![]() If you scratch the surface, it’s a simple matter to buff it out just like you would a car door ding. The shorter application time was another advantage for this particular build.Ĭlear coat maintains the original color of the wood while being comparatively easy to apply with basic paint-spraying tools. A hand rubbed oil finish can take months to be applied properly. In all fairness the maple would look even better with a darker oil finish, which allows the deep grain and figure to come out, creating an almost 3-D effect. Since this stock is for a tactical competition rifle, and I wanted to preserve the natural blond color of the Maple, a clear coat finish was in order. Russo generally does a hand-rubbed TUNG Oil finish. When Russo is satisfied with the final sanding he starts the finishing process. With the density change in figured wood, some sections will be softer and so material is removed more quickly, making for a very wavy finish. To make the finish come out smooth and flat, a sanding block is a must. Once the major wood removal is complete, Russo begins surface sanding. Russo is a very painstaking woodworker, and as an artisan and champion shooter himself, he wants the tang to melt into the pistol grip for the perfect look and feel. Once material is removed it’s a done deal so patience with the tools is a must. It takes hours with files and rasps to get everything just right. The tang/pistol grip area demands careful work for a perfect look and feel. With inletting completed, the action is pillar- and glass-bedded, then readied for final shaping. Then it’s off to the duplicator, which cuts out the stock in the specified pattern. The stock is almost completely inletted but still in the rough enough material remains for Russo to hand-blend the wood and metal for that all-important fit and finish. After Russo cuts the rough pattern out of the blank, it’s off to the CNC mill for barrel and action inletting. He must determine where the forend and pistol grip will lay to be sure the true beauty of the wood will transfer to the stock design. Deciding where the stock will be cut out of the wood blank can take days. Like any artist, Russo carefully considers where to begin. The lighter weight also makes it more maneuverable in different shooting positions.” As for the stock, the slimmer fore-end holds the bipod much nicer than my old A5L. The ballistics of 105gr Berger hybrids at 3100 fps make the wind at 600 yards very manageable. With the fitted muzzle brake, recoil is minimal. The 6-6.5×47 Lapua chambering really makes it a pleasure to shoot with its low recoil and accuracy potential. I could not be happier with the performance of the whole package. How does it shoot? Cody reports: “I’ve had the rifle two weeks, and sent about 200 rounds down range so far. Barrel chambering/fitting (6-6.5X47 Lapua) by Steve Kostanich. Joel Russo Stock in A3-5 pattern (A5 buttstock with A3 fore-end). Rifle Specifications: Remington 700 short action with R&D Precision bottom metal. This stunning stock was commissioned for my new 6-6.5×47 Precision Field Rifle. After CNC inletting, profiling, pillar- and glass-bedding, the stock was meticulously finished to showcase the wood’s beauty. Take, for example, a recent Russo stock that started its life as a highly figured piece of Curly Maple harvested in the Pacific Northwest. Russo has come to feel that if he as a craftsman is going to spend precious time creating something out of wood, it should be for something worthy of his personal investment. Motivated by his passion for woodworking and a mindset for detail, Russo has shifted his focus from the run-of-the-mill laminates to create shootable works of art in some of the most highly figured, beautiful, exotic and domestic woods. Russo got his start making laminated wood stocks for budget-minded tactical rifle shooters with his popular A5-L design. The result: rifles that shoot true and look seriously sharp. Joel Russo out of Harrisburg, PA is taking modern technology and new stock designs and mating them with Old World materials and craftsmanship. (aka “Willys46″) provided this report on his new Russo-stocked 6-6.5×47 Rifle. June 28th, 2014 Cody’s ‘Glam-Tactical’ Curly Maple Precision Field Rifle by Russoįorum member Cody H.
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