My new carbon fiber target stock

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zebra

Member
Sep 29, 2015
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New York
It's time to share a new diy project for those that like that sort of thing.

I just started testing my new mold for the carbon fiber stock that is going to go on all of my non-bullpup air guns for the near future. 

In choosing the design, I looked at what the top 50 long range target shooters in America were using over the last few years and it seemed like the two most popular ( and successful) were the Manners elite and McMillan A5/A3 tactical designs so.... I based mine on those shapes (but with a few mods for my taste). 

I kinda wanted to see what all the fuss is about because most target air rifles seem to use those rather unusual looking curved aluminum chassis designs. Firearms users are prepared to pay a premium and wait a lifetime for delivery of one of those Manners / McMillan stocks.

It's slim pickings for the air rifle user who wants to upgrade their factory stock to something more stable so a diy project was the only option.

Anyway... this is the first pull. The mold needs some tweaks to make it perfect but I am liking where it is heading:







http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb447/Zebracf/IMG_3499_zpsn7s1q4de.jpg http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb447/Zebracf/IMG_3486_zpsobqziusu.jpg http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb447/Zebracf/IMG_3483_zpsz3dga4kb.jpg

My Ataman is going to be the first of mine to wear this new dress. I think it will be fairly easy to modify for any bottle guns I buy in the future too.

Not sure if it comes out in the pics but a grippy texture is molded into the grip and forearm just like on the Manners and McMillan stocks. It feels good!

The main changes to design so far are a wider forearm for stability on the bench, an increase in the length of pull and a different adjustable cheek piece mechanism. I also added compartments to allow me to add or remove weights in the field at 4 different points in the stock so I can change the balance for the purpose.

I think these could be a good multi purpose stock (I.e. Hunting target shooting, plinking, window gun). I'm using 100% carbon fiber. It's woven 2x2 twill on the outside (it will be a glossy cosmetic piece) and it has some layers of cf sheet molding compound on the inner walls for extreme multi-directional strength and rigidity. 
 
"cilami"That is very nice! Weight and length?
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The beauty of this design is that I get to choose both of those things for each one and the weight can be adjusted at any time.

The base shell is far too light to make a properly balanced (non-bullpup) stock unless you add a little weight at select points. I haven't put this one on the scales but they usually come in at 12oz if I don't balance them for the gun. 

Even if a gun a really light, they feel heavy if all the weight is at the front. I'll have to wait until I have finished inletting it for the Ataman to see how much weight to add to the back but that gun is very light so it won't need a lot. 

The length of the stock is also going to be customized for the gun. I believe the full length is 24" but I'm going to cut 6" for the shorter carbine length guns and a lot more for bottle guns.

I have done some light stock projects but that isn't going to be my aim here. The Ataman is already the lightest gun I own. This is going to be my target stock so the goal is the most rigid, strong, robust, stable and balanced piece that I am able to make. I want it to be without compromise a pure accuracy tool. More weight = more stability in bench shooting. 

My carbon fiber cricket stock project was about weight reduction (amongst other things). Using cf, I was able to make an almost exact replica of the synthetic bull stock that went from 2lb 10oz to just under a pound without losing any strength. That should give you a pretty good idea about what's possible in terms of weight reduction (if that's the goal). 

There is no other practically available material with anything close to the same strength to weight ratio of carbon fiber. It's stronger than steel. The perfect stock material bar none imo. 
 
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"dreuf"That is the type of project I dream to achieve. Very nice work and finish man.
I already play a little with glass fiber and epoxy but I am far away from such a result.

Would you please detail the step by step process to manufacture such CF stock?

My respects to you.
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The most difficult part is making the mold. If you can do that, the rest is relatively straight forward. I already wrote a detailed tutorial on making a diy cf mold for projects like this for this forum. You'll find it with the search function.

If you make a functional mold, pm me and I'll happily tell you what you need to know for the rest. It's all downhill after that...(well... mostly downhill). 
 
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"Kitplanenut"Zebra. Are you vacuum curing and with what resin. Looks good. Your a craftsman!
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No. I've never found vacuum bagging to work very well for stock making as you need pressure in opposite directions. Plus it's a lot of messing around. I prefer to use compression molding or bladder molding. I used compression molding for this one.

I got the air out of the cf before it went in the mold. I made diy prepreg and ran it through a cold roll laminator.
 
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"guod123"You have some serious talent, if you want some ideas for inspiration check out grsriflestocks.com
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I remember seeing their stuff a while ago and thinking it looked very nice and very expensive. I wondered what made them worth the cash. I'd like to hold one to see.

I like to use this list as a starting point:

Rifle Chassis & Stocks – What The Pros Use[/QUOTE]http://precisionrifleblog.com/2015/11/28/rifle-chassis/embed/

It makes sense to me to start with what's working for the top guys and then adapting it for my needs. Then I try to resist the temptation to pull their designs apart in my head an redo them from scratch in a way that fixes all the inherent problems in the current stock designs in favor of just making something now....
 
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"Matt247365"Very cool, Zebra! I'm digging the weight savings and the fact that you can shape the design to your preference.
Matt
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Weight savings can be nice on some guns but the thing I have come to appreciate the most is how strong and rigid they are. Some cf stock manufacturers demonstrate the strength of their product by driving a 2 ton truck over it to show how it doesn't break...

The last two wood stocks I got didn't even survive their journey with USPS. They arrived with cracks and dents. Most factory air rifle stocks are very poor quality (not all obviously). Some you could snap easily by squeezing too hard. Some bend and flex visibility or make that creeking sound when you torque the stock screws. 

I got interesed in the benefits of a quality well bedded stock when I saw how much of a poi shift there was from tightening the stock screws or gripping too hard. There is a good reason why the top guys ditch their factory stocks and invest a lot of money in a quality piece. The stock can make a meaningful difference even in rifles with free float barrels. 

It is nice to be able to decide how you want it balanced without making the decision to compromise on strength or weight though. Nobody likes compromise...
 
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