanding in the bolt notch and tang area it needs no other work to the inletting. The fit for the 1 pcs BM was perfect and the factory barrel sits perfectly centered.
This week I'll do some bedding and get busy painting, looking forward to getting it ( another 6.5 CM GASP!) scoped and trying my handloads.
With a 13 3/4" LOP and 1" red pad the stock came in at 25.9 oz.
Hearing all the frustrations as of late with other synthetic stock options you can feel confident in working with Mark and his crew.
They'll be adding more stock options in the months to come.

That's good news. As a Winchester guy I need to find a replacement for McMillan.

Bansner rocks - I’ve got one on a 700 in 300 H&H and another on Ruger tang safety 338 Win Mag.
Super light, not much work to bed and mount up, classic style.

I like them a lot.

Excellent news. I've always been partial to his stocks.

Yep, glad they are back.

Randy,

I had similar results with a long-action 700 stock ordered early last fall.

That’s great news. I need a new stock for a Ruger 77 Tanger in 35 Whelen. Thank you!

Post up some pics when you get it done please.

Are the Banner stocks comparable to a McMillan in quality weight etc?

Wish they made stocks for other brands like Tikka etc

haazrod, they take just a little bit of final touch up and sanding if you get just the blank. But they are also cheaper and lighter. They I'd say Mark has got his inletting pretty well dialed in. They will also completely finish the stock for you if that what you want.
https://www.bansnerandcompany.com/

Great to know. I bought one years ago and it required a lot of work, to fit up. Sounds like they have their act together. I have a Sheep Hunter and after getting everything to fit I love it. I'm not hearing much good about McMillian, my LAST Remington Classic EDGE weighed 29.4 OZ, but was a drop in fit. Very limited on the Winchester stocks. Why? Seems that if you have the molds you could make them up just and easy as the stocks for Remington, and Remington is out of production. Lots of clones, but wonder how many are being built on.

From another thread, and thanks to nimrod1949 for the picture assist!


New Model 70 ☝️


“Old” Model 70


New lighter gray


New on the bottom


New on the bottom

PA,
Remember that Mcmillian stock that you waited so patiently for? The one that cracked under 9.3x62 recoil?

You wont get that from bansner.

Use brittle resins with no substrates(no fiber or cloth) in the recoil area, you get bullsht results.

As somebody who goes through hundreds of gallons of epoxies and hundreds of yds of various cloths, building a product that is flexible and survives the Alaskan white water rivers, mcmillian stocks are a fkn over-rated joke.

I call them "gun magazine stocks".


You won't see me wait for one.

Come to my shop sometime, and I can show you how to build your own rifle stock from real fkn epoxy resins, that won't crack, even to 505 Gibbs recoil..


Shooters, ask your stock maker what resin they are using:

Vinalesters or polyesters, walk away. They are 10-14 times less the strength of high-end epoxy.

If epoxy, what BRAND?

Ciebe Geige laminating epoxy was a great epoxy for anchoring pillars and Marine Tex for bedding the recoil lug and action. Never an issue with a McMillan. But then I always requested magnum fill for extra strength in the action area when ordering McM.

Not a stock maker but I will be using this for anchoring pillars in next stock with the slow hardner:

West System

www.westsystem.com/the-105-system/epoxy-resins-hardeners/

Good to hear they are getting their product back up to speed. I used one on a Pre-64 FW that I made up for my oldest boy. It is my favorite for a FW. The only stocks I have that compares is a Pacific Research stock from the San Juan island days
and an older McMillan that AHR designed that is on my .338.

I had a Banser once on a mini-mauser .223, but needing some other rifle I sold the thing to EFW before I could shoot it. What I really like is a durable, light stock with a comb suitable for use with either a low mounted scope or iron sights, as I switch back and forth with QD rings. So far the McM featherweight and supergrade patterns have been very good for that but it appears I'll never own buy another stock from them. They did get that replacement to me and so far it's been a good killer. You bring up some good points on durability and construction. Not my world, but you certainly know a thing or two about it. I'll likely be up your way in the fall to visit a buddy. It would be neat so stop by and meet those dogs.

All hands, be advised: I contacted Wildcat Composites about getting a stock and currently they cannot ship to the USA. They say their insurance forbids it.

Mtnhntr,
West is as brittle as they come. Its an old formulation that the father designed over 30 yrs ago. The little trust fund babies he created, continue to market it, with no change. It creates nasty amine blush during curing that is hard to remove, and hard to paint over. Those amine compounds are bad for your skin. It's as brittle as a glass mirror.

Bedding something to take recoil, your only going to get a mechanical bond. That bond can't be brittle.

Personally, I'd use resin research 2040, thickened with cabosil, strengthened with 3 inch long stands of kevlar fiber. Take apart and cut pieces kevlar cloth to make your fiber.

Skim coat the area a with raw unthickened epoxy first. This is your penetrating coat, to promote adhesion. Let that coat tack up, before the fiber and cabosil enhanced coat goes in. Do all this at 75 degree Fahrenheit with low humidity. Use slow hardener so it doesn't set up too fast for you to finish your work.

Leave the job be for 24 hours at 75 degrees before you begin shaping or removing slag.

Forgot to add: prior to job, rough area with 60 grit. Only clean area with stove alcohol. Epoxies are finnicky and react badly to certain chemical degreasers. Little shallow pock marks with a 1/4" drill bit doesnt hurt either. These act like rebar-reinforced concrete pillars, when the thickened resin flows into them.

The compressive strength of 2040 resin is insane. You can pound on it with a sledge hammer. It wont crack, but will dent.

I made felling wedges with 2040 for my tree work. The plastic ones from stihl and husqvarna are too brittle in the cold. I smack them into back cuts on trees im felling with a 3lb splitting/forestry axe. They never crack.

Mark made a nice stock and if this one is better well all that much better , but i find the painting and bedding price a little high so if anybody wants to buy a blank and have it done along with saving some money look up masterclass stocks and alex sitman will fix you up with first class work that is second to no one

Maine,

Good to know, I'll check out your recommendation. The RR 2040 epoxy sounds impressive btw. I prefer slow cure epoxies as well, usually stronger and less brittle. Thanks.

Tagged.

Great stocks. I love all that I have owned and still own.

I have and have worked on several of Marks stocks for friends all have been no problem and all have been great stocks. Little prep work, bed and paint (I hate the paint part, just not my thing) but all have been great stocks.

Damn Mainer, I sell epoxies and you took me to school.

In looking at the 2040 data sheet it says heavily modified. To me it sounds like it has a hefty slug of “rubber” in there. Toughening agents like coreshell epdm rubbers are used to help with resiliency. Many composites folks look past these as the viscosities can run too high for fiber / fabric impregnation.

I like all of my McMillans, but figure we’re on the horizon of new resin technologies that will really start to change the way stocks can be built.

Creek, not the case, 2040 is a very thin epoxy and wets out even 20+ ounce cloth very well. Of the half dozen brands I've used over the past decade, 2040 is on thinner side.

Resin reasearch 2000 is on the thick side, and less flexible as well.

Ok mainer what is your opinion of Brown Precision stocks? I have several of them mostly 'pounders and haven't had any issuses.

No clue.

Another good one is God's composite: walnut.

The only problem with Gods composite is that it is heavy. If I want a 9 + lb rifle I go wood.

That's not the only problem with wood.. 🙄