Hightech Stocks

[bigiron]

Every once in a while I see someone say that Hightech Specialties stocks have problems but they never list those problems. What are these problems? Thanks.

 

[EddieHarren]

I built a 260 Rem on a 600 action a few years ago and I wanted it to be real light. I got a High Tech stock from Brownells' and pillar bedded it. The rifle ended up weighing 6.5 lbs. with the Leupold 3x9 scope. About 2 weeks after I finished the rifle I took it out of the safe to go to the range and noticed that the barrel was making contact with the stock at the tip of the forearm along the left side. This was a surprise as it was not this way when I originally bedded it. I re-bedded the rifle (milling out all of the bedding material and starting over). After this everything looked great. Two weeks later the stock was touching the barrel again in the same spot. Got rid of that stock and went to a Mod 7 from McMillan and have never been happier. The High Tech was plenty light but not stable enough for me.

 

[James Jones]

I have built several rifles on them. the only problem I have ever had was with the paint sticking to the gel coat , you have to sand it a little bit to get the paint to stick.

I don't see how anybody can have problems with the the stock moving , its laid up fiberglass over some pretty dense foam. The action area is solid glass, I pillar and glass bed all my rifles.

For the money I don't think that anybody can come close to touching them.

 

[bigiron]

I have built a few rifles with the Hightech stock and have had no problems, and it rains here alot and is hot in the summer. Just wanted to know if there were some gremlins waiting to jump out. Anyone else?

I like them because you don't ADD to much weight to get them right. Some other lightweight stocks need alot of work and by the time they are stiff enough they weigh much more than they started out.

 

[James Jones]

I generaly add some weight to my stock also , I like to build up the grip with a bit of palmswell and little more vertical grip for my hand they seem way to skinny for my paws but after all the smaping and molding they still come in under what most other stocks would and a hell of alot cheaper

 

[257speed]

I have used the high tech's for several years now, since meeting Mark Bansner, who now owns the company. I have never had a problem with any of them, and have used well over a dozen. They are the only way to go if you are looking for lightweight. Recently built a .243 on a lightened rem 700 action, #3 shilen barrel, with scope, 5 1/4 lbs.

 

[royinidaho]

Care to share any pics of finished rifles with that stock?

Would I want to use one on a RUM cartridge w/Muzzle Brake?

Is it difficult to add the palm swell, etc?

I like the idea of classic/no cheekpiece but have never seen a Hightech stock /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[bigiron]

Can't help out with the pictures, maybe someone else?
Or a search for their web site /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[James Jones]

Roy I have a left handed one sitting in my drying cabnet right now. The guy wanted a little bigger palm swell and a black with white speck finish.

I'll try to get a couple pics and see if the camera and computer will play nice with eachother.

But adding the palm swell is not hard at all , I used some A-B foam (not sure what kind) then used a rasp and sand paper to form the way the customer wanted just a little undersized then added a couple coats of fiberglass then the typical sanding and paint prep.
I've seen several guys use that two part steel puddy to make a palm swell they just pack it on grip the hell out of it then sand to their liking and paint. I personaly woulden't try it but they haven't had any problems with it.

 

[EddieHarren]

JD, the foam, in the forearm of the stock I had, was not very dense. In fact, it was very pourous and soft. Maybe they have changed. I hope for the better.

 

[James Jones]

Well I can see how that would be a problem , I havce never had any problems like that and just about every stock I have worked with had to have the barrel channel opened up.
It could have abeen a bad mix with the foam or something.
Did you contact them about it? I had one that the action area was porus and I diden't find out till I had drilled it for pillers they gave a quick "well once you work on it theirs nothing we can do" and my reply was "then I'll post all the pics and problems on the web at differant sites about the crap you sell and the poor customer service"
I was directly transfered to a "yes man" and he gladly replaced my stock , even shipped it out before I ship the bad one back

 

[257speed]

This is the rifle I mentioned in my earlier post. Rifle was built for a friends son. Stock is the high tech w/out cheekpiece. Camo is Duracoat.

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[szabo]

we had the same problem with the stock touching the barrel after milling and glassing. went back to browns precision!

 

[257speed]

I have had that problem with brown stocks. We have found huge voids in them before. This post is about the Hightech brand stock. They save about 10 hrs of work over a brown precision stock, and are less expensive. Every brown blank I have seen needed many hours of filling, sanding and shaping, just to get the mold lines covered and the shape of the butt right.