Laminated stocks

[LostJock]

Evening,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I've seen a second hand Sako 85 for sale, and it looks to my inexperience eye like a good deal. The only thing i'm slightly thrown by is the laminate stock, having no experience of them. I'm plenty used to hard metal and plastic stocks from a former life, but laminate is something new. A heavier rifle doesn't really bother me, as I like my rifles to feel weighty and solid, and lugging them around is, again, something I coped with years ago.

What are the pros and cons of stocks like these, and is there anything to particularly look for on Sako's stocks?

LJ

 

[Form Rifle Stocks Ltd]

Working for a company that almost exclusively produces laminate stocks my opinion may be slightly biased

Laminate is considered to be much more stable than standard timber. Due to its construction of multiple veneers laminated together with hot resin, it has high levels of resistance to warping and swelling. When finished with a lacquer or hard wax oil finish it is fairly impervious to the elements.

There seems to be a perception amongst some that laminate is quite heavy, but there really isnt much in it between timber and laminate in terms of weight. This more comes down more to stock design.

If you have any questions feel free to drop us a PM.

 

[Old melv]

I have a Sako 85 .223 in a laminate stock and am very happy with the rifle a tad heavy but supposed to be very rigid and less affected by the elements. My other rifles have plastic stocks and the laminate does seem to have a lot less flex.

 

[ejg]

The Sako Laminated stocks seem very well made. Very heavy though. As far as I know the timber used in plywood has a higher density than Walnut. The resin is probably 4x the density of walnut. No doubt laminate/plywood stock will be heavier than a similar in walnut.
Larger calibre rifles can split a laminate stock if the recoil is not dealt with properly via bedding etc. (Conventional composite and walnut can also split for the same reason)
I have been spoilt with more modern stocks and don't use ply on any of my rifles but do have a few Walnut stocked guns.
edi

 

[Dexter]

If there were any serious issue with these stock it would have been raised on here years ago. I've yet to see a post saying that someone has an issue though. Additionally, on calibres such as 270 and 30-06 the slight weight increase may be beneficial to you to aid accurate shooting?

 

[LostJock]

Thanks all, my concerns have been quashed. I was going to go and actually see the rifle today...but it sold last night. Typical.

LJ

 

[antsa]

I have two Sako 85 laminates. They are slightly heavier than the walnuts (have two of those as well). One is a .223 stainless sporter, XS action. I bought it as an all-weather working rifle to have on the Quad. Chose the laminate as Sako don't have any synthetic in .223. No regrets, it's a magnificent rifle for carrying around the paddocks on the bike and also on the shoulder. I wipe it off with a micro-fibre cloth before I put it in the safe and now and again I rub it down with just a dab of a wax polish (a mix of carnauba and beeswax).

The second one is a .260 Rem Varmint, S action. Again, slightly heavier than a walnut. Both these rifles are very, very accurate but then so are the two walnuts.

Cheers