Stock and forend for Contender Carbine

[fordisto]

Does anyone have experience with High Plains Gunstocks? I am looking for a carbine stock and forend that won't break the bank. Unfinished, these fall into my price range. My other option is factory T/C furniture. Any other options would be helpful.

[skb2706]

G2 or original Contender frame ?

[fordisto]

Original Contender with carbine taper barrel.

[paulb257]

I recently purchased an unfinished  set from Jacob at High Plains and am very satisfied.  The inletting was near perfect, and just needed minor clean up in the barrel channel in the forearm.  My take after doing the project is that  if  you have the patience and skill to do the sanding and finishing go for it.  But if you are a stickler for the final appearance, buy it already finished.  Either way the stocks are great.

[roostertails]

www.gunstocksinc.com has some great unfinished stocks for the TC's

[DEACONLLB]

I picked up a set for my G2 contender pistol and the fit and finish was perfect with all hardwear ready to mount. he sell them on eBay and takes orders, my only complaint with him was he said 2 weeks but took a month for me to get them. I ordered a forend for a one screw 10 inch barrel which he said would be no problem but what i got in my order was a standard forend for super 14. Too big a problem to return and wait for what I ordered so I just made do with another barrel on the frame.
Deaconllb

[paulb257]

Here is my amateur approach at finishing it. How's it look?  21" Tapered .223 barrel, Nikon 3x9x40 scope, High Plains forest green laminated stock finished with semi gloss urethane.

[fordisto]

paulb257,
     I think your set up turned out well. Did you leave the cheek piece as is, or did you have to sand it down any to get a good fit for you? I would be getting a plain walnut and putting a hand rubbed oil finish on it. I'm in no hurry since I'm still waiting on the barrel from T/C's Custom Shop. Thanks for all the info. I'm thinking this is probably the way to go.

[paulb257]

The fit was great!  I just sanded to get the texture smooth.  The height is perfect for use with a scope.

[Camp Cook]

Here is my amateur approach at finishing it. How's it look?  21" Tapered .223 barrel, Nikon 3x9x40 scope, High Plains forest green laminated stock finished with semi gloss urethane.

paulb257 just for clarification are your stocks from High Plains Gunstocks or GunStocks Inc?

I have 2 Contender carbines one has a Boyds Gunstocks set and the other has a GunStocks Inc butt stock and a Boyds fore end and I'm looking for a s/s G2 frame right now so would need a new butt stock in black/gray laminate.

I wasn't overly happy with either Boyds or Gunstocks Inc stocks, Boyds fore ends were not centered and Gunstocks Inc's butt stock comb was way to high took me fore ever to sand it down low enough to be able to use it, now that it is done I do like it a lot it fits me perfectly now and looks good.

edit to add; the rifle looks very nice... 

[paulb257]

It is a High Plains Gunstock, and I like it alot!   I tried with the finish.  I may later resand it and try a oil finish.

[sweetwyominghome]

I recently received a stock set from highplainsgunstocks.com, and it won't be my last.

He told me up front it would be about 3 weeks before it would be ready to ship, and I had the set on a rifle in less than a month from the day I placed the order.

The set, for an old-style Contender, was absolutely perfect in every regard.

While I generally like their products, I've had some issues with gunstocksinc.com, including a buttstock that developed a hairline crack and some off-center forearm screw holes. I was basically given info on how to deal with it instead of having a replacement offered.   

My future orders are going to be with Jacob at highplainsgunstocks.com

[Camp Cook]

I'm glad to find out about highplainsgunstocks.com I might be needing a new G2 Contender set soon and I'm not wanting to deal with either Boyds or Gunstock Inc again if I have too.

Why is it so hard to supply components that fit correctly especially after you pay extra to have it done.

I mean this is their business you think it would be correct every time.

[roostertails]

I have ordered several stock sets from Gunstocks Inc. and am more than satisfied with their product.
They manufacture semi-finished stocks, semi-finished stocks must be final fit to the gun as stated in the item description on there website. Semi-finished stocks are NOT drop in ready to finish. The combs on Gunstocks Inc. stocks have extra wood and are made for high scope rings. If you are using low or medium scope rings then there will be more sanding to remove extra wood from the comb. I personally use a rasp to remove most of the wood. I have ordered several Encore sets for customers that I have finished the stocks for, I like the gunstocks Inc. stocks because you can customer fit the stocks to each person. Weather conditions have a drastic affect on unfinished wood so of course the stocks are not going to be the same every time. I have fit the frame of an Encore to a stock and left it for a week or so without any sealer coat or finish on the stock and the frame will more than likely need to be refit before the finish can be put on. I suggest anyone fitting a stock to there gun put a sealer coat or finish the stock as soon as the frame has been fit to the stock, if the stock is not properly fit to the gun I can guarantee you it will develop a crack when the gun is shot.
Generic stocks are great for some people but I am not willing to settle for a generic stock for myself or for my customers. I suggest anyone that is going to fit a semi-finished stock to a gun educate themselves about semi-finished gunstocks or have a competent gunsmith do the work for them rather than blunder through the fitting and finishing of the stock not really understanding what they are doing or why they are doing it then complain, complain, complain and blame the manufacturer for there incompetence or mistakes.

[Camp Cook]

I completely agree with your comments but here is another view, when the customer pays an added fee to get custom work done on the pieces ordered and the custom work isn't done then the customer no matter what their wood working skills has every right to have an issue with the supplier/manfacturer.

Here is another for you if the product ordered doesn't fit because it is cut so far off center then the customer once again no matter what their experiences has a right to have an issue with the supplier because there is no way that the piece can be corrected no matter what the installers wood working experiences are.

It's not rocket science it is just a piece of wood that a supplier/manufacturer should be able to see is not right and the piece should not be shipped if these misaligned pieces are shipped then the company should expect negative feed back...   

No I have not had an issue with Gunstocks Inc on misaligned pieces and I am happy for you for having so much success with them it is good to hear the good experiences as well.