Wasted money on a Fajen stock.....

Charmedlyfe · May 8, 2001, 03:22 PM

I bought a Fajen varmint/bench stock (laminate) from Midway. Up front, I'd like to say that Midway was its usual great self. I love those guys. Now to the problem.

The stock came in the black/grey color. I got it finished beautifully. It was a stunner. I attached a stud for my Harris bipod, and installed the Harris. The pressure caused the bottom of the stock to shear along the laminated surfaces. OK, I did a repair and installed another stud, being VERY careful not to stress the wood. The wood sheared down the center of the fore end, again along the laminated surfaces. Again another repair. THEN the fore end begins to split and crumble like dry-rotted wood.

Midway was helpful and offered to replace it or refund the price. They were great. I didn't feel it was right to stick them with this because I had already done so much work to the stock.

Live and learn. I'll never buy or work on another cheap piece-of-junk Fajen stock. They should be ashamed of themselves for producing such garbage.

DON'T BUY FAJEN!!!!!!

C.R.Sam · May 8, 2001, 06:50 PM

I would contact Fajen with the problem. They "might" be highly interested in the situation. If they got a bad batch of laminate they ought to appreciate knowing about it.

Aside from that, I would think a rail would be the way to go, a lot less stress concentration from a rail than a stud.

Sam

Gunslinger · May 8, 2001, 08:05 PM

Contacting Fajen may be a bit of a problem. They went out of business some three years ago. There is a group of employees that opened another shop in Lincoln Missouri (near the old Fajen sight).
I'm not sure of the name but if you would like I'll look it up for you. Drop me an Email [email protected] since, due to schedule I may forget to check back on this thread.

Even though the new people are not responsable they will probably be interested to know. I'm sure as C.R. said it was a bad batch and since they basically took it over they would like to know.

Also I think it highly commendable of you that you do not want to stick Midway with the bill. Most people would not do that.

Charmedlyfe · May 8, 2001, 08:34 PM

I have a lot of respect for Midway. When I contacted them to let them know about the laminate, the Man himself responded. I was VERY impressed.....and I've been a regular customer since. Not too many businesses like that around that aren't in the gun industry.

Yeah, I should have used a rail. I was planning to after the first repair, but the whole forearm started coming apart. A really dry feel to the wood, and an extremely dry look. I don't think it got enough glue.

I'm going to try a Boyd's next. I wish I could go all-out and get a McMillan A2. Well, maybe when I've got a LOT more money....

BBBBill · May 8, 2001, 08:56 PM

Doesn't the guy that owns Midway also own Fajen? I'm sure that I read that he bought out Bishop & Fajen several years ago & combined them into one operation. Later closed it down due to difficulties bringing them up to snuff with modern book-keeping/production standards ( cost too much to run or fix). Sounds like it is still Midway's problem to me.

C.R.Sam · May 8, 2001, 09:56 PM

oops....thanx for the correction Slinger....Sam

Alex Johnson · May 9, 2001, 10:38 AM

I've had experiences with a few of Fajens products when they were in business. Normally I prefer to work from a blank, but on occasion if I didn't know what the inletting was supposed to look like in places I went with the Fajen products. Usually the inletting, even when I specified undersized was oversized, my friend was restocking a Browning rifle and the customer had provided Fajen stocks to be used, they were so bad that he ended up inletting a diamond of ebony at one point to cover up a gap that was in excess of 1/8" courtesy of Fajen. No, I didn't think much of that company, they are out of business for a reason.

Calif Hunter · May 9, 2001, 12:57 PM

It's been a couple of years ago now, but I bought a grey/black laminated Fajen stock from Midway as part of the barrel/stock combo packages they were offereing. My brother installed and blued the barrel, trued up the action, glassbedded the barrel etc. This was in .300 Weatherby caliber. I have had absolutely no problems with the stock, other than it's heavy! It looks great and I always receive positive coments on it.

Herodotus · May 10, 2001, 12:27 AM

Both Reinhart Fajen and Bishop, located in the Warsaw area of Missouri, were bought out by the people who own Midway in the early '90's. They built a brand new modern factory with new CNC machinery in a bid to become a major player in the commercial stock making bussiness, the old equipment not being up to something like that. This new factory was located just south of Lincoln, Missouri, a little north of Warsaw.
This venture was a failure by 1998, and the plant, equipment and stock was sold at public auction, literally pennies on the dollar, a sad, sad thing to behold.
The folks at Midway retained the Fajen name and have sold stocks under that brand since that time, but these stocks are not made at the old locations by the old people. I am not sure were they come from, the Fajen web site not giving even a clue the last time I looked. If I remember correctly, it just said they were American made.
The company now operating in Lincoln Missiouri has the true wealth of the old Bishop and Fajen firms: the craftsmen.
This new company is Winig Custom Gun Stocks: http://www.wenig.com
Go to them if you want competent craftsmenship. They can probably do anything you want in the way of a stock, but I hear that they now have a long waiting list for true custom work.
They have a line of laminated stocks, and I can assure you that these people know firearms, know wood and know how to put it all together.

May 8, 2001, 03:22 PM	#1
Charmedlyfe Junior member Join Date: October 11, 2000 Location: SC Posts: 799	I bought a Fajen varmint/bench stock (laminate) from Midway. Up front, I'd like to say that Midway was its usual great self. I love those guys. Now to the problem. The stock came in the black/grey color. I got it finished beautifully. It was a stunner. I attached a stud for my Harris bipod, and installed the Harris. The pressure caused the bottom of the stock to shear along the laminated surfaces. OK, I did a repair and installed another stud, being VERY careful not to stress the wood. The wood sheared down the center of the fore end, again along the laminated surfaces. Again another repair. THEN the fore end begins to split and crumble like dry-rotted wood. Midway was helpful and offered to replace it or refund the price. They were great. I didn't feel it was right to stick them with this because I had already done so much work to the stock. Live and learn. I'll never buy or work on another cheap piece-of-junk Fajen stock. They should be ashamed of themselves for producing such garbage. DON'T BUY FAJEN!!!!!!

May 8, 2001, 06:50 PM	#2
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	I would contact Fajen with the problem. They "might" be highly interested in the situation. If they got a bad batch of laminate they ought to appreciate knowing about it. Aside from that, I would think a rail would be the way to go, a lot less stress concentration from a rail than a stud. Sam

May 8, 2001, 08:05 PM	#3
Gunslinger Junior member Join Date: January 5, 1999 Location: Springfield, Missouri Posts: 2,105	Contacting Fajen may be a bit of a problem. They went out of business some three years ago. There is a group of employees that opened another shop in Lincoln Missouri (near the old Fajen sight). I'm not sure of the name but if you would like I'll look it up for you. Drop me an Email [email protected] since, due to schedule I may forget to check back on this thread. Even though the new people are not responsable they will probably be interested to know. I'm sure as C.R. said it was a bad batch and since they basically took it over they would like to know. Also I think it highly commendable of you that you do not want to stick Midway with the bill. Most people would not do that.

May 8, 2001, 08:34 PM	#4
Charmedlyfe Junior member Join Date: October 11, 2000 Location: SC Posts: 799	I have a lot of respect for Midway. When I contacted them to let them know about the laminate, the Man himself responded. I was VERY impressed.....and I've been a regular customer since. Not too many businesses like that around that aren't in the gun industry. Yeah, I should have used a rail. I was planning to after the first repair, but the whole forearm started coming apart. A really dry feel to the wood, and an extremely dry look. I don't think it got enough glue. I'm going to try a Boyd's next. I wish I could go all-out and get a McMillan A2. Well, maybe when I've got a LOT more money....

May 8, 2001, 08:56 PM	#5
BBBBill Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2000 Location: Alabama Posts: 197	Doesn't the guy that owns Midway also own Fajen? I'm sure that I read that he bought out Bishop & Fajen several years ago & combined them into one operation. Later closed it down due to difficulties bringing them up to snuff with modern book-keeping/production standards ( cost too much to run or fix). Sounds like it is still Midway's problem to me.

May 8, 2001, 09:56 PM	#6
C.R.Sam Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 1999 Location: Dewey, AZ Posts: 12,858	oops....thanx for the correction Slinger....Sam

May 9, 2001, 10:38 AM	#7
Alex Johnson Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2000 Location: Grand Forks, ND Posts: 812	I've had experiences with a few of Fajens products when they were in business. Normally I prefer to work from a blank, but on occasion if I didn't know what the inletting was supposed to look like in places I went with the Fajen products. Usually the inletting, even when I specified undersized was oversized, my friend was restocking a Browning rifle and the customer had provided Fajen stocks to be used, they were so bad that he ended up inletting a diamond of ebony at one point to cover up a gap that was in excess of 1/8" courtesy of Fajen. No, I didn't think much of that company, they are out of business for a reason.

May 9, 2001, 12:57 PM	#8
Calif Hunter Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2000 Location: La Palma, CA, USA Posts: 165	It's been a couple of years ago now, but I bought a grey/black laminated Fajen stock from Midway as part of the barrel/stock combo packages they were offereing. My brother installed and blued the barrel, trued up the action, glassbedded the barrel etc. This was in .300 Weatherby caliber. I have had absolutely no problems with the stock, other than it's heavy! It looks great and I always receive positive coments on it.

May 10, 2001, 12:27 AM	#9
Herodotus Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2000 Posts: 743	Both Reinhart Fajen and Bishop, located in the Warsaw area of Missouri, were bought out by the people who own Midway in the early '90's. They built a brand new modern factory with new CNC machinery in a bid to become a major player in the commercial stock making bussiness, the old equipment not being up to something like that. This new factory was located just south of Lincoln, Missouri, a little north of Warsaw. This venture was a failure by 1998, and the plant, equipment and stock was sold at public auction, literally pennies on the dollar, a sad, sad thing to behold. The folks at Midway retained the Fajen name and have sold stocks under that brand since that time, but these stocks are not made at the old locations by the old people. I am not sure were they come from, the Fajen web site not giving even a clue the last time I looked. If I remember correctly, it just said they were American made. The company now operating in Lincoln Missiouri has the true wealth of the old Bishop and Fajen firms: the craftsmen. This new company is Winig Custom Gun Stocks: http://www.wenig.com Go to them if you want competent craftsmenship. They can probably do anything you want in the way of a stock, but I hear that they now have a long waiting list for true custom work. They have a line of laminated stocks, and I can assure you that these people know firearms, know wood and know how to put it all together.