Suits you sir !! Laminate or wooden stock

[Dark Womble]

So in the short time I've been researching getting my first AR, I've seen some gorgeous stocks in both natural wood and laminated.

So I ask, what do you prefer ?

For me, I'd love a laminate eventually, but I also love wood!!

 

[waisted skirt]

If I had to pick one it would be a lovely walnut, have one laminate which is quite nice but don't think I would get another.

 

[crolandc]

Went from wood to laminate then back to wood, never get bored looking at a nice Walnut stock but find my laminates a tad boring now, so wood from now on

 

[Sharpsman]

A nice bit of walnut for me , I find laminate lifeless somehow and boring.

 

[Bren]

I like laminate

 

[Desmond.22]

Tough call

I recently swapped my laminate on my 97 to walnut. Pic of both

 

[Dark Womble]

That's such a lovely grain!

 

[StephenBucknall]

I like laminate

View attachment 610502

 

[StephenBucknall]

Snap.

 

[mjr1983]

Wood for me every time. And If you're lucky enough to find a stock with a decent grain pattern, more's the better

 

[Andy from Sandy]

Based on a few threads I have seen, what's the rifle going to be used for?

It appears some stocks are using fully seasoned dried out wood to the point it has gone very brittle and break across the trigger point.

I would hope a laminate layup has been done properly with the layers at an angle to promote strength.

 

[Storcky]

Wood, be it beech or walnut.

 

[waisted skirt]

Here you go, not as beautiful as a lovely bit of walnut though.

 

[Mattb]

Both!

 

[chouchin66]

Wood, lighter than laminate & easier to refinish.

 

[waisted skirt]

Wood, lighter than laminate & easier to refinish.

Never done anything with a laminate stock and hopefully won't have to but wondering how deep generally does the colour permeate into the wood itself, any ideas?.

 

[chouchin66]

Never done anything with a laminate stock and hopefully won't have to but wondering how deep generally does the colour permeate into the wood itself, any ideas?.

The laminates are dyed( the thin plies) before glue up into blanks, so pretty deep, if not completely through & through.

 

[waisted skirt]

The laminates are dyed( the thin plies) before glue up into blanks, so pretty deep, if not completely through & through.

Thanks, sounds like a laminate stock in that case would take a little surface sanding without loosing its colour .

 

[chouchin66]

Thanks, sounds like a laminate stock in that case would take a little surface sanding without loosing its colour .

The adhesive/ glue will be substantially harder than the wood it bonds - can make for tricky sanding.

 

[One more job]

So in the short time I've been researching getting my first AR, I've seen some gorgeous stocks in both natural wood and laminated.

So I ask, what do you prefer ?

For me, I'd love a laminate eventually, but I also love wood!!

I much prefer the sporter springer look, so would always go for a nice bit of walnut, having said that I have a few beech stocks that look the business too!
Use to hate laminated stocks but recently have seen some crackers! So if a rifle I was interested in had a nice laminate stock, I would still buy it!