[BeerKing]

Adding to Jack's well-stated description, below are photos of some Wenig New American stocks.

I have 4 of them, going back at least 20 years . . . one on a Browning BT-100, one on a Beretta 682, and two on Browning BT-99s.

As Neil Winston said, I find this stock style easy to tweak for a perfect fit for me.

Note that I'm a do-it-yourself kinda guy, so I always order the machine-inlet option from Wenig. If you go this route, you'll receive a stock as pictured below . . . machine-inlet for the gun you specify (Wenig will trace their pattern stock on a stock duplicator), with the overall stock shape about 95% complete. And, of course, you must specify right- or left-handed shooter.

The right-handed BT-99 example shown below has (as Jack mentioned) a palm swell, offset comb, and toe-out already roughly machined into the stock. The remaining work (final inletting, sanding, cutting to desired Length of Pull, recoil pad installation, and application of finish) must be done by the owner (or somebody else with the required skills). But I like doing this kind of stuff, and it's a great (and cheaper) way to tweak a stock exactly to my requirements.

The only criticism I have of this stock style is that sometimes (not always) the length of the pistol grip portion is a little short as it comes off Wenig's stock duplicator machine. When that happens, I usually add some sort of grip extender made from a contrasting piece of wood (see the maple example in additional photos below).


Machine Inlet "New American" Stock (for a BT-99) exactly as it comes out of the box from Wenig

View attachment 1474009

Here's a New American stock I completed last year, this time on a recently-manufactured BT-99 "80/20" model. I installed the Jones Pad Adjuster with a thick Kick-Eez pad. As mentioned above, note the grip extension . . . in this case, I added one made from figured-maple with a spacer of 1/16" purpleheart. Due to the higher rib on this BT-99 model, I asked Wenig to leave extra wood on top of the comb when they made the machine-inletted blank (and yes, that costs a little extra).
[Edit: by the way, this stock is Wenig's "standard grade" American Black Walnut. Hand-rubbed oil finish (Permalyn). And note I don't bother with checkering].

View attachment 1474033

So when I go their website I see nothing listed for Browning XT Combo. Looking for a Harlan Campbell style. I have a Blaser F3 that I like with that stock

 

[JACK]

I lose, I give.

 

[miketmx]

I have a 100 Straight pad adjuster on both of my Top Single trap guns. If I drop my recoil pad any more than about 3/4 " , I get a painful muzzle jump and facial abuse. Can anyone explain to me how a custom stock with serious drop at the heel could solve this problem. I think that an un-single is the only way for me to get the Head Up gun mount and I doubt that I could shoot an un-single because of my tendency to cross-fire.

 

[jk80]

I think like you Jack. Using a panagraph isn't the same as hand inleting. Rubbing a stylus over a pattern or cutting it on a cnc amounts to the same thing, a machine is doing it not carving and try fitting. Can't see what difference it makes or could say one is better than the other, the end result is a stock fits the receiver.

 

[John55]

Mike,
I shoot top singles, had a couple K80 trap specials and now a Perazzi MX10. Both have/had moderately high ribs and with the custom stocks I get no excessive muzzle jump or facial discomfort. It's all in the various dimensions you need for your facial shape and shoulder placement of the gun. A custom stock, fitted properly by any reputable stockmaker will solve your troubles.

John,
Using a duplicator such as Wenig uses will still leave a small bit of wood that needs to be removed by hand to make the fit perfect. A CNC can cut it much more closely but I'm not sure a small bit of hand work is still not performed before it's done.
In the end it's all about time, and time is money! As long as the finished product fits the iron correctly it's fine.

 

[JACK]

Tahnks JK. I understand basic automation and extrapolated the concept to salve the issue. Still think bringing new actions of lesser guns (during their busiest time) is why they turned him away.

 

[Lwjohnson777]

I bought a Wenig New American stock a couple of months ago and I'm very happy with it.

Before I pulled the trigger (pun kind of intended, I guess) I read all I could on various forums and happy Wenig customers outnumbered the unhappy ones by a very large margin. When you consider how much more likely people are to go online to complain than share a favorable outcome, that told me a lot.

 

[BIGBABYS]

My Dad had one done 2 years ago. I was just there 4 days ago an can tell you. Money well spent. Your not just buying a piece of wood. Your also buying 40 years experience in being fitted from someone who knows ! If you still can’t decide, ask top shooters like Kim Rhode. Just that alone makes huge statements... Tim H

 

[exfi]

In the more than 50 years I’ve been registering targets I’ve had numerous custom stocks made for me. In fact, I think you could almost trace the growth of stocking fitting knowledge by looking at what was done to the stocks that were made for me. In the early days the stocks were made to look “pretty” but they not very helpful to my shooting. In my experience Wening is in a league of their own when it comes custom stocks. They understand how a stock should fit to make a gun shoot where you’re looking and they know how to tame and control recoil. Their selection of wood goes all the way from “nice looking” to incredible, and their customer service has always been outstanding. In my experience, Wenig is state of the art when it comes to stock fitting knowledge and we shooters are fortunate to have their services available to us. J.G. Sayle

Hi JGS:

That sounds good.

When you quoted me; I got the impression you believed I was taking a negative position. A guy thought a New American was based off the HC. Another posted a less than stellar experience following other good experiences.

I imagine a buying an off the rack stock experience can be one thing. A custom fit experience is another. A request to duplicate a pre-existing stock for a different gun is another.

It is my understanding they will no longer finish inlet one of their blanks to a receiver. Not sure why they stopped offering that service.

 

[bill1064]

Exfi - I asked the question about the New American vice the HC and I appreciate the two documents you sent so I could see the differences. Thanks.

 

[jk80]

Mike,
I shoot top singles, had a couple K80 trap specials and now a Perazzi MX10. Both have/had moderately high ribs and with the custom stocks I get no excessive muzzle jump or facial discomfort. It's all in the various dimensions you need for your facial shape and shoulder placement of the gun. A custom stock, fitted properly by any reputable stockmaker will solve your troubles.

John,
Using a duplicator such as Wenig uses will still leave a small bit of wood that needs to be removed by hand to make the fit perfect. A CNC can cut it much more closely but I'm not sure a small bit of hand work is still not performed before it's done.
In the end it's all about time, and time is money! As long as the finished product fits the irion correctly it's fine.

Hi John. I'm by no means an expert but I installed three new American stocks, two on Beretta 303s and a Browning over under. None required any special attention to the inletting. All stood proud of the action on the outside which I expected but all bolted up with no problem. Maybe I got lucky or they may have done some fitting on shop actions. When I got them fit to suit me they were sent to wenig for checkering and finish. They did their usual outstanding job.

 

[exfi]

jk80:

It is my understanding from talking to wenig the pump, the auto, the single and the o/u with repeater style receiver rears (seitz, ljutic, bowen, alferman, etc.) are much easier than the single and the o/u with frame tangs (perazzi, beretta, krieghoff, etc.) to “bolt up.” If you have ever seen a frame tang gun stock split somewhere at the receiver junction; it makes sense.

bill1064:

You are most welcome.

 

[Trapshooter]

Harlan's stock is a copy of the Devault stocks he had on his MX3 and Mach one. Devault gave the numbers to Wenig.

 

[exfi]

T:

The original HC Wenig is now known as the HC-1. HC now shoots the HC-2. They say it is a revision they came up with there. If DD (RIP) had a hand in it also; we may never know.

 

[acorange]

acorange.
Wenig inlets a stock blank via the same methods that gun mfgrs use to make metal parts. CAD (computer aided design) and Then the inlet program/file is produced and then tested and then filed in their computer system. Adn when a P or K stock is ordered all they need do is produce the outer parts of the stock. New guns without an in house file for inlet gets in the way of production demand. PLUS the the costs of an entirely new file and additional time necessary to satisfy all the odd queries. And their business was established to service higher end guns.
The very first custom stock I ever bought (89) was a Hilmer for my 1100. At the time he was still getting grounded in his business and shortly thereafter he pretty much discontinued stockmaking for lesser guns. Custom stocks and high end guns go hand in glove.

I would hope that they would have a "file" for the millions of M-12's and 870's made. That was what I was asking them about.

 

[jk80]

Hi exfi. As I said above one stock was a Browning over under which is not nearly as easy to fit to the receiver as a auto or pump style receiver. No problems with fit up. That may have been the exception to the rule, but I've swapped wood on my k-80s numerous times and not had a problem. I think incorrect tightening of said stocks create far more problems than anything else. Watch enough people reinstall their butt stock and you'll soon see why some split. I have seen a few stocks glass bedded, guess that's another approach to avoid problems. I'm far from an expert, and could be full of it. Just my observations. Ymmv.

 

[goose2]

I guess everyone is entitled to a bad day sometimes. Why I say that is i have seen some really really good jobs out of Wenig and some not so good jobs

Spend your money wisely

 

[rbaugh]

Does it matter if you get fitted by Bill or Jimmy or are they the same? Getting my son fitted for one soon.

 

[My3johns]

I have an HC-2 and love it, beautiful wood, grain, and fit but, you will be in for 2000+ (more grain, more $$)n but that pales in comparison to the ammo and target cost per year and it should last a lifetime

 

[SMITH47]

their completed prices are listed