Dumb question about fiberglass rifle stocks

[mgmorden]

Ok, I feel stupid for asking this question, but I own no rifles with a fiberglass stock - plenty of wood (both solid and laminate) and injection polymer stocks.

My only experience with fiberglass was our old fiberglass satellite dish when I was a kid, insulation, and fiberglass ladders. These would cause fiberglass itch from touching them.

What causes a rifle stock not to do the same? Is it a different type of fiberglass, different process, or an exterior coating, etc? If its a coating, is there ever a danger of it wearing through?

Thanks!

 

[hps1]

IDK, but suspect that as far as satellite dish & ladders it is the 24/7 sun exposure breaking down the gel coat on top of fiberglass. It is the fibers, like the ones in insulation, that cause the itch.

 

[tarosean]

With a lot of hard use and banging around, I suppose you could wear the gel coat off. (think of a beat up boat)
I have an M70 in a Fiberglass stock and feel its a lot better than any Poly stock.

 

[jmr40]

High end synthetics such as McMillan, Brown Precision, Manners etc., are made using multiple layers of fiberglass, or kevlar cloth glued together in a block that extends from the grip up a little past the front action screw. Think of a block of plywood, except made of laminated cloth instead of wood. Fiberglass is cheaper and heavier. True fiberglass stocks are no lighter and usually heavier than wood. But they are much stronger. Kevlar is considerably lighter and stiffer, but more expensive. Since it is stiffer it isn't recommended for anything that kicks more than about 300 WM. Fiberglass will flex some under recoil. Kevlar might crack if recoil is too great.

The butt and forend are made by using 2 or 3 layers of fiberglass or kevlar fabric as an outer skin. The hollow interior is filled with expanding foam. The inside of the stock is inletted exactly the same way a wood stock is inletted to fit a specific action and barrel contour. The exterior is then given a gel coating before painting. You never touch the fiberglass or kevlar.

The fiberglass dish, and most boats etc; are made from chopped fiberglass that is mixed with an epoxy resin then sprayed into a mold. The chopped fiberglass can chip a lot easier than a fabric made from fiberglass.

The cheaper fiberglass stocks made by HS Precision, B&C etc. use chopped fiberglass mixed with resins that are poured into a mold. By themselves they are quite weak. For strength they use an aluminum chassis made to fit a specific action. The chassis is molded into the stock. But they do use a couple of layers of fiberglass cloth, all around the exterior then gel coat and paint just like the more expensive stocks to ensure you never come in contact with the chopped fiberglass.

The stocks with aluminum chassis built in are very strong, and at least 1/2 the price of the high end stocks. But they are also a LOT heavier. And the aluminum chassis means they are a lot thicker and chunky compared to the high end stuff. For some applications that isn't a disadvantage. On a target rifle or one not carried far I'd just as soon have a B&C. But on a hunting rifle carried in steep rugged terrain at high altitude the weight savings of kevlar is worth it to me.

 

[1KPerDay]

The coating over the fiberglass is basically plastic. You don’t feel any fibers or anything like that. Plus they are pretty light and very strong. I prefer fiberglass to wood laminates for stocks. Laminates usually don’t look great anyway IMO.

 

[Varminterror]

The butt and forend are made by using 2 or 3 layers of fiberglass or kevlar fabric as an outer skin. The hollow interior is filled with expanding foam.

Manners and McMillan use a chalk-like fill in the forends for stiffness and weight. Some of the hunting line stocks have been left hollow in the buttstock to save a few ounces of weight, whereas the expanding foam is a nice noise dampener, and really doesn't serve any other purpose.

I'll get a few photos later of my McMillan fiberglass where I've battered it into barricades for a few years. The paint shell is worn through, but the glass-like gel surface remains. You have to break a stock to expose fibers.

Maybe the easiest statement to make - rifle stocks aren't satellite dishes.

 

[lysanderxiii]

"Fiber-glass" covers a lot of different ground.

You bathroom tub is more than likely fiber-glass and does give you an itchy bum after a bath, does it?

You can have woven fiber-glass cloth, laid up with epoxy.

You can have loose fiber-glass fibers mixed in a epoxy binder.

You can have loose glass-fibers fibers mixed in a thermo-plastic, or you can injection mold around a woven cloth lay-up.

M16 furniture, and the original M14 "plastic" stocks were fiber-glass fibers in a plastic matrix.

 

[jmorris]

What causes a rifle stock not to do the same? Is it a different type of fiberglass, different process, or an exterior coating, etc? If its a coating, is there ever a danger of it wearing through?

You are not contacting the fibers. Same reason an new boat or old Corvette doesn't make you itch, unless you're a body man.

If you allow the surface to degrade to the point they become exposed, all bets are off.

 

[Litetrigger]

"Fiber-glass" covers a lot of different ground.

Very true, even with carbon fiber now being the choice for top end "fiberglass" stocks.
I once spent a and educational half day watching Melvin Forbes hand-lay the fiberglass panels in one of his peerless ultra lightweight stocks and now have a better understanding why his NULW rifles are so accurate - and expensive.

 

[courtgreene]

There are no dumb questions

 

[doubleh]

All day exposure to sunshine used to degrade the epoxy allowing the outer fibers to become loose. I suppose it still does. The oil field became a big user of fiber glass pipe for flow lines because the produce water didn't corrode it. After several years of sunlight exposure it became a weeping mess and was replaced with steel. That was a money maker for me as welded steel pipe is much more resistant to leaks than T&Ced. If you leave your fiber glass stocked rifle out in the sun constantly it will eventually degrade to where you pick up itchy fiberglass fuzz but who would do that. Fiberglass works well for things that see not much to no sunshine.

 

[Legionnaire]

Great question. I’ve been on THR since the beginning and I’m still learning from members who know more than I. I learned a lot about stock construction in this thread. Thanks.

 

[LiveLife]

My only experience with fiberglass was our old fiberglass satellite dish when I was a kid, insulation, and fiberglass ladders. These would cause fiberglass itch from touching them.

What causes a rifle stock not to do the same? Is it a different type of fiberglass, different process, or an exterior coating, etc? If its a coating, is there ever a danger of it wearing through?

rifle stocks aren't satellite dishes.

Yes.

As others already posted, different materials, thickness and process are used for making satellite dish, ladder, boat, auto body, Kevlar reinforced AR-15 receiver, gun stock, etc.

You are not contacting the fibers. Same reason an new boat or old Corvette doesn't make you itch, unless you're a body man.

If you allow the surface to degrade to the point they become exposed, all bets are off.

Great question ... I learned a lot about stock construction in this thread.

And that's the key. Items that are meant to be used outdoors in direct contact with human skin use durable material and thickness of layer to not expose skin to anything harmful without degrading in sunlight.

Below are 10/22 with factory modular stock and T/CR22 with Magpul MOE X-22 stock and I do not anticipate either to breakdown during lifetime of outdoor use - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...able-barrel-tray-for-920-bull-barrels.925807/