Rossi Rifleman

I was pleased enough with the last two that I got, that I thought I'd get another one. But this time I wanted to try their fancy grade of walnut. I was hoping for a lot of different color in the wildly textured grain. But after reading several reviews from people who had gotten one before for other types of guns, I greatly reduced my expectations.

So yesterday when I opened the box for the first time, I wasn't shocked, in a bad way, or in a good way either.

It does have a little waviness in the coloring, and the grain on the butt is a little squiggly. The forend has a few little black knots, and the grain is pretty random. It's definitely more figured that the basic walnut one I got last time. It had pretty straight grain on both parts.

The finish is sprayed on, and because of that it does not fill the grain well, but instead it pulls away from the deeper grain and makes it show up more. That's mostly on the forend though.

Soooooo, the question is. Is it worth the extra $70 for the XX grade??? I like it well enough that I might would pay the extra again, if I were to get another walnut one. But I really think that I like the laminated ones better, mostly because I find myself being careful with the pretty walnut ones. But the laminated ones, I don't mind treating them like what they are, a tool.

I would never upgrade a Boyd’s stock just because of their crappy finish. Pay extra, and the first thing I have to do is strip and refinish it? No thanks. On top of that, I wouldn’t pay extra for beauty that I haven’t seen. Boyd’s strength is in laminates, and for that, I’ll pay full price. I’m stock agnostic. I own pretty wood, plain wood, laminates and polymers, and I love them all the same. I’m with you, a firearm is a tool.

And I cannot stomach laminate enough to consider using one for free when I can make stuff out of plywood (laminate) myself. I simply won't buy a rifle with wood I don't like for this very reason...unless a re-condition for a flip...

I ordered laminate for the BAR. I'll have to fit it.
I could have paid two or three times as much for finished checkered walnut or I could have paid about the same and gotten un-checkered unfinished walnut. I don't have the experience to want to checker it myself when I don't have the time to make it happen. I don't mind fitting or finishing the wood but I'm just to busy with other things right now to pay attention to it.

Sigh,

Boyd's quality control appears to be lacking...

possibly more later.