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Old July 5, 2014, 01:31 PM   #1
Bilzer
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Ruger American Aftermarket stocks

Does anyone know if there is a source for Ruger American Aftermarket stocks? I looked on Boyd's and didn't see that they had anything for the American? Anything would be better than what is coming with it.
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Old July 5, 2014, 01:51 PM   #2
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The stock that comes on it works just fine, both of mine out shoot many $1,000 rifles just as is. Buying a $350 budget gun and wanting to spend more on an aftermarket stock makes no sense. Just buy a $500-$600 gun in the first place if you don't like the stock.

It is going to be hard to make a wood stock that works anyway. The triggerguard is molded into the stock.
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Old July 5, 2014, 01:52 PM   #3
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Interesting !!

Quote:
Anything would be better than what is coming with it.
Why not give them a call and see if they have one available or plans for such. If not, you may be able to work up a deal with them and get a free stock. I do think that these Ruger Americans, are going to catch on and perhaps, Boyds will want to support them ....

Quote:
It is going to be hard to make a wood stock that works anyway. The triggerguard is molded into the stock.
Not necessarily so as they do this all the time. They have replacement guards and hardware .....

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Old July 6, 2014, 07:57 AM   #4
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I'm very interested in a stock for my 06'
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Old July 6, 2014, 09:25 AM   #5
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I suggest you go on the Boyds website and fill out a product request form, the more people that request a certain stock the apt they are to make one. I filled out the form for my Tikka like last october, about 2 months ago I got a call from Boyds and they asked to use my Tikka Lite as a pattern to make stocks for it. I sent it to them and in return I got a free stock.
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Old July 7, 2014, 05:21 AM   #6
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i've posted about this here before, in another thread ...

i contacted boyds over 3 weeks ago and they are working on a ruger american centerfire rifle replacement stock. they say it will be ready by the end of this month (but i doubt it), and they're not offering up any details about it, nor how they'll care for the "V" blocks or replacement for the integral plastic trigger guard. there is no mention of the ruger american predator, with its slightly heavier barrel.

fwiw, the problem with most plastic stocks is that they're not stiff enough, particuarly in the fore end, and most need help with floating the barrel (even though they claim the barrel is floated, some just aren't). both can easily be remedied for the RAR.

first, make sure the barrel more than clears the stock. i used 50 grit abrasive paper around different dowel diameters. pay particular attention to the end of the fore stock - you want the barrel to fully clear any plastic, all the way back to the barrel nut (action). the plastic is quite pliable and doesn't sand as well as wood, but keep at it. some folks use a dremel, and screw up the stock because the dremel wanders - but sandpaper on a dowel is more precise, but much slower going with the rubbery plastic.

make the fore stock really stiff so it won't bend and touch the barrel. i used rockite to stiffen my RAR's fore end and add weight to the butt stock. rockite is a type of cement powder that will harden like a, well, rock, inside of 15 minutes. mix it to the consistency of a watery syrup and pour it in. there's a you tube vid of the process on an RAR stock ...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=suh0feCDaHA

here's my RAR with rockite in the fore and butt stock areas, added about 2# total. most of the weight is in the butt stock and can be controled by adding more air tubes or other lightweight material so that less rockite is used ...





don't look any different, but it's a totally different shooting rifle, for the better ...

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Old July 9, 2014, 08:03 PM   #7
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If you make a "sythetic" stock rifle heavier than a laminated, whats the point in having synthetic? Ruger American stock is a joke. A bad joke at that.
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Old July 10, 2014, 05:14 AM   #8
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Quote:
If you make a "sythetic" stock rifle heavier than a laminated, whats the point in having synthetic? Ruger American stock is a joke. A bad joke at that.
you know not what yer talking about and yer shootin' from the hip.

there is NOTHING wrong about the CONCEPT of a synthetic stock, some of which are extremely well thought out, using top shelf materials, and are quite Expensive, as expected.

the RAR and RAP synth stocks are typical of a low-budget rifle (ruger, remington, marin, mossberg, weatherby, savage, winchester, the list goes on ad nauseam). AND, they are NOT A JOKE at all, and work well for most shooters.

right now, there is NO aftermarkert lam stock for the RAR or RAP, so 'til that becomes a viable alternative (c'mon boyds!), ya gots ta work with what ya gots.

to make a cheap synth stock work better, it needs to have added what it's missing most - STIFFNESS. it's NOT about adding weight, though that can be a good by-product (particularly in the butt stock), it's about making those bendy, flimsy, not-so-stiff stocks get a woody and become STIFFER. along with properly floating the barrel and making sure the action is well bedded.

Last edited by rfd; July 10, 2014 at 05:21 AM.
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Old July 10, 2014, 06:11 AM   #9
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wiggily... not just a plastic trait... I had a very nice BRNO light weight hunter in 30-06, with a set trigger, & light weight walnut stock...fine, fine rifle... except that the fore end of the stock was so light, ( reads thin ) that pressure from your grip, could steer shots left or right, by applying pressure on the barrel, on one side or the other...

I've read plenty of "look how accurate my Ruger American is" threads, & have no reason to doubt them... I just have issue with how thin, or flexible the fore end of the stock is... surely there is some low cost way the stiffen the fore end, that the factory could do ??? but I also applaud those owners that have found a way to stiffen it up...

& yup... seems everyone is making an entry level rifle... Rugers seem to be highly accurate, as long as the fore end isn't contacting the barrel unevenly...

I'm not partial to the plastic trigger guards either, but that is really an area of the rifle, that being plastic shouldn't effect it's performance...

also, even when hunting in the mountains, I'm really not worried about the weight of my rifle... granted I'm not toting around a heavy varmint barreled rifle, but 4-8 ounces one way or the other doesn't matter to me, so long as I'm completely confident in the package I'm carrying
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Old July 10, 2014, 09:19 AM   #10
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RFD, I know exactly what I am talking about. I have been building using synthetic stocks since synthetic stocks were pure fiberglass and they would stick you if you dinged the paint. I have modded several Ruger Americans. The stock is a piece of junk. I have worked on synthetic stocks ranging from Ruger American (the Worst) to some carbon fiber impregnated stocks costing more than high end hunting rifles including their high end scopes. Working on a build with a high end McMillan right now. Having to cram a synthetic stock full of a bunch of material that add weight defeats the purpose of a synthetic stock on a hunting rifle. For the record, Weatherby has never put their name on anything even remotely as crappy as the Ruger American stock. Roy always demanded stiff stocks due to his nation of controlled application of fore end pressure being preferable for improved accuracy. They are building some free floated rifles today, but they are the exception and not the production rule of WBY.

Last edited by reynolds357; July 10, 2014 at 12:30 PM.
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Old July 10, 2014, 10:57 AM   #11
rfd
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to each their own, and as always ymmv.

stiffening an RAR or RAP stock with rockite makes a huge difference. if you haven't done it, or at least tried a ruger synth that's been so stiffened, your words are misinforming at the least and therefore your ignorance is bliss.
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Old July 10, 2014, 12:25 PM   #12
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Did you read my post? I plainly told you I have modded several Ruger American stocks. So, I have done stock work on several Ruger Americans. I did not use Rockite, (not a big fan of using concrete patch on a rifle) but I used a polymer that is much stronger than Rockite and every bit as stiff. When you get finished, you have a junk stock with a remedy in it that makes it a junk stock that will shoot better. The Polymer added noticeable weight and it is lighter than Rockite.
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Old July 12, 2014, 02:57 PM   #13
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A time and place for everything !!!

Quote:
there is NOTHING wrong about the CONCEPT of a synthetic stock, some of which are extremely well thought out, using top shelf materials, and are quite Expensive, as expected.
I agree but I think we can all agree that synthetics are over-used and a high percentage are just plain junk. I recently worked on a Tikka and that was one fine, well made synthetic. There is a time and place for these and it all depends on the service. ...

One advantage that I use, is to buy a rifle with a synthetic and replace the synthetic, with a Boyd and really gain some value. ....

Be Safe !!!
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Old July 19, 2014, 05:07 AM   #14
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Kind of defeats the logic of buying an el-cheapo rifle and then adding an aftermarket stock.
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Old July 19, 2014, 05:20 AM   #15
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Quote:
Kind of defeats the logic of buying an el-cheapo rifle and then adding an aftermarket stock.
not at all, if the action (and perhaps barrel, too) were of value.

i bought a rem 700 sps in 7mm-08 and a winch 70 ultimate shadow in .30-06 - would you say those actions were "el-cheapo"? or their barrels, for that matter? i restocked both, one with a stocky's and the other with a boyd's. far less dollars than spending lots more dollars on those same actions/barrles but with factory wood stocks, and ending up with a better rifle, to boot.

my remlin xs7vh .308win is a fine action, and barrel, and i restocked that with a boyd's. my new savage 12fv in .204 ruger is another excellent action/barrel, and the new boyd's stock is on order. when the boyd's RAR stock becomes available, i'll restock my RAR in .243 win with that, too.

the typical achille's heel to the bottom feeder synth rifles is that synth stock (but not always). when you figure out the cost of restocking, you will more than likely be saving dollars over that brands higher price tag models, and ending up with a far better rifle.
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Old July 19, 2014, 01:35 PM   #16
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Really not a bad way to go.

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Kind of defeats the logic of buying an el-cheapo rifle and then adding an aftermarket stock.
Not at all and that is exactly what I did, on my last one. I now have a Boyd thumbhole laminated stock for the bench and a synthetic for the woods. Oh, I did replace the recoil pad on the synthetic. The Boyd cost me right at about $100.00 and the fit was perfect...

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Old July 21, 2014, 08:30 PM   #17
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I wish the manufacturers would sell barreled actions at the prices they should be sold at. $10 less for a barreled action than a complete rifle assanine. I would rather use aftermarket stocks on all my rifles in the first place. The only factory stocks I am truly happy with are the stocks on my Sendero rifles, but the stupid recoil pads melted off all them and cost me about $75 each to replace. Guess Remington just had to put some crappy part even on a high end rifle or it just would not have been a true Remington.
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Old July 23, 2014, 12:45 PM   #18
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I took my Ruger American rifle out to my picnic table to see how it would group while twisting the stock from left to right at 100. I was shooting the .223 off bipod with Fed american eagle ammo and 3-9 simmons 8-point scope. I got 10 shots in 2'' group. I don't think the cheap poly stock hurts it that much.
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Old July 23, 2014, 01:05 PM   #19
rfd
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as too many profess unwisely, it ain't really the synth stock that's a major issue, nor the fact the the firearm was a "cheapo". just make sure the barrel is floated, it do help to stiffen the fore end (i think it's mandatory for any cheapo synth stock), then learn how to aim and press the trigger.

range shooting on 7/10/2014 - my RAR in .243win, swfa 10x32, caldwell bipod, sierra 60hp, 37.5g h4895, fed 210 primer, first 7 bullets out of the new rifle ...





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Old September 9, 2017, 10:11 AM   #20
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I have a Boyd's on my .223 and just ordered a MagPul Hunter stock for my .243. They are on sale at MidwayUSA, but backordered as they have not come in yet.
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Old September 9, 2017, 10:42 AM   #21
Don Fischer
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When I bought my Mossberg Patriot 243 it came with a plastic stock. But Mossberg also sell's it in a wood stock so I got it anyway and soon as I got home ordered a wood stock for it. I simply cannot take a plastic stock, it's un-American!
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Old September 9, 2017, 09:30 PM   #22
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Most U.S. military rifles have had synthetic stocks for the last 50 years! Most of my rifles and shotguns have American-made synthetic stocks. Beautiful wood stocks are certainly more attractive, but synthetic stocks are definitely not "un-American."
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Old September 9, 2017, 09:47 PM   #23
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I bought a Ruger American Rifle in .300 Blackout about a month ago. I have put 50 rounds through it almost every day since then. When I got it, the stock was touching on the left side right at the end of the stock. I sanded it down with sandpaper wrapped around a deep well socket. Since then, I don't really have much bad to say about it.

At first, I started down the road of buying all kinds of aftermarket stuff to tart the rifle up including a stock. But then I re-thought the whole thing and decided it was perfect just the way it is. I didn't buy this particular rifle as a super accurate bench gun or a target gun. Nor do I really care what it looks like. Don't get me wrong, I want all the accuracy I can get but in this case I see this more as a bumming around the woods or desert gun. A gun I would carry all the time in a case on the back floor of my pickup. I own a few Boyd's stocks and they are far heavier and bulkier than what I want for this rifle.

FWIW: I shot a few sub MOA hundred yard groups this morning with this rifle. It took me awhile to find an accurate load, but I think I am on the right track.
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Old September 16, 2017, 08:54 PM   #24
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444, Kind of an ancient thread but here goes: I too have a 300 Blackout that has taken many Texas hogs at 100 yards, the 125 gr bullets just knock them on their butt and the rifle is a perfect size for a 4x6 blind. The part of Texas where I shoot them is heavily wooded and shots over 100 yds are rare. I scoped mine and put a ammo carrier on the butt, other than that I just shoot and enjoy the American as it is.
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Old September 18, 2017, 03:52 PM   #25
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magpul has a new polymer stock called hunter american stock for the ruger amercian predator coming soon for around $299.00 i have a RAP and that is the one i am going to get.
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