Gentlemen,

I want to reduce the height of the comb on a synthetic stock. I am uncertain of the manufacturer(Ramline?). What method would you recomend to remove the material and how would it finish up? Belt sander, rasp, perhaps?

Thank-you,
Kurt

Suggest you ask on benchrest shooters dot com or one of the target rifle sites, plenty of plastic there and you are likely to get the answer sought.

Personally, I'd think it easy to rasp, sand/grind to just below where you think you wish to end up and then build it proud with some 'Bondo' or similar auto body putty/filler and have at it. I did something very similar on a wood stock some years ago in making a pattern from it for the stocker to duplicate when it was where I wanted it. If the adjustment you wish is minor you might not even penetrate the stock's shell, but you won't know until you get there. Just some thots.

Ramline stocks are plastic so epoxies and such do not bond well to them. You can however, run a torch lightly over the surface to be bonded. Apparently it changes the molecular amkeup of the surface enough to get an adhesion. I glass bedded two plastic stocks this way and they did very well.

Finally, once you get done with the changes, Krylon makes a special spray for plastics called Fusion, bonds very well.

These are the guns I built with plastic stocks. I know, blasphemy, but they're all around guns meant for bad weather. I built one for a friend's 50th birthday and oe for myself. It's my friends only big game rifle so it had to be user friendly, stainless & plastic.

Thanks for the answers! I am going to try a rasp and see how it goes. If it leaves a bad surface I will try some fine sanding. I am reducing a monte carlo and I am fairly certain it is solid material all the way.

I had not thought of paint at all! This could be more interesting than I was thinking it would be!

I like the rifles. What action are those?

Thanks again for the help!

Kurt

I own on a variety of fiberglass stocks, primarily McMillan, though there is one Ramline in my collection.

Be careful when rasping.

Ramlines are not solid plastic - they're "glass-filled polycarbonate".

If you remove all the polycarb w/ the rasp [and it's not very thick - maybe .125"?] you'll be in 'soft' fiberglass, at which point re-creating a finished profile to match the lines of the stock will be more difficult - more like a body repair on a Corvette.

I'd call someone @ Ramline before you start removing material.

Have you considered contacting the manufacturer to see if they have a replacement stock with more drop? Just a thought.

A neighbour once asked me to glass bed a Bell and Carlson stock to his 270 Win Rem 700.

As soon as I got throught the paper-thin outer layer it was loose fibre-glass strands. I had to hog it out and fill with a ton of Devcon. I got it done but never again. I glass-bedded a plastic muzzle-loader stock, to get the Acraglas Gel, in this case, to key to the plastic,(solid), stock, I put a 1/4" burr in my dremel and bored holes under the chamber and enlarged the bottom of the holes, sort of an upside-down mushroom. Worked like a charm, that bedding job will never fall out.
I just finished bedding a Browning Safari Mauser actioned rifle in 308 Norma Magnum, nice walnut stock. The owner wants to get it rechambered to 300 Weatherby. I think I might have to buy it from him to save it
from such a horrendous fate. It is a very nice rifle indeed, but a bit heavy.
Mike

The Ramlines I used had no glass in them, they're the lower end stock, commonly referred to as "Tupperware" stocks.

I got two of them, made for Win M70's and adapted them to MRC1999's so I had to remove a substanial bit of material in places. Just plastic, no glass. I imagine Ramline is making some higher end stuff now that has glass in it as they guys have stated. You need to find out which type your's is.

Oh, yes, I successfully bedded my VZ24 Mauser actioned 9.3x62 into a Ramline stock with no problems at all, come to think about it. Had to put a lot of shot and epoxy into the hollow forend to ballast it down as it was a brute to shoot untilI added the weight in the form of lead. I was really pleased with the Ramline stock, fits me so well. It was that Bell and Carlson one that drove me nuts.
Mike

If you are trying to reduce the drop, why not shave a wedge off the stock mating surface at the back of the receiver? (or insert a wedge at the top end, similar to the Beretta system for changing drop?

As hot as it is you might try laying it in the sun for awhile and then bend it.

I very much appreciate all your replies! I have found the paper work and the stock is made by Speed-Feed and it looks to be made of solid material, no foam anywhere. I am going to try and find their web site, as advised, and seek their recomendation. I won't blame them if they suggest I buy a second with a lower comb, but I already know that will be too low.

The shimming idea sounds like it might make me nervous and fight with my meds. Heat bending, I would imagine Speed-Feed company would not warranty, but they could make some money with that technique if Ido the job.

The material looks pretty substantial and should hold up well to my abuse. I'm just worried what I'll have in the end?

Thanks again,
Kurt

I contacted SpeedFeed by e-mail and got a near immediate reply! Belt Sander.

Kurt