Boyds Stock Bolt Handle Cutout

[gnumadic]

A couple Christmases ago my wife bought me a Boyds Classic laminate stock for my Stevens 200. I ended up shelving the stock for a couple years because I had a new job and wasn't able to find the time to hunt. Fast forward to the present and I'm back at it. For the time being I am still using the factory stock.

My plan is to pillar and glass bed the Boyds stock post-deer season. However, I was hunting in the rain today and pulled the action from the plastic stock to dry it. While it was apart I test fitted the Boyds stock -- and then I ran into a problem.

I know that minor fitting is often required for these aftermarket stocks (and I would note that I did not try to install the centerfeed mag-well yet), but I was wondering if any of you thought this was a defect or something typical that you'd see from Boyds? I could easily relieve the wood to the right of the bold handle, but there's still an unsightly gap on the left side. See annotated photos below.

The fit up front is great...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4452/24148565258_3c653efa23_c.jpg

However, at the bolt cut-out it looks like this (and it binds up really tight)...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4504/37291316434_22a7f60af9_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4477/24148565378_571e3dd0d5_c.jpg

And this is how the original Tupperware stock looks for comparison...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4482/24148564668_4f9daf9845_c.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4502/38000348111_02cc64c70c_c.jpg

It appears that the cut-out on the original stock is at an angle, while the Boyds' stock is straight up and down...

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4456/37969809162_b40950b1c7_c.jpg

Is that a defect or poor design? Given that it's been almost 3 years since my wife gave me the stock, I really doubt that Boyds would do anything under warranty. I think it's just 90-days. I am trying to decide if I should live with it (relieve the wood to the right of the bold handle) or look for a different stock.

[foxx]

I have bought, sold and installed hundreds of Boyds stocks. I like them for the price and have had a lot of success with them and continue to use them. Having said that, they are not perfect. From the factory, I don't even consider them finished. Most of them take a little bit or a lot of work to make them what what I consider acceptable. Your issue is not all that uncommon. You can easily sand the front part of the bolt handle cut to make room, but there isn't much you can do about the back side, other than filling with epoxy and trying to shape it a bit with sand paper. I don't recall seeing any that were that far off on the back side. As for the angle of the cut, they are all cut straight like that. Warranty is certainly expired, but if it was mine, I'd still ask for a replacement. There's obviously nothing you could have done to it to cause this miscut.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

I would rather have a space on either side of the handle where it fits the stock than have to deal with it binding if the action shifts in the inlet while bedding OR if the wood swells in damp weather. I see no problem that can't be cured with the use of a good file or wood rasp.
And you have to take into consideration, that IS NOT a custom made stock. One size fits all. I have seen MUCH WORSE.;)

[gnumadic]

Thank you both. The problem is definitely fixable, although cosmetically little can be done. I did send the photos to Boyds and will see what they say. It's good to know that all of the factory cuts are vertical. I just think something was off in production and they cut it a few millimeters to the left.

[gnumadic]

OK, another thought. I did not put in the centerfeed blind magazine and the L clip. The L clip sits on top of the rear pillar on the plastic stock, and the Boyds stock is supposed to have it as well. So in my test fitting the rear of the action was sitting low perhaps? The bolt handle notch is still clearly off center but maybe it's enough that the handle won't rub?

On a related note, I came across the L clip in this thread about bedding a blind centerfeed.

http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?14013-Glass-bedding-a-centerfeed-with-the-clip-on-the-pillar

If you bed without the L clip and then trim/recess it, then aren't you putting the rear of the action lower than intended (unless you extend the pillar prior bedding in order to compensate for where the clip should sit)?

[foxx]

When bedding these, I generally grind away the part of the clip that sits on top of the pillar, (Not entirely, just shorten it so it does not quite reach the pillar). Then I make a pillar that is long enough to hold the action level in the stock without the clip. Basically, the pillar should be higher than the one in the factory stock, and just high enough to touch the bottom of the action without bedding it. Once the front and rear pillars are epoxied in place, I check for fit and function by completely reinstalling action with screws. If all is good, I relieve the wood about 1/8 inch and go ahead and bed without the L clip and mag. Once bedding is set, I test fit again. Finally, I grind away a slot for the l clip (L clip with a "stubby" top ) and install the mag.

Put another way, pillar and bed as though you are not using the L clip, then relieve a slot where the clip would go if you were using it, and shorten the clip so it does not reach the pillar. When complete, the L clip will not touch the action or the pillar.

[gnumadic]

When bedding these, I generally grind away the part of the clip that sits on top of the pillar, (Not entirely, just shorten it so it does not quite reach the pillar). Then I make a pillar that is long enough to hold the action level in the stock without the clip. Basically, the pillar should be higher than the one in the factory stock, and just high enough to touch the bottom of the action without bedding it. Once the front and rear pillars are epoxied in place, I check for fit and function by completely reinstalling action with screws. If all is good, I relieve the wood about 1/8 inch and go ahead and bed without the L clip and mag. Once bedding is set, I test fit again. Finally, I grind away a slot for the l clip (L clip with a "stubby" top ) and install the mag.

Put another way, pillar and bed as though you are not using the L clip, then relieve a slot where the clip would go if you were using it, and shorten the clip so it does not reach the pillar. When complete, the L clip will not touch the action or the pillar.

Thank you! That's exactly what I wasn't seeing in the other threads, but it makes sense what you've described. Albeit ever so slight, what I was reading seemed to indicate that the action would not be level in the stock if you ignored the clip and then chiseled out a section for it. But what you're saying is that you start by raising the pillar by the thickness of the clip, trim the clip so that it butts up to the pillar but does not extend over it, and then after bedding you cut away a section in the epoxy for the clip to again sit flush with the pillar.

Could you also coat the clip with a release agent and bed around it? That could get kind of messy I suppose.

[gnumadic]

Thank you both. The problem is definitely fixable, although cosmetically little can be done. I did send the photos to Boyds and will see what they say. It's good to know that all of the factory cuts are vertical. I just think something was off in production and they cut it a few millimeters to the left.

After a few emails back and forth with Boyds, here's where I'm at...I'll probably just try to make it work for now. If I ever decide to add a DBM (seems like you can easily find used bottom metal on Ebay), then I'll purchase a new stock. And if I screw up the bedding or something, then at least I can say I practiced on a defective stock. Read on for the Boyds email exchange!

At first, Boyds said that the pictures helped immensely and that the bolt hole looked like it was cut incorrectly. They asked for the order information to assist in exchanging the stock. Before I could respond, I got an email saying they located my order from 2014 and would have the requested hardware sent to me. Since I had originally emailed them about action screws, I followed up with the name on the order (my wife's). I got a disappointing response.

Boyds customer service said that due to their warranty policy they could not take back the stock for evaluation. The person suggested I go see a gunsmith. I replied that I might as well buy a new stock at that cost. For me, the issue isn't that I have to cut away wood but rather that too much has been taken out on the left. Anyway, I said I'd really like a replacement but would they at least be willing to offer a compromise, like sell me a new stock at cost. The response was that I could get $30 off my next order.

So, kind of a roller coaster with Boyds customer service. Had I realized when I received the stock as a gift that the warranty period was so short, I would have definitely test fitted it then. Then again, everything I read about Boyds at the time was glowing. Perhaps it was just a production error due to holiday volume. The classic model stock is now $137, so with the discount that's $8 more than what was originally paid for it. I'm tempted to sell what I have on Ebay to someone less picky and place a new order, but I'll have to think about it.

[sharpshooter]

Dremel it out and call it a day......

[Nor Cal Mikie]

" I'm tempted to sell what I have on Ebay (http://www.ebay.com/) to someone less picky and place a new order "

If you're that picky, the next one won't be any better. Do what Fred said and move on!

[gnumadic]

" I'm tempted to sell what I have on Ebay (http://www.ebay.com/) to someone less picky and place a new order "

If you're that picky, the next one won't be any better. Do what Fred said and move on!

I am admittedly a visual person and have perfectionist tendencies. It's a disease! Next time would I be better off do you think with a Richards Microfit where by the time I'm done it's exactly how I want it?

[Nor Cal Mikie]

From the very start, a Richard's Micro Fit stock could NEVER make you happy.

[gnumadic]

From the very start, a Richard's Micro Fit stock could NEVER make you happy.

Haha! That's funny! I totally get what you're saying. I guess I expected the Boyds to be close to drop in given what I've read online. My experience and what y'all are saying isn't consistent with that. It's worth noting that a Boyds isn't a custom stock (no matter how much I'd like to believe modern manufacturing can get it right repeatedly). That said, I asked the question about Richards because I KNOW they come pretty rough on the exterior, but the inlets are supposedly fairly precise and there's excess wood to work with. Again, I don't mind woodworking (it's a hobby). I just expected more of a measure twice, cut once approach from Boyds, or at least some margin for error. Maybe that's an unreasonable ask, or perhaps we should expect more. I dunno...but I'll stop beating a dead horse.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

With you saying "woodworking is a hobby", that puts a different light on it. You just might find that there's enough wood to compensate for any over or under cuts on a Richard's stock. From my experience with their stocks, they can test ones patience. They are known as a "gunsmiths stock" because the work that "may" be needed to get the proper fit and the final finish. I have had maybe 10 or 12 of their stocks over the years. I've see them come looking like they were cut with a dull axe (REALLY ROUGH) to not too bad. Knowing ahead of time that they may/will need a little to a lot of work to get them close to a finished product, and you being into the hobby, might just fit your needs.
If you were to order one of their stocks, I would be interested in "your" opinion of the stock as you received it. From your opinion of the fit of the Boyd's stock, I would expect the Richard's Micro Fit stock to end up being returned forthwith or thrown in the fireplace BUT, you might surprise me. Whatever you decide, good luck in your decision.
And just between you and me, with very little adjustment, I could live with that Boyd's stock. Not my preferred style but liveable.;)

[gnumadic]

With you saying "woodworking is a hobby", that puts a different light on it. You just might find that there's enough wood to compensate for any over or under cuts on a Richard's stock. From my experience with their stocks, they can test ones patience. They are known as a "gunsmiths stock" because the work that "may" be needed to get the proper fit and the final finish. I have had maybe 10 or 12 of their stocks over the years. I've see them come looking like they were cut with a dull axe (REALLY ROUGH) to not too bad. Knowing ahead of time that they may/will need a little to a lot of work to get them close to a finished product, and you being into the hobby, might just fit your needs.
If you were to order one of their stocks, I would be interested in "your" opinion of the stock as you received it. From your opinion of the fit of the Boyd's stock, I would expect the Richard's Micro Fit stock to end up being returned forthwith or thrown in the fireplace BUT, you might surprise me. Whatever you decide, good luck in your decision.
And just between you and me, with very little adjustment, I could live with that Boyd's stock. Not my preferred style but liveable.;)

For what it's worth, my original post was not meant to give an overall opinion of Boyds. In fact, I REALLY like the stock. It's a good design that looks and feels great. The fit and finish are fantastic for the price. I just think I got a minor production defect (to which Boyds seemed to agree...heck, they were ready to take it back until they realized it was an older order). It was my fault for not test fitting it sooner (note: I checked Stockys and they only have a 10 day evaluation period, so Boyds' 90-days is quite generous it seems!). I'd say that Boyds is an exceptional value and I would feel confident ordering from them again.

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts on both Boyds and Richards. I've decided to work with what I've got. After all, a Stevens 200 is considered a utility rifle, right? Kind of like an old truck where you do the work yourself, except instead of body work and mechanical repair it's sanding, sealing, bedding, etc. I'll follow-up sometime after hunting season with what I've done and how it all went.

PS - while I don't believe this is the rifle for a Richards, maybe someday I'll undertake it on another project. I think I saw one of your rifles with a Richards stock on the forum here. Beautiful!