Picked up a 788 in .223 last night with a 4x Tasco for $225. The owner said he bought it new in the early '70's and only fired a few boxes of ammo through it. I'm pretty pleased, I think it was a decent deal.

It does have some nicks and dings in the stock from being carried in the truck though, so out of curiosity, does anyone here know if a 700 series short action stock can be modified to work? It looks like the action is the same diameter, but I'm not sure about action screw spacing and other dimensions. My only 700 for now is a long action so it's hard to compare.

You'd probably be better off refinishing the 788 stock. The sa 700 is not the same as the action on the M788 you have. I doubt adapting the 700 stock to a 788 would come out very satisfying. The wood on the original788 stock will be either alder, beech, or birch and is stained walnut so unless the stock looks like someone drug it behind the pickup on a logging chain, you have room to work on it. Try sanding it if the imperfections are not deep, steam it if dented. Another option is to look for a replacement stock, either factory or aftermarket. Good luck, let us know what comes out of the project.

Yup I agree with chg. There's enough differences that your going to have a lot of glass bedding to do to get it to fit. You can get some pretty reasonable stocks if you look around.

Try some of these places.

Richards Microfit Gunstocks (http://rifle-stocks.com/)

Great American Gunstocks (http://www.gunstocks.com/)

Hoosier Gun Works : Online Catalog : Stocks : Rifle Stocks (http://www.hoosiergunworks.com/catalog/rifle_stocks.html)

I'd also do a search for used gunstocks and check out Numrich Arms. Someone is making new magazines for the 788's now. Used mags were going for around a hundred dollar bill the last few years so this is a real boon to 788 shooters. The Cheaper than Dirt catalog was advertising them.

A buddy has a beech stocked 22-250, left beech colored and its cool. I always like the maple stocked 660 myself.

When I build off the Remington 788 action, I always set them up as single shots so as not to have to fool with any magazine cut outs. This also allows me to be able to use McMillan stocks that fit the Remington 700 long actions. The only real stock work that needs to be done is to open the area for the recoil lug and minor filing with a rasp file for the bolt handle. Less than 30 minutes worth of work....

A

When I build off the Remington 788 action, I always set them up as single shots so as not to have to fool with any magazine cut outs. This also allows me to be able to use McMillan stocks that fit the Remington 700 long actions. The only real stock work that needs to be done is to open the area for the recoil lug and minor filing with a rasp file for the bolt handle. Less than 30 minutes worth of work....

A

Thanks ASSASSIN, I'd heard mention of doing this but no details, good to know it's a possibility. At the moment I don't need to do anything at all with the stock, it's just some dings and scratches, but it's nice to know there are more options out there, especially if a 700 action can work.

I'll be glass bedding the stock either way, sounds like it wouldn't be much more work to use a good 700 stock when I get around to it.

And just what is the problem with the 2X4 stock that is on the 788 now??? It may be ugly but I've won more than one bet I could out shoot the guy next to me at the range :D Thems that don't know can easily be taught. :eek:

Both my 788's wear the original ugly old beat up piece of wood they came with. I've been toying with the idea of refinishing both of them and maybe adding a fore end cap and a pistol grip cap from mountain mahogany and trying my hand at checkering. If it didn't turn out they'd still be ugly and all I'd be out was the time it took to find out I should have left well enough alone.:rolleyes:

RJ

is great american gunstocks open again/ they had a huge fire that destroyed everything last fall.