Rifle finishes in the past and now

I have synthetic, laminated, and wood stocks, mostly wood. I have blued and stainless, mostly blued. I prefer the old classic nice blue and nice wood stocks, I like the look and the feel. Wood stocks feel better in my hands even on a cold wet nasty day. Yes they will get scratched up but that just helps the story. I know some that say gloss bluing, high gloss wood and stainless steel will shine and spook game. I have not found much if any difference. Each to his own.
 
I have a mix of everything. I love a good wood stock and good blueing. I have been going more and more to stainless and synthetic for a hard hunting rifle. My truck guns started li 've with good wood and nice blueing-- but you would never know it now! I don't like the cheap finishes they put on now,but it does help keep cost down. I had a river number one that was so nicely done that I wouldn't even take it hunting. Finally sold it. Had a Browning that I hunted with a lot. It was so nice that my eyes watered up the first time I put a scratch in it! Now if I want a pretty gun I make it a shotgun.
 
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Wood by accurate innovations up and down the mountains in the snow and in the rain with
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it love this gun.
 
There is a guy near here that builds rifles like that for the rich and whatever he gets 12000$
The high grade walnut and the fancy blue job but what me charges for just a blue job I wouldn't know
I will check
 
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That's a good question, what difference in price for building same rifle configuration but Polish and blue with nice finished wood stock vs rough black metal and basic wood stock. $100 for high polished metal? Certainly the wood can make a huge difference in cost for exotics or more common wood.
 
I have 2 rifles that are gorgeous wood/blued. The rest are synthetic stocked and bead blasted/coated SS.
I tend more toward beautiful wood on my shotguns. As stated earlier, sky is the limit on wood choices. Want to see some beautiful wood selections, go to Wenig Gunstocks. They will make either rifle/shotgun stocks. You choose what you want (then pay for it)!
I have a few of theirs. They make them to your specifications (LOP, etc.). Or you can go and be fitted. An amazing process which you can watch.đź‘Ť
 
Getting the metal to a chrome like polish before putting it in the blueing tanks is what takes the time. I have had rifles blued for about the same price as cerrokoting (can't spell that word). Stocks are the big question mark in the cost. Building and fitting a custom stock is a time-consuming process, and if you start with an expensive piece of wood the last thing you want to do is hurry. Just getting good quality checkering on a stock costs as much as many rifles.
 
You are so right on cost of a really nice piece of wood for a stock. How every reply has made the point that a
rifle with a great piece of wood and a nice job of polish on the metal is much more than just a tool.
 
I've always been anti aesthetics on just about everything...but the older I get the more I appreciate nicer looking things.

True. I'll be the first to admit that I actually enjoy some downtime in my man cave with a few fingers of bourbon - Just sitting there looking at a fine rifle in my padded vice. Sometimes, it's a Mark V, sometimes it's a Cooper like the one below, or the glisten of a fresh coat of boiled linseed oil on my CMP Special M1. It makes them worth owning in my opinion. Time for another safe, I guess....
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YZ80. Knock dead gorgeous rifle and checkering!
Thanks! She's a beaut, ain't she? .243 w/ 24" polished stainless bbl. I don't hump much brush with this rig, that's for sure. This one is reserved for use out of my blind right next to the house. After the DRT shot, she goes right back in the safe.
 
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