Mark Stratton Book

[Cavallino]

Good news! I have just been in contact with Mark and he is alive and well and will be teaching gunsmithing classes at Trinidad State College this year. He will also be doing another reprint of his book in 6-8 weeks time. Cost is $80 plus shipping, and he is only taking checks. Feel free to contact him at octbarrel@gmail.com to register your interest.

 

[Mark Stratton]

I'm glad some of you have enjoyed my book. I'm doing another printing. It should be out is 6 to 8 weeks. The cost is $80.00 US, plus shipping.

Now shipping in the US is $15.00. Over the years I've sent this book almost everywhere. So if you're in another part of the world, check with your local post office and see what the cost for a 2 pound box sent to the US, and enclose that amount. My address is:

Mark Stratton Gunmaker
8715 55th Ave NE
Marysville, Washington 98270-3135
USA

A little history about the book. I taught an NRA summer class at Trinidad State Collage for about 10 years. I had the students for a week, sometimes two. Along with me to Colorado, I bought all my jigs, fixtures and tools for special operations while building rifles. I'm a toolmaker by trade and over the years there was more than one. The students didn't have the time to make drawings, they had their own projects to work on. So over the years they talked me into writing the book. There was one lucky thing, as I used the jigs and fixtures I took photos, which are the CD which comes with the book.

I kept class lists with names and addresses and when the book was finished I sent out postcards, and got a 92% reply with orders. The other 8% must have moved. The first printing was just 100 copies, I figured that I would sell 25 with the other 75 copies sitting, rotting in my shop floor forever. Well I sold the first 100 copies in 3 weeks and knew that the 5 months it took to write it wouldn't have been a waist of time.

Now you might want to know what I'm doing now? Well after the recession of 2008 I went to work for Aerojet Rocketdyne building assembly fixture, inspection fixtures and test fixtures for very small rocket motors that reposition spacecraft. Very interesting work... But I'm retiring in April after 45 years in the trade. This summer I'm back at Trinidad State teaching rifle building.

 

[Mark Stratton]

I never seen a copy of my book on the secondary market, so my customers seem to be keeping them as a reference. I do hear from people who have bought the book, who loaned them out, and then couldn't get them back. They want another copy. That has happened several times. A few customers bought several copies and had me send them to their friends for Christmas. The most far off place, at least to me, I've sent a copy was Iceland. The man in Iceland wanted me to ship it UPS, which wanted $125 for shipping charges, I checked with the US Postal Service and there cost was $22. I sent him an email giving him the choice.

I think there's another book in me, people want me to write one on stockmaking. Now that I'm going to retire I might find time to do that.

 

[Mark Stratton]

This might not be the place for this thread, but this is a hobby machine website, the question is:

Have you ever thought about becoming a machinist? For the past several years good paying jobs have gone to other countries, and some might be coming back. There are some jobs, like mine at Aerojet, have been kept stateside for obvious reasons. My generation are retiring from the trade, and we need to be replaced. You can choose which direction your job goes, you might start drilling holes and end ups building rocket motors. It's interesting work and pays better than flipping burgers.

 

[Brnoczech]

Mark, I have your earlier book and would certainly buy your stockmaking book if you chose to do one. I have a Brno/CZ model 21 commercial mauser sporter (small ring, set triggers, etc.) that my father bought new overseas immediately after WWII. I sent it to Griffin and Howe back in the late 1960's and had one of their double lever side mounts installed. The wood in the stock is fairly plain and a bit dinged up from use and I have always thought about restocking it. Hope you do one.

 

[Mark Stratton]

I'm making the first thing I do after retiring. I've been doing outlines and starting taking photos for the project. I will approach it from making a stock from a blank and using a pattern and stock duplicator. The one nice thing about doing one from a blank, for little money compared to metalsmithing, you can buy files, rasps inletting tools from Brownells for little money. You can buy a stick for wood at a reasonable price to practice on. A Mauser is great to use as a first project. The book as to include a section on checkering. These are things a home shop gunsmith can do.

 

[Big Bore Builder]

I'm making the first thing I do after retiring. I've been doing outlines and starting taking photos for the project. I will approach it from making a stock from a blank and using a pattern and stock duplicator. The one nice thing about doing one from a blank, for little money compared to metalsmithing, you can buy files, rasps inletting tools from Brownells for little money. You can buy a stick for wood at a reasonable price to practice on. A Mauser is great to use as a first project. The book as to include a section on checkering. These are things a home shop gunsmith can do.

Reserve a copy for me when they are printed.

I am always looking for more knowledge in stock making! Especially checkering.

My duplicator below, I am in Port Angeles.





I will send a PM with my address for you to put in your book list.

 

[Mark Stratton]

Aren't duplicators great! It's one thing when your fitting for yourself, but if your trying to fit a stock to a customer, it's hard to do when carving a stock from a blank.

 

[Big Bore Builder]

Aren't duplicators great! It's one thing when your fitting for yourself, but if your trying to fit a stock to a customer, it's hard to do when carving a stock from a blank.

Yep. I made a few for clients some 5 years ago. The work is in making the pattern as you well know. Now I just do it for myself. That silly manufacturing license requirement by the state department put a stop to my part time stock making endeavor.

But, I am retired now and have a shop full of personal stock making projects to keep me busy!

Below, a pattern stock in work, to my specs: 14-1/4 pull, 5/8" drop at comb, 1-1/2" drop at heel, 3/8" cast off. This is an iron sighted rifle, 450 Ackley. Oversize butt to ease the felt recoil. Final stock will be Oregon Walnut from the Salem area.

 

[Mark Stratton]

When you're fitting a customer, they never know what feels right until you gone to far. You get beyond their comfort level and you need to add back more wood. From a blank, that's hard to do. With a pattern you simply add back some bondo. Plus when it comes to the artistry of the outside shape of the stock, a pattern lets you complete your thoughts and add details that you find fitting. Sometimes those details need to be a little deeper to allow the stylist of the duplicator gets a good contact point.