Pecatonica River stocks

What do you guys think of Pecatonica River Stocks? Are the ramrod holes bored in and routed under the breach? Have yall had any problems with them. I'm looking at the carolina rifle for a winter project with a light .50 cal rice barrel, and a durrs egg lock (sent off to rice for a re-work, if I can't tune it properly). I wish these guys would start inletting for the chambers late ketland lock. I might even get a stock without the lock inletted if I'm feeling brave, but money is tight now and I don't want to ruin a stock, since I've only built one other rifle.

texcl said:

What do you guys think of Pecatonica River Stocks? Are the ramrod holes bored in and routed under the breach? Have yall had any problems with them. I'm looking at the carolina rifle for a winter project with a light .50 cal rice barrel, and a durrs egg lock (sent off to rice for a re-work, if I can't tune it properly). I wish these guys would start inletting for the chambers late ketland lock. I might even get a stock without the lock inletted if I'm feeling brave, but money is tight now and I don't want to ruin a stock, since I've only built one other rifle.

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I've never had a problem, the maple can be on the soft side but can't say I've had problems with them. You may want to rethink the non-inlet stock and inlet the lock. I always inlet the lock, besides enjoying doing it, I can place where it needs to be. Your limited with a lock pre-inlet.

I am putting together a Pecatonica Lancaster rifle that someone bought 7 years ago and sent to me to build. The ramrod hole is drilled. The lock was inlet correctly. The buttplate was cut to the buyer's length and perfectly matched the butt plate. The stock is correctly shaped for a Lancaster and is sanded very smooth, though of course I have to slim it, so that isn't important. The only minor change I needed to make was that the web was too thick, about .20 of an inch, meaning that the ram rod would stick below the nose cap. I cut the groove down to about 1/8" from the entry pipe forward, so that the ram rod would lie close to the nose cap. I have been to Pecatonica and seen the guy cutting stocks on the duplicator, and looked at all the different kinds they had on hand. I like them.

i've done a build with a Pecatonica stock and i'd recommend them without hesitation. I needed a 'special' (i.e. inlet for a barrel but not the tang) and Dick Greensides was more than accomodating. The grade was about one better than what i ordered, and the inletting was spot- on. Great value for the money! (that means i'm still happy with it and i can't remember what i spent)

as regards the inletting of the lock- if you go slow, and have a good instruction manual (i recommend The Gunsmith of Grenville County, by Pete Alexander) you should do OK... by the way, the photos in the Track of the Wolf catalog are full size, so if you need a template...

good luck with your build!

Pecatonica River always drills the ramrod hole in their stocks.

I've built over 13 of Dicks guns and the parts and stocks he sells are top notch in my mind.

I usually ask him to skip inletting the lock because I usually want to use a different lock than the one he sells with his "kits".
He has been happy to oblige me.

The Curly Maple he supplies is always one notch better than his competation supplies but I feel that his #3 CM is the very best buy he has.

There is sometimes a small area that is a bit weak on stripes but for the most part the wood has exceptional striping.

Dick is also a great guy to talk to and to work with on getting exactly what you want.
He knows his products and is willing to bend over backwards to help if a problem comes up.

I definitely add another recommendation for them as well. I have been out to the shop about ten times or so. (Dad lives about 10 min away) I have gotten exceptional service every time I called as well.

I really appreciate the input, I was looking at several kits from chambers, dunlap and PR but hadn't had any input on PR, I've gotten where I gravitated from the pre-revolutionary rifles to the late style flintlocks, with the more advanced locks. I guess the best way to get a tapered barrel in this case would be to order the stock inletted for the swamped barrel then cut the swamped barrel and stock back to 38" or so? The good thing about PR is if I ruin the stock I can get a replacment from them for a reasonable price.

I also like pectonica stocks. All one of them I've used :grin: . They were very helpful and the wood was great for the price.
On a different subject you had mentioned cutting down your barrel to 38 nches. Rice makes a 38 inch swamped barrel that might be right up your alley. Just food for thought. :thumbsup:
Andy

Sorry just reread your post. You're wanting a tapered barrel. Disregard my last :grin:

PR gets an A+ from me too. I have been in the machining industry for just shy of 30 years. It still amazes me how well PR hit the dimensions on my pre-carved inleted stock. As mentioned eariler, I had to also lower the entry pipe slightly, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Some things just need to be fitted. That's one in my opinion. The amazing part came when I bedded the barrel, and marked out the flash hole in relation to the lock. When the tang and barrel were bedded properly, the face of the breech plug was exactly in position for the flash hole. All I had to do was set the lock in about .030" to meet the barrel and she was done. I might add that the lock fit perfictly right out of the box. Amazing. I think I have setteled on a PR A.Verner for this winters project. I have no reservation whatever about the quality or service :thumbsup:.

I was building my first rifle in the late 80's. I wanted to build a southern mountain, Tennessee type rifle in left hand and 54 caliber with 15/16" flats. At that time they couldn't get it in left hand. But they had a fullstock Hawken in 1" flats and had a 42 channel that hadn't been cut back yet. It had enough wood to shape into a Southern mountain style. I appreciated them working with me and wasn't dissappointed. Living only 25 miles from their shop somebody actually dropped it off at my house that lived in the same town. A similar story 10 years lated when I was building a flintlock fowler.

fort fireman said:

I also like pectonica stocks. All one of them I've used :grin: . They were very helpful and the wood was great for the price.
On a different subject you had mentioned cutting down your barrel to 38 nches. Rice makes a 38 inch swamped barrel that might be right up your alley. Just food for thought. :thumbsup:
Andy

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I'll bet if you sent them the barrel they could inlet it for you.

Yup, they will inlet the barrel if you send it to them.

I have had several, the only thing is I agree that some of them are soft. I have never ordered the premium grades though. I am putting one of their T/C inlet stocks on a bag of spare parts I accumulated and everthing was inlet far better than I can do ( I have only built 8 rifles). I have been very pleased.

Zonie said:

Pecatonica River always drills the ramrod hole in their stocks.

I've built over 13 of Dicks guns and the parts and stocks he sells are top notch in my mind.

I usually ask him to skip inletting the lock because I usually want to use a different lock than the one he sells with his "kits".
He has been happy to oblige me.

The Curly Maple he supplies is always one notch better than his competation supplies but I feel that his #3 CM is the very best buy he has.

There is sometimes a small area that is a bit weak on stripes but for the most part the wood has exceptional striping.

Dick is also a great guy to talk to and to work with on getting exactly what you want.
He knows his products and is willing to bend over backwards to help if a problem comes up.

Click to expand...

:thumbsup: +1 what Zonie said.

I'm on my third PR stock (at TC, my Dickert, and now a Lehigh). I always request no inletting other than the barrel and ramrod.

Dick is great to work with. :thumbsup: