Lithgow Arms is trialling a new sporter-style walnut stock for its LA102 centrefire and LA101 rimfire rifles and is currently seeking feedback on the sleek design.
The new stocks are slimmer than the current Crossover stocks produced by the Australian gunmaker and are intended to increase the appeal of the rifles by bringing a more traditional and familiar style to some of the LA rifles.
The first will probably be called the LA102 Hunter Classic, based on the recently introduce Hunter with its much lighter barrel.
I handled two prototype stocks today while visiting the factory to pick up an LA102 Varmint rifle to test, and they feel quite different from the Crossover stock, with a gentler curve in the pistol grip and more slender and rounded fore-end providing a very comfortable grip.
One stock was in a pain grade walnut, while the other (pictured here) was a higher grade, and Lithgow staff said they would be considering whether to offer prettier walnut to those customers who wanted it.
There were two bedding options, one of simple aluminium pillars and the other consisting of two bedding blocks embedded and glued into the stock, with their profiles milled in conjunction with the stock to conform with the LA action.
The latter is a more expensive option and may not necessarily provide any improvement in accuracy or stock lifespan but factory technicians said they would be testing both to see if there was a measurable difference.
“The pillars provide bedding that is solid enough properly torque the action into,” one technician told me.
Produced in cooperation with Italian gun-stock maker Manelli, the stocks had other design features that may or may not be included in the final design.
These include a cheek pad on both sides of the butt, something I would think is not going to make it to production given that Lithgow only produces a right-handed action at this stage; the pad will likely be on the left side only.
The noticeably angular lines and chequering of the stock are a matter of debate at the factory.
“It is very modern, which suits our action” a senior staffer said. However, he added that a more traditional shape with curves rather than angles was also on the drawing board.
They are also weighing up which colours to finish the action in: possibly the grey Cerakote pictured here or a black, but as the factory does its own Cerakoting there are endless options.
You can expect the stock for the LA101 rimfire to be very similar but slimmed down even further.
I also learned that Lithgow Arms is developing a new adjustable trigger for its rimfire rifles, but was not given any more detail.
There’s no timeline ye for the release of models with the new stocks but a final design and production are not far away.
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