Homemade fibreglass rifle stock - Sako 75 A1

takbok

Well-Known Member
My new stock is finally finished. I've posted a few pictures of the process on my 6x45 thread lately.

A huge thank you to Adrian0100 on the forum who painted the stock for me FOC! I can recommend his work. The coating is air cure Cerakote in OD green - lovely finish (aside from the few air bubbles from my fibreglassing!)

The stock (including forend) is very stiff and is filled with high density PU foam which adds stiffness and sound deadening.

Its made from 200g/m2 E-glass and West System 105/205 epoxy resin. The buttpad is a Pachmayr RP200B which is good quality and not too heavy. Sling swivel studs have been permanently glued into the stock with thickened epoxy resin.

It weighs in at 1077g, about 100g lighter than the standard Walnut stock. I have made the LOP longer than the original - about 15".

My next project is a lightweight carbon fibre stock. My first two attempts have failed but I'm learning as I go and will keep persevering!

Will post pictures of the rebarreled, cerakoted (Tungsten) rifle in the stock when it returns from rebarreling!

Hope you like my work.
 

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Hi , very interesting I used to work in grp and composites , and the young tecchies would do all sorts of things and the management would let them use gash materials and the boys would time all their projects to use the autoclave, full use of the pattern shop so we had badmington rackets ,cricket bats , air boxes ,kayak seats etc.I wish I was there today ,composite stocks and forends.
 
Nice work! the Sako 75 is my all time favourite stock design, and this one looks the business!
 
Thanks, all.

I agree, Siggy, that the Sako 75 is one of the best stock shapes out there!

High seat drawings just aren't happening, Tim - 3D model is complete though. Work got busy and hasn't quietened down yet!
 
Bravo!!!
That is a fantastic effort, very well done!!
If yo ever make a Macmiilan 'edge style stock let me know! I have have been wanting to put a well designed high straight combed stock on my finnlight 111 for a while but no one makes them.
K
 
Thank you. I'll bear that in mind, karamoja. I'd just need to find out which is the best stock to start with and possibly modify so that I could make moulds from it. I'll try to get the carbon fibre ones right before I make any commitments though (it takes a fair bit of time to make one, and even more time to get the moulds done).
 
Try going down the clay modelling route (google Chavant clay) as per the automotive design studios, first you build an undersize carrier buck then add or remove the clay to it until the shape works, could even shoot the prototype a few times if needed then take the moulds off the proven shape, job done.
Chavant Clay Products Buy Now at Scarva.com
 
Thanks, that does look interesting, Bavarianbrit. I've used a bit of modelling clay already for my mouldmaking (Increasing LOP etc.)
 
Very nice work Takbok.

I have been playing with one of my old stocks this weekend. It's a B&C which is 900 grams and very stiff but I wanted to change the shape of the back end, raising the butt so the top is in line with the bore to try to reduce muzzle flip when using a bipod.

Chopped off the top of the comb to give me a flat and then glued on 12mm of high density foam. Raised the butt plate to match the top and then ground off the bottom of the stock to line it all up with the bottom of the butt plate. Filled and faired.

Tomorrow I am going to wrap with a fibreglass tissue to add strength back in where I have ground off the shell and keep it all nicely watertight, then fair again and spray with a two pot paint.

It may or may not improve the bipod bounce but I have had a great deal of fun doing it.

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I am most impressed takbok, the stock looks very good indeed. Not that I am likely to ever attempt it myself but can you give us a brief outline of the process just to give an insight into what is involved.
 
I am most impressed takbok, the stock looks very good indeed. Not that I am likely to ever attempt it myself but can you give us a brief outline of the process just to give an insight into what is involved.

Cheers, 8x57. I learnt what I know from the net!

I traced the outline of the stock onto a bit of 6mm plywood and cut it out - that's the parting board. Then set up the stock so that it's protruding halfway through the parting board. Then I got creative with plasticine and filled the little gaps between parting board and stock and also filled action inletting and barrel channel. I made sure everything was properly sanded and waxed with mould release wax. Then I laid layers of fibreglass and epoxy resin over the parting board and protruding stock to make the first mould half. I let it cure then removed parting board and laid the second half of the mould. When cured the mould halves can be removed from the stock. Fibreglass is laid in barrel channel to make a mould of this.

Layers of fibreglass are then laid into the 2 mould halves and over the barrel channel. The next morning the fibreglass in the moulds is trimmed carefully to the edges. The moulds are then bolted together with epoxy resin on the edges of the trimmed bits. The end of the butt and the forend are accessible and strips of fibreglass are laid on the seams from the insides to glue the halves together.

When cured the mould halves can be unbolted and separated leaving an unfinished stock. Much trimming and sanding ensues. The butt is filled with Polyurethane foam. A silicone 2 part mould is made of the action area of the existing stock, these mouldings are placed into the new stock and epoxy resin is poured around them to make the action inletting. The little moulding of the barrel channel is glued into the forend, with two holes drilled in it. Forend then filled with PU Foam and holes sealed with epoxy. Butt end trimmed and layers of fibreglass laid to seal butt end. When cured, holes drilled for buttpad and buttpad screwed and glued on. Sling stud swivels glued in (preferably before PU foam filling).

Lots of sanding and trimming operations with a die grinder. Plenty mould release wax (after fine sanding) and firm hold hairspray applied to moulds before fibreglassing.

Hope that gives you a reasonable idea of the process!
 
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