KMW Loggerhead and Grayboe Stock Modification

ESBVader

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Minuteman
Mar 12, 2018
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I have a Grayboe Renegade that I wanted to upgrade with an adjustable cheek piece. I haven't seen much out there with information on how to install the loggerhead adjustable cheek hardware so I thought I would do a write up in the event others are considering the upgrade. Some of the steps are missing, but I'll try to explain as best I can what I did.

Step 1: Pucker up!
Mark out where you want your cuts to be on the stock. I used a pencil with a ruler and then painters tape to mark out the cut lines. I went a bit further and actually taped some milling vice parallels along the taped lines so that the saw would have a solid guide to cut along. In other pics, I have seen where the saw would "wander" and create crooked lines. I didn't want that. Metal rulers, scrap metal, etc. would all work fine as well. I picked up a dovetailing saw as well as a coping saw from the hardware store that I used to cut the stock. The resin stock cuts fairly easily (WARNING: too easily if you are aggressive. Take your time).

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Just a side note: While the dovetail saw was super thin and made beautiful lines, it was too thin for the coping saw to follow behind in order to cut the curved corners. Doing this again, I would just use the coping saw.

Step 2: Fill the voids:
I do not have a picture of this but I think it's important to fill any voids. I had a channel that was exposed in the middle of the stock once I completed the cut. I cleaned it out and then mixed JB Weld and poured into the channel. I let it sit for 24 hours before I came back to it.

Step 3: Mark and Drill/Mill your hardware location(s).
I started with the cheek piece and used a Mill. I have a little machine shop in my garage that I used to make knives in the past so I just used what I had. A drill with a hand file or a router would work too, though it would take longer. I marked the lines for the piece I wanted to inset after measuring the thickness so that I knew what my cutting depth should be. If you are anal retentive... use a 1/4" endmill since the corners of the KWM hardware for the cheek have a 1/4" radius.


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Step 4: Drill/Mill the stock.
I then set up the stock in a vice so that I could mill it out for the KMW stock harware. Pretty much the same process. Check for the center of the stock, measure the width of the hardware as well as the height and make your cut(s).



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Step 5: Drill hour through hole for the compression screw.
I first measured and found the measurement from the top of the hardware to the center of the hole for the hardware bolt. Then I marked the location of the channel for the bolt on the stock for visual purposes. Once I located where the hole needed to be drilled, I used a smaller drill bit to create a pilot hole all the way through the stock and channel so that my hole would be in the same location on both sides. If you do not have a drill press, you're going to need to try your best to drill perpendicular to the stock. After my pilot hole was drilled, I used a 1/2" drill to drill to the final size of the hardware bolt.

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Step 6: Final test fitting!

This is a step that should be done all along the way, but I wanted to make sure before final epoxy and paint that the fit was correct.

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Step 7: Final Prep, Epoxy, and Paint
For final prep, I just made sure that my surfaces were smooth and that the mating of the cheek to the stock was good. I then cleaned out the channel for the hardware and, after setting the hardware with the compression screw (not tight!), I applied JB Weld again to the outside edges of the hardware for the stock and filled any gaps that were left so that there would be a solid application to the ends of the hardware.

For the cheek piece hardware, I identified where the holes would need to be drilled and stepped up the drill size until I found that correct size for the screw threads to engage without cracking or breaking the resin. I ended up using a 9/64" bit and the screws had good holding power and didn't crack the cheek piece.

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Once the JB Weld was set, I used Krylon FDE camo paint to paint the cheeck piece and stock piece. I taped off the entire stock and cheek piece except for where the resin was exposed. I also taped off the stock hardware so that I didn't paint it.


Step 8: Bolt release cut.
I had a Remington previously in this stock but found out quickly that my Surgeon with external bolt release would not fit without a further modification to the stock so I cut it out as well while mounted in my Mill. Taped off the area after cutting and painted FDE as well.

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Step 9: Final Assembly
It came together nicely! The KMW Loggerhead is not a easy install but works well if you take your time and think out the process. Can't wait for the scope to come in so that I can continue working up my .308 subsonic loads (LC Brass with flash hole drilled to 9/64", 10.5 grains of Trail Boss, Winchester primers, 175 SMK's)

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ESBVader, can you provide the dimensions of your cheek piece (length,height, and how far forward from the buttpad you made the rear cut). Your work looks great. I have seen some that look out of proportion. Thank you.
 
Hi guys; I bought ESBVader's rifle with this stock, so it's in my possession. I can take dimensions for you if you like. I had an extra self-adhesive HopticUSA from another rifle and stuck it on the adjustable cheek portion, but otherwise it's unmodified from the pictures in this thread. I'll likely throw it on a short 260 I am working on, but it may be a little heavier than I would like for a hunting stock; it may sit idle for a while.
 
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Hi all,
I won a Greyboe Renegade at a Guardian competition. Never saw one before but picked it up off the prize table. This is a fantastic stock and the quality is way above its price. Great stock if you are on a budget. Will be doing this mod in the future. I saw a guy with the same stock at the same competition absolutely punishing steel. Great article! Will save it for reference.
Bang
 
Hi all,
I won a Greyboe Renegade at a Guardian competition. Never saw one before but picked it up off the prize table. This is a fantastic stock and the quality is way above its price. Great stock if you are on a budget. Will be doing this mod in the future. I saw a guy with the same stock at the same competition absolutely punishing steel. Great article! Will save it for reference.
Bang

My initial impressions were the same and ended up getting one for the rifle I'm building now and would like to get another for my SPS varmint.
If you dont feel up to doing this mod yourself just do a search for @jducos on here, that's who I will be sending my stock to.
 
Looks great, nice job! Is the Grayboe similar in construction to a Mcmillian?
No Grayboe is made by casting epoxy blend , has no outside fiberglasss skin, very cheap manufacturing process avoiding much of the manual labor that goes into composite stocks , such stock will never match McMilan hand laminated and stuffed process . But for most users its good enough and cheaper and for manufacturer it offers much better margins than typical composite stocks its also far easyer to make in volume.
 
No Grayboe is made by casting epoxy blend , has no outside fiberglasss skin, very cheap manufacturing process avoiding much of the manual labor that goes into composite stocks , such stock will never match McMilan hand laminated and stuffed process . But for most users its good enough and cheaper and for manufacturer it offers much better margins than typical composite stocks its also far easyer to make in volume.
Agree, it will never match because there are less chances for user error. I have 2 McMillans with a lot to be desired in terms of finish, and the one greyboe I have beat it hands down.