Inland Shooters

[ocabj]

Author: Jonathan Ocab
Date Written: 02/23/2004

Note: This review was originally written 02/23/2004. Some of the information in this article may no longer be valid. The modifications outlined may no longer be necessary on current production Duramaxx stocks.

About three months after I bought my Savage 10FP-LE2 with Accutrigger, I decided to get a new stock. The stock was feeling to flimsy for my tastes, and I wanted something a bit more beefy. I wanted a McMillan, but it exceeded my funds at that point in time. After reading various boards, I came across the Bell and Carlson Duramaxx stock. I saw the stock on Cabella's website for $89.99 so I bit the bullet and bought one. I purchased the #7110-02 model, which is the short action in textured black.






The stock is a little heavier than the factory, but only slightly. You can probably attribute the weight to the fill in the stock, which is sturdier than the factory synthetic. The above pictures have the Savage factory stock on the bottom and the Bell and Carlson stock above it. The first picture also has my Savage 10FP in it's current state, sitting in a McMillan A-5.

The first thing to note is that this stock is not inletted for the Accutrigger. I had to make two modifications in order to get the stock installed.

1. Drill out a section in the rear of the action channel in order for the Accutrigger mechanism to fit into the channel. It's not much to take out. I used a drill press, but you could use a Dremel tool. When comparing the Accutrigger inlet in the factory stock to the inlet I was drilling out in the Duramaxx, I used a .45ACP case. A .45ACP case has the same contour of the factory Accutrigger inlet and serves as a way to measure/compare depth quickly.



2. There is no hole for the rear trigger guard screw. This isn't that big a deal. Just drill a small entry hole. Mark the point to be drilled using your trigger guard screw and a pen, marker, etc. The rear action screw should be self tapping, so don't worry about needing a tap and die.



After these two steps I was able to drop the rifle into the stock. But alas, the barrel was closer to the right side of the stock than the left. It was so off center it was almost touching the right. I started sanding the inside of the barrel channel, but after a minute, I noticed it wasn't helping. I hit the web and found someone in a forum that had the same problem with the Duramaxx stock. Apparently, the word from Bell and Carlson is that their inletting may have been too tight in the recoil lug area. This will cause the barrelled action to be pushed to one side. So I grabbed a file from the garage and started filing some of the material away from inside the stock where the recoil lug sits.



The amount to take off isn't set in stone. I simply filed some material away, remounted the stock to check for improvement, and filed more as necessary. After a few minutes, I was able to get the barrel completely centered in the barrel channel.

After all this, the rifle was ready for some range shooting. The Duramaxx feels more rugged than the factory stock. I've heard from some owners that their Bell and Carlson stocks cracked. After 600 rounds of .308, I didn't see this problem developing in the stock. I think if you try a Bell and Carlson on a .300WM or some other hardkicking rifle, this is possible.

The major improvement other than the sturdiness of the stock is the recoil pad. The recoil pad on the Savage factory synthetic is very thin and quite hard for rubber. I actually had to use a Past Recoil shield when I had the original stock because the recoil pad was too hard and after a few shots, started to hurt my shoulder. The Duramaxx comes with a Pachmayr recoil pad (could be Decelerator, not sure) installed and is very comfortable.

The Duramaxx has one front and one rear sling stud as opposed to the two front and one rear on the original factory stock. It also does not have a textured, patterned grip or foregrip. This didn't seem like a big deal to me. The entire rifle has a 'textured' feel to it (hence the name, textured black, for the finish), and I didn't have any grip problems when holding the rifle.

Overall, the Bell and Carlson Duramaxx is a solid stock for under $100. I think after awhile, you will want more and will look into other stocks like the Sharpshooter Supply or McMillan series. If you are on a strict budget and really hate the factory synthetic, get the Duramaxx. If you can afford a little more, I'd be more inclined to recommend the Sharpshooter Supply Tactical/Varminter, which at this point in time is only $195 primed and ready to paint. If you have real cheddar to spend, you shouldn't even be considering the Duramaxx.

Relevant Links:
http://www.bellandcarlson.com
http://www.cabelas.com
http://www.sharpshootersupply.com
http://www.mcmfamily.com