Is the market for custom beautiful wood-stocked and blued rifles dying out?

On a nice shotgun that will be used for sporting clays, trap and skeet sure, blued and walnut is pretty. On a rifle or shotgun I am going to hunt with I would rather have a tougher finish and synthetic stock that can be used in all weather conditions. I'd like to think I don't abuse my guns but I do like hunting in rough terrain and in all weather conditions so the do see the wear and tear associated with that use. The modern materials and finishes just take that use better with less maintenance.
 
I am not interested in spending my money on one. I want form. My wood stock rifle rubs the barrel.
My levels are wood though.

I like the look, but it's if I am spending big bucks I want function.

Not saying never. But I am in market for hunting rifles at moment

What is young? I am no kid
 
I really came to appreciate a truly weatherproof rifle in deer season in I think 2018.

I had spent that summer and fall getting my 1898 Krag ready to hunt in all its 120 year old blued steel and probably 70 year old oiled walnut glory. The side quest was to also get a deer with my contender, also blued steel and walnut.

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About a week before the season something in the back of my head told me I should get a 2nd rifle ready to take as a buckup and I decided to get a load worked up for my 7.62x39 AR15. The first day of the hunt I was able to get a doe with the contender while also sitting with the Krag.



I think I only got out one morning and one evening with the Krag and Contender because after that the weather turned for the worse and for the next 8 days it rained or snowed or rained and snowed every day.



I took a nice 8 point, then the doe pictured above, and finally another small doe on sunday night of the last day of the season right at dark. I ended up tracking that one through the slough through 6 inches of water while it snowed for about 2 hours so I did not get back up to camp till like 9PM and the rifle, all my clothes, and the soft case for the rifle couldn't have been any wetter if we had all swam through the ditch. We hastely got that deer hung up and I threw all my stuff in the back of my suburban to head home since I had to go to work and get the kids to school the next morning.

Well I was swamped with stuff to do all week and wouldn't you know it, I completely forgot to take my AR out of the back of my truck for like 6 days. My heart sunk when I realized what I had done, figuring the barrel and bolt and any other steel parts would be ruined from rust. To my surprise I took it out of the still sopping wet soft case and everything was completely fine. Nitriding is amazing stuff. I can still hardly believe that rifle sat in there basically wrapped in a wet sponge for a week and no rust anywhere.
 
I see the phrase "...being priced out of custom high end rifles..." or similar a few times in this thread. My point was a couple of decades ago (ish), a Remington 700 BDL was very common in walnut and blued steel and cost me $400-$500 new at a retail store. That's not a custom high end rifle. That was just a standard, run of the mill offering from one of the then big manufacturers. When I think of a custom high-end rifle, I think of manufacturers like Rigby, Griffin & Howe, etc. Be ready to spend the big bucks if you want one of those.

I ran the $450 I previously reference in this thread against an online inflation calculator (take everything with a grain of sand...) and the adjusted price from 1996 to 2023 is $880. That's nearly 100% inflation rate, and is higher than I was thinking. Now, does ~$900 get you a new rifle from Winchester or Remington with wood and blued steel? I took a look at 2 vendors online, Buds and Cabelas. Neither reseller had anything new from Remarms with a wood stock. Both had comparable Winchester model 70 featherweights clocking in at about the same $1,100 on both sites. Interesting note, Buds also had a lower-end XPR sporter model with wood and a matte-looking metal finish for just under $600. I guess we could call that a rare budget rifle with a piece of wood on it. Up until a few years ago, you could get a Weatherby Vanguard sporter with a wood stock and semi-gloss finished blueing for around $600.

Regardless, the market today thanks to manufacturers cost-cutting and gun writers justifying is synthetic stocks, matte finished metal, tactical, precision, long-range, sniper, mil-spec, competition, match... rifles, and none of that does an ounce of worth for me in the deer woods. I don't wear a ghillie suit to hunt deer. I don't shoot animals at 500-1000 yards. I don't wade through rivers and ponds when deer hunting. A rifle with a nice piece of wood and some character to it makes for more interesting campfire conversation than a rifle with a synthetic boring stock.
 
I aint rich, far from it.
But I was looking at a Blaser for $7500, as an hunting rifle.
Older falling block model.

Just am too klutzy, worse as I get older.

Heck, its even kinda edgy, hunting w a walnut sub $2K rifle.
 
Handled a Weatherby Vanguard walnut recently. I prefer the thinner wrist of the synthetic stock version.
That just some cheap factory stock. I do like HS Precision stocks though, have one, had others.
Heck I'd buy a stainless Ruger #1 w a black plastic stock if they made em LOL
 
I have a couple of "beautiful" wood & blued rifles - very pretty. I also have pondered the great advantage of synthetic, well designed and colored, all weather, can take a beating guns. I have two of those.

Generally, technological advances have greatly improved reliability, accuracy, utility, and strength of modern firearms. Visual appeal is very subjective.

Pretty is the beautiful woman in make up that you can sit and look at all day. The other is the faithful wife who has proven herself time and time again in your life.
 
The only rifles with nice wooden stocks I see at our gun club range belong to geezers like me and some of those have stainless actions and barrels. The younger shooters are mostly in the AR camp.

When a nice old walnut and blue rifle hits my LGS's rack they usually don't stay long though so someone still wants them.
 
The only thing that is really on my list still for like an heirloom quality rifle is a Browning B78. I have too many deer rifles as it is so it never seams to be a priority for me. I'm just about to turn 36 and have been fortunate enough that I've collected pretty much all the firearms that I really have a burning desire to own. I keep a list of guns I would like to someday own on my computer and the list keeps dwindling down as I realize that I really don't need more stuff and would probably never use it.
 
Trey, the market of prospective buyers for that type of gun (I'm assuming this is a very nice custom gun) has always been relatively tiny (a very small percentage of gun buyers have ever purchased such a gun), but I don't know if it's a smaller total number now than it used to be, or not. There are a LOT of people (numerically, not percentage wise) with a LOT of money these days, so all you need is one or two who want the special gun that you have to offer.

I don't recall if you've ever posted photos of the particular gun you're thinking of selling here (I've seen photos of some super nice guns that your father had, not sure if this is one of the ones you've posted), but I expect it's nice, and if so, I believe there's a decent market out there if you can connect with them. I would say that gunbroker would be one avenue, but as someone may have mentioned above, connecting with one of the specialized sellers who routinely offer higher-end, higher-priced guns might be worth checking out. They probably have clients who don't mess with GB.

Here's a recent GB auction where the seller had a reserve on a seemingly nice custom rifle, yet it still got into the $4K range.

IME, and from my observations over the past 12 - 15 years, a reserve is a near-certain way to insure that you don't get much interest on GB, nor much in the way of bids. IME, the best way to sell for the most money on GB is with no reserve and a penny start, and run the ad for two weeks. IF you have the guts. :)
 
I much prefer stainless steel and synthetic stocks for any gun or rifle I might actually use or carry. And the younger folks can purchase such rifles for often a fraction of what a blue and custom wood stock rifle would be. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and form that follows function beats pretty. A Savage ugly Axis II can probably give just about any of those blue and wood rifles a run for accuracy and in stainless and synthetic is impervious to weather and abuse and can take the same deer just as well or better for a lot less money.
 
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Robert said:
With factory wood and blue rifles going for north of $1500 now it's simply an economy where luxury items, like custom firearms, are tough to sell. I absolutely admire the fine craftsmanship that goes into a quality custom rifle. But I can't even afford an off the rack rifle in this economy. I won't go too far off topic, suffice to say, it's tough enough keeping gas in the trucks and food in the fridge. A custom rifle, no matter what it's actually worth it just not going to happen.

And yes, the general desire has shifted from wood and blue to synthetic and stainless. To be honest wood is a terrible medium for a rifle stock. Sure, it can be absolutely beautiful, but it is not great for a rifle. Yes, it's been used since the beginning of firearms, but we have better, more stable, more durable things now. Polymers and fiberglass are much better mediums for a stock and stainless is much more rust resistant. But it absolutely lacks soul...
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I respectfully disagree that people can't afford such rifles.
I see tons of rifle builds where the rifle and glass equal $8,000 or more.
I also see 22lr builds that are almost as expensive.
The difference is that these rifles are taken out and shot quite a bit in PRS or other types of matches.
Pretty rifles just sit in a safe in fear of scratching them up in the brush.

I personally love wood and bluing but they woud just sit in a safe and be pulled out to be fondled or shot a couple of times a year.
 
thump_rrr said:
I respectfully disagree that people can't afford such rifles.
I see tons of rifle builds where the rifle and glass equal $8,000 or more.
I also see 22lr builds that are almost as expensive.
The difference is that these rifles are taken out and shot quite a bit in PRS or other types of matches.
Pretty rifles just sit in a safe in fear of scratching them up in the brush.

I personally love wood and bluing but they woud just sit in a safe and be pulled out to be fondled or shot a couple of times a year.
Click to expand...
I'm glad they can afford such things. None of my friends or those that I talk to can. I can only speak to my experiences, which tells me most people, that I know, can't afford such things.
 
Guys that want to compete local or higher, tend to spend the money.

Of course some folks just like fancy items.

Buddy told me he felt pretty good, spending $2800 on a used shotgun for grouse.
This 20 yrs ago.
He had money, could buy nicer, but was always a realist. $2800 for his hunting gun was "good enough".

While getting his gun, a guy came in w a goofy kid and bought the kid his "first shotgun".
A $28K Parker.

My buddy said that put him in his place real quick LOL
 
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Custom stuff...........most folks willing to pay more for something special, want it to be built for them.

Even if same specs as a minty used model somebody else had............it still wasn't their build.

Of course some folks are practical about it.

But most probably aren't.

Like trying to sell a fancy 2 yr old home.
An executive's wife hardly ever wants a "used" house.

Esp with open lots still on the golf course.

LOL
 
I dont think its dead, but its for sure limited. Personally id spend 2-5k for a custom wood stock rifle, but as mentioned id prefer one built FOR me. Id have to get a good deal to spend more than 1-1500 on something that wasnt built to spec
 
I noticed mention of custom rifle builder Dale Goens in an earlier post on this thread, which reminded me of this pair of rifles built by Goens: One a .30/06 and the other .22 RF built on a much altered Wichester M-52. Made to match with identical classic contours and checkering patterns. DSC_0298 (3).JPG DSC_0304 (2).JPG
 
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Trey Veston said:
In trying to determine values for some beautiful rifles in my collection, I've been told many times that the market for such rifles is just simply dying out. Putting a beautiful Al Biesen Model 70 on the market in .300 Win Mag guaranteed a bidding war and a surprisingly high price tag.

These days, I am told I'll be lucky to get a couple grand for it simply because the old farts that value such fine firearms are simply dying off.

Everyone wants composite stocks, fluted barrels, 6lb rifles, and the latest and greatest wildcat cartridge that offers another 75 fps at 500 yards.

I know that's what I like in a hunting rifle. But I am also growing fonder of the old-school beautiful custom wood stock, tasteful engraving and metal work, and matte-finish bluing in a traditional caliber. But I'm 54, which is approaching old fart territory.

So, are today's younger shooters going to grow older and start to appreciate the finer custom rifles, or are these rifles simply going to be relegated to museums?
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Probably a mixed bag. I definitely appreciate the craftsmanship and look of the older wood and blued rifles. That said, there's something to be said for a hunting rifle with a light weight stock you don't mind scuffing up (synthetic) and a barrel that's resistant to the elements (e.g. stainless) and lighter (e.g. fluted) for practical purposes, especially if it's substantially less expensive. I like both, but competition will make it harder to sell a nice rifle like yours given the above.

Furthermore, with all of the looming gun control laws constantly proposed by the psychos in power, no one seems to be rushing to ban bolt action hunting rifles (yet), so people are spending their money on what they think might be banned before thinking about spending it on a more expensive (but high quality) hunting rifle.

As shooters and hunters age and get more financially solvent, some of them will find an interest in rifles like yours.
 
There will always be a significant percentage of gun owners who appreciate the aesthetics of fine wood and blued steel. That percentage holds pretty steady over time, but they are not most people.

You don't need "Most people" to appreciate fine rifles to get a good price. You need only an elite who know their value. Same as people who appreciate fine wine or classic cars.

Wood and blued steel rifles don't have to prove themselves. They've been there and done that. So it's not really utility and functionality vs nostalgia. A 50-year-old guy and older simply has knowledge and experience that someone half that age doesn't.

That being said, there will always be 25-year-olds who've done their homework or were just raised right that know there are other rifles than those being pitched in current marketing trends.

The gun world didn't just now discover reliability, consistent performance and sub MOA because of stainless steel and synthetics. It's known those things longer than I've been alive using beautiful wood-stocked and blued rifles.

All of my long guns sport wood stocks because I like them that way. However I'm not among those wealthy enough to drink fine wine, drive classic cars or own super pricey beautiful wood-stocked and blued rifles. They sure are pretty though. My most expensive rifle could fetch maybe $1,500.00 at most on a good day.
 
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