I will just throw out a few thoughts here to (maybe) confuse you even more.
Without naming him I will give the example of a builder who will assemble/finish a kit (be it Chamber, Track, etc) for $900.
We can argue about that price, but that is what he charges. He does very fine work and anyone who has built a rifle from kit or scratch would tell you that the cost is not out of whack with the amount of work required, plus the tools and supplies to produce a finished rifle.
Anyhow, if you wanted a straight, square rifled barrel you could go with a Green Mountain for about 150 bucks - same price for a Colerain, straight, but with round bottom rifling.
For 75 "extra" bucks you can go with a Rice which will boost the resale value if that's a concern.
In the 200-265 range you can get a swamped barrel from GM, Colerain or Rice.
(prices are similar from the more "custom" barrel builders but you often have to wait upwards of a year to get the barrel).
All the barrels are probably more accurate than you will ever shoot so it's more about profile and rifling "preference" based on whatever "voodoo" you use to figure what is "best for you" (we all use witch doctor techniques to determine what we like to shoot with when it comes to barrels - because none are right and none are wrong - they are just "different")
Breech plug, 15 bucks for a plain flint style, maybe 50 bucks for a patent breech.
A lock in flint will run about 150 and a caplock goes for about 100 (I'm rounding here).
Double triggers about 50 bucks, a single trigger maybe 25.
Waxcast butt plate, trigger guard, side plate, ramrod pipes, nosecap, some underlugs, a few pins/keys and a bit of hardware, maybe 150 more bucks.
At this point I have purposely left out the stock but will add up what is there for a basic straight barreled build.
Build $900
Barrel $150
Lock $150 (make her a rock lock)
Plug $ 15
Trigger $ 25 (single/simple)
Furniture $150
So we are at $1390.
If you go with the "cheapest" stock, and for the example I will add a "plain maple Dickert pre-carve" you add about 165 bucks to the build.
You are in at $1555.
A "fancy" stock only bumps the cost up by 70 bucks to $1625.
That "extra" 70 bucks turns a very plain rifle into an "eye catcher" and adds less that 5% to the cost of the rifle.
I understand the desire of some to do things "cheap", but if 5% of the total cost is going to cause a "no go" situation, perhaps you are not ready for a custom/semi-custom build yet.
In a year or two you would not regret spending 70 more bucks. If you save that few extra dollars you could end up regretting it forever.
And if you ever choose to sell it you have infinitely greater odds of getting most of your money back with a figured maple stock than with a plain one.
Ugly, poorly constructed rifles build on fancy tiger maple WILL SELL. A flawlessly built, plain maple stock will sit unsold next to it.
