Major problem with Boyd's Tacticool

[pwdnt]

i recieved my stock on friday it seems to be made much better. it also seems like they changed their inletting and increased some support in key areas i will post pictures before i bed stock

[shooterfpga]

Interesting notes i wonder if theyll be replacing all their tacticools to this upgrade or just send out old stock as usual until theyre out of em.

[tomme boy]

Well they went out of stock as soon as they said they had a laminate issue. So that may be the reason they are out of stock. I ordered one in a Royal Jacaranda laminate and it shipped Friday. Hopefully it has the new extra support. I am going to bed it on top and bottom so it should not crack.

[cranebird]

I think it had more to do with the laminate source burning to the ground than the laminate issue that surfaced......

[BillPa]

I think it had more to do with the laminate source burning to the ground than the laminate issue that surfaced......

Yeah, we're all too well aware what happens with the news of an impending shortage aren't we?

Cousineau may be able to pick up some of the slack but not all of it especially short term.

Bill

[tomme boy]

It was just the tacticool ones. Not anything else. And it was before the fire was reported that they went out of stock.

[cranebird]

Yeah, we're all too well aware what happens with the news of an impending shortage aren't we?

Cousineau may be able to pick up some of the slack but not all of it especially short term.

Bill Not me ! I'm saving pop cans to melt down to make my own stock out of. Maybe it wood be easier to cash them in and buy a nice aluminum bedded composite stock instead ? :abnormal:

[sixonetonoffun]

Am kinda hung up what to do with my tacticool. Have only shot it twice from fear of it splitting. Want to shoot it but wish to reinforce it first to prevent any issues but haven't settled on the best approach. Carbon fiber fishing line looks interesting but not sure it would do the job. There isn't really anywhere pins would work other then the forearm near the front sling stud. Uhg!

C-channel looks interesting but would require completely re-working the stock I already spent a week working on and feel unwilling to reinvest another! Double Uhg! Think will start with some tite-bond in the weak appearing section. Maybe that would be enough? 3x's Uhg!

[tomme boy]

Do you have any pictures yet? I received my Royal Jacaranda laminate stock today. I already relieved the barrel section so the HB will fit. I noticed that I only have two threads into the front receiver ring. Going to go get a new screw in the AM. Anyone know the thread before I even go so I know what to look for?

They had a sticker placed right on the bottom of the front receiver ring hole in the stock that says not to over tighten. And boy this thing is heavy. WAY heavier than the one I had for my 22rf Savage. Almost feels like it is impregnated with epoxy. The laminate also seemed very hard to sand out the barrel channel. It's diffidently different than the regular black stocks. So hopefully it will not split.

I would have some pictures but the lighting is horrible in here right now. Will have to wait till tomorrow.

[foxx]

Going to go get a new screw in the AM. Anyone know the thread before I even go so I know what to look for?


Take the original screw with you. :)

[BlueDog]

Tomme, glad you agree about the seemingly different laminates. No way is the regular painted lam nearly as strong/hard/durable as the colored laminates. Good luck on your hunt for longer screws.

[tomme boy]

I've had the Tacticool in a Savage RF bolt action and a Ruger 10-22 and they both felt really light and flimsy. It is diffidently different wood. I remember when they had their light weight option on some of their stocks. They almost were like they were made out of balsa they were so light. I was told they all cracked and they could not keep them from doing it. So they stopped making them. The Tacticools came out shortly after they stopped making the lightweight versions. Coat them with paint and call them something else.

[BlueDog]

The old bait and switch! Lol. The OP Pwdnt asked Boyds specifically about this, and they stated it's the exact same laminate, just uncolored/undyed. My old mauser sports a 'nutmeg' colored laminate and I could probably drive nails with it (almost). Inletting it was a royal pain in the azz, but this new Tacticool was like carving a pine wood derby car back in Scouts.

[sharpshooter]

There is a difference between Statobond and baltic birch.

[rjtfroggy]

the screw is 1/4-28. buy 2" then cut to length.

[tomme boy]

So the lightweight version is the Baltic Birch? Fred, is the Stratobond impregnated with epoxy? It sure feels like it is. I have built a bunch of boats with ply and I use epoxy to laminate and impregnate the ply. It has the feel and smell of epoxy when sanding it.

[missed]

Im worried about mine as it's a dBm version. I'm planning on building a full bedding block for it and just gutting the center section of the stock.

[BlueDog]

To gut one for a full bedding block to help with the cracking/splitting may cause more than can be addressed. Pillars would be a good fix, but if you want a full bedding block just because, then go for it! If I had to do over again, I would definitely upgrade ($15) for the color laminate.

[missed]

I did do pillars in mine. And have the colored laminate. There is just not much material there at all.

[sharpshooter]

So the lightweight version is the Baltic Birch? Fred, is the Stratobond impregnated with epoxy? It sure feels like it is. I have built a bunch of boats with ply and I use epoxy to laminate and impregnate the ply. It has the feel and smell of epoxy when sanding it.

I'm not sure what type of glue it is, but it is brown in color and when it is cured it's hard as glass. The Stratobond is layed up in small boards, one at a time. The biggest board size is 16"x 51" x 2.5(or other varying thickness up to 3") Once the boards are glued and layed up, they are put in a 15 ton press and heated to 350 degrees for 15 minutes. This compression and heat makes the plys more dense. You also have to factor in the colored plys have absorbed dye which also makes them denser.
Baltic birch on the other hand is usually made in oversize sheets(bigger than 4'x8') and is layed up and pressed several sheets stacked together. The compression is actually less because the surface area is greater, and the glue is a different type as it is cured in less time and all it has to bond is bare wood.