Chassis vs boyd's howa mini

[A5BLASTER]

A5,
Can you post some pics of this?

I'm kind of with you on this. The chassis is better quality, but not near as nice looking. The At-One is "chassis like", but it's not a chassis. After looking at both of my Boyds stocks, I decided that it would be a bad idea to shoot them without pillar and epoxy bedding first. I've done a lot of work with laminated woods in the past and it does split/chip easily if pressure is applied in just the right spot/way.

I'm curious to see where the stocks failed.

It's a bit late for pics, I already took it out to the shop and sanded the lil divets up and packed them with wood epoxy mix I had stored for a boat project.

Letting it harden now so I can flush sand it and repaint.

Will order a piller and glass bed kit and see if I can make it work. If not then I know I did all I could and I will order a chassis then.

[Frontier Gear]

Ah, sorry to hear about the hassle... I really hope that this fixes it for you.

[A5BLASTER]

Ah, sorry to hear about the hassle... I really hope that this fixes it for you.

I hope so too, as I prefer wood stocks.

Just kind of bumed out it's being such a headache. After seeing what kind of groups I was getting at 200 yards with my lrx handloads in a non bedded stock I was amazed then this happened.

Hopefully all the extra work will pay off, if not I will have to get something diffrent.

[FW Conch]

A5, I see where You said paint. If You're Pro Varmint stock is the black painted variety, the laminate is more like plywood and of much lesser quality than the color stocks with clear finish. When drilling for pillars on these Black stocks, some have found the entire area broke out. Some have effected acceptable repairs, some have not. I'm sure Boyd's is aware of these issues, and it's disappointing they don't offer acceptable Customer Service.

[A5BLASTER]

A5, I see where You said paint. If You're Pro Varmint stock is the black painted variety, the laminate is more like plywood and of much lesser quality than the color stocks with clear finish. When drilling for pillars on these Black stocks, some have found the entire area broke out. Some have effected acceptable repairs, some have not. I'm sure Boyd's is aware of these issues, and it's disappointing they don't offer acceptable Customer Service.

Yea it's the black painted boyd's pro varmint got it on sale.

I'm going to give it a try and see if I can make something of it but I'm sourcing money to stash to get something else if it doesn't work.

[roor]

I wanted a boyds but the early stories of the injuring being off and bottom plastics cracking made me go chassis. I'm not a complete idiot but glass bedding is way out of my comfort zone so getting a smith to do it would be more $$. I know how to use a torque wrench so that was way easier.

The oryx is nice since it comes with the stock vs the other chassis where you still need to but that as well, adding to the cost

[Frontier Gear]

A5, I see where You said paint. If You're Pro Varmint stock is the black painted variety, the laminate is more like plywood and of much lesser quality than the color stocks with clear finish. When drilling for pillars on these Black stocks, some have found the entire area broke out. Some have effected acceptable repairs, some have not. I'm sure Boyd's is aware of these issues, and it's disappointing they don't offer acceptable Customer Service.

Interesting that they would be using a different type of material for the painted stocks. The color laminate is impregnated with a resin and cured under tons of pressure. So the resin is a consistent stabilizing material throughout the entire piece. Do you think that the painted ones are more of the "glued" variety (sheets of wood that have just been glued together and don't have a resin running through all the wood laminates)?

[Taz575]

My Mini in the chassis:
hmmdtbrn1.jpg

[FW Conch]

FG, Your description seems to be accurate. Those who have had similar problems say if You want it in black, buy it in color and paint it. :-((

[A5BLASTER]

Interesting that they would be using a different type of material for the painted stocks. The color laminate is impregnated with a resin and cured under tons of pressure. So the resin is a consistent stabilizing material throughout the entire piece. Do you think that the painted ones are more of the "glued" variety (sheets of wood that have just been glued together and don't have a resin running through all the wood laminates)?

It is indeed plywood. But I was under the impression it was a epoxy laminate the same type of plywood construction we use in boat building. Where you lay up each layer of plywood to each other bonded with epoxy and help during drying through pressure.

I figured they did it that way then ran it on a cnc lathe and finisher. But looking at how the chuncks broke free I'm not so sure. The chuncks that came free I could tell were filler material used to fill the voids leavt from manufacturing process.

I got everything filled and sanded back down, the stuff I used is the strongest you can buy without being a licensed boat builder. But it all back together and everything is nice and lined up and torqued back down will give it a run tommorw and see what it does.

But I will be ordering a piller and glass bedding kit as well.

[Frontier Gear]

Wow, good to know. Just really a bummer that you had to suffer for us to learn.

[A5BLASTER]

Wow, good to know. Just really a bummer that you had to suffer for us to learn.

I'm not going to say they are all snake bite like this one. Could be I just got a lemon.

But to be honest boyd's has lost my business when they gave me the, it's normal wear and tear line.

[drewsbow]

A5 : Sorry to hear your pro varmint is such a disappointment for you , I like mine and might have just gotten a good one by chance . I had to do no mods to get a good fit and seems to be a solid stock , though not perfect.

[cwlongshot]

Understood.

That's a pisspoor service line...

Posts like this are why I don't already have a Boyds for my MINI.

As I said, I have a few of thee stocks and have recommended them in the past as no issues have been seen.

Good luck today!

Personally, I would hog it out little more than I normally would, (Knowing you have had problems) and bed the entire action in accra glass. As I said pillars are new to me, but re thinking maybe pillar install should be first as they have for a positive stop for the bottom metal to the action perfectly locating the stock between unbinding. Once they where in, bedding to that dimension should provide trouble free life....

CW

[FW Conch]

A5, just to re emphasis, for what ever reason, the "Black " Pro Varmints are of a different ( lesser) material than the "color" stocks. There is "plywood", then there is "laminate" stock material. There are examples on YouTube where people have sanded the black paint off and the difference is obvious. And statements on various sites where others have the same problems You have, and worse. I suspect, since the black stocks were being painted, cheaper material was chosen, because it wouldn't show, but at the same time it wasn't as substantial??

The last Boyd's stock I got was a Blue Laminate, from the new supplier, and is of good quality. But it's for a Savage and they've had decades to work the bugs out of that one.


I hope that Boyd's can get back on track with quality and customer service, because in the past they have offerd both at a
very reasonable price.

For the short time You have owned Your stock, I would certainly not call Your problems "normal wear and tear". :-((