CUSTOM WOODWORK FOR BOLT ACTIONS
Fully custom stocks are available for rifles and pistols and made to suit each individual's needs and specifications.
When it comes to bolt action pistols we have stocked many made on actions from Sako®, Interarms®, and the Remington XP-100, as well as more specialized bench-rest actions when rebarreling such setups. The XP-100 is probably the most popular although they are becoming more scarce and and costly as their availability shrinks. The Remington XP-100 lends itself to either a center- or rear-grip stock.
Bolt action rifle stocks are available in Classic, European, Target, Monte Carlo/California, and our own Woodsmith style. Our style is a hybrid sporter/target model. The Woodsmith style is characterized by a more vertical pistol grip, more pronounced palm swell, is slightly cast-off, and features a comb with a gradual incline to the rear; important factors in reducing felt recoil and improving overall comfort. Our standard comb height is generally taller than that of production rifles to accommodate scope use. We shape stock combs lower as needed for iron sights, depending on the customer's specifications and the rifle's dimensions.
Forearms are typically scaled to match the desired barrel profile, be it light, medium, heavy sporter, or target weight. The choices are virtually limitless so you can create a perfect and pleasing firearm.
A fully custom firearm is an investment and heirloom. You should get the features you desire as well as the perfect individual fit. Our finished stocks are also finished INSIDE. Firearms not prepared this way have the justified reputation of taking on moisture and changing stock dimensions, or debatably worse yet rusting the barrel and action. Warping and pressure from such moisture infiltration result in accuracy problems. With our inside/outside finish, and our Woodsmith foam-fiberglass-epoxy forearm section, we produce 100% weatherproof rifles in wood or laminate.
What makes a Bullberry bolt action stock different?
All Bullberry stocks are produced by hand. That's right. We don't operate a duplicator. This made-by-hand focus is just another way for us to ensure the custom fit of each stock to its shooter. These jobs typically dedicate one woodsmith to a mill and with hand work for at least a week, so attention to detail is simply part of our process.
Bolt Action Pistol and Rifle Stock Costs
Our bolt action customers look to us for a wide variety of services. Some people want us to supply everything for a truly custom firearm from scratch, others only supply their action for a complete build while still others prefer to supply a pre-inletted stock blank or barrel blank along with their action. Options are nearly limitless, so while many of the costs are listed below we still recommend you give us a call or email us to discuss your unique project.
Wood Blanks
As mentioned above, customers sometimes choose to supply us with a pre-inletted stock, or their own wood blank. If you would like us to supply you with a blank we are happy to help and have many options to choose from. Blanks are typically priced on request, as grade, wood species, grain character, and more all work to determine a blank's value. The cost of a blank will run anywhere from $100 to $2,000 depending on whether you are looking at a plain piece of black walnut or colorful laminate product, or want to go for an exhibition level maple, mesquite or walnut blank.
If you require in-depth consultation services to determine your blank choice, including photo selections of blanks taken specifically for your requests and provided to you by email, please understand we take this service very seriously in an effort to get you the perfect finished product. Due to the time-consuming nature of this process we now have a consultation service fee for all grades below exhibition, starting at $50. For this process all hand-selected blanks are photographed on both sides, dry and wetted, to give you the best idea of how the stock will appear when finished.
Glass/Pillar Bedding
This process is highly recommended and will typically be rolled into the package cost of a complete custom bolt action project. The reason this is so highly recommended is due to the consistency and stress-free nature of the finished product. Glass bedding the stock actually makes the action tight in the stock, while we simultaneous create a consistent gap between the barrel and forearm. This gap allows for the wood to shrink and swell, but more importantly allows the barrel to heat and expand while being shot; all without external stresses impacting your bullet's intended trajectory. The pillar portion of the job is where we install aluminum posts in the wood body, specifically where the screws attach the stock to the action. This allows for the screws to be tightened as appropriate, and re-tightened as needed with any dis/reassembly, all without crushing the stock and altering the fit over time and use.
Shaping and finishing full-custom stocks
Shaping and finishing pre-inletted stocks
If you ordered a well-made 99% drop-in stock from a reputable stock maker, such as Richards MicroFit, we can do the finish work to have it be a show piece and properly fit your needs. You should realize, however, that the 99% label is an exaggeration; mass duplicating shops don't spend the time or tooling to get their products close to drop-in ready. This means "drop-in" stocks always take a tremendous amount of hand and machine work to fine tune the action fit before glass bedding can take place. As such, we will price each of these requests by the stock received.
The exteriors of these duplicator-shaped stocks also typically require a lot of sanding, if not full re-contouring of areas to suit the customer's needs. If you have questions about a stock you have purchased pre-inletted you are welcome to send us photos by email as well, before spending money on shipping. Multiple images of the interior and exterior can assist us in quoting the shaping/finishing costs.
Checkering Services
Hand Checkering is available on any bolt action stock, pistol or rifle, whether it is full-custom or a pre-inletted stock you supply. Please visit our Checkering page for photo samples of work already completed and pricing.
