I've noticed over the years, while cleaning, repairing, or refinishing the stocks of many of my American made doubles that there often appears to be machining marks in the wood. I have never read any reference that spoke of duplicators being used, and pictures in various reference books typically show stockers with hand tools doing inletting or checkering. It would certainly make sense that makers who used lathes and milling machines to turn out the metal parts of their guns would machine stocks as well. So does anyone know who used duplicators or when they came into common use by gunmakers?

Machine made stocks have been around quite a long time. Here in Britain they were in common usage, certainly at Military Arsenals in the 1850's, possibly a lot earlier.

I would suspect that all large American gun making companies would have had stock duplicating machines by the end of the Civil War.

Companies like Remington were producing upwards of 1,300 Rolling Block Rifles a day in the late 1860's and 70's, there's no way they could have done that if their stocks were all hand made. I suspect that the hand made stocks that were photographed in manufacture were for Special Orders only.

Most companies had a customising shop, where (as Sam Colt said) he could get another 10 Dollars on the price for every extra Dollar he spent on the finish.

Harry

Thomas Blanchard invented the stock duplicator in 1822 at Springfield Armory. Improvements by Blanchard and others before the time of the US Civil War allowed for both outside shaping and inletting of stocks. An example of a original Blanchard machine is on display at Springfield National Historic Site.

Keith:
Thomas Blanchard created a duplicating machine at Springfield Armory as early as 1822. Visit:

http://www.nps.gov/spar/historyculture/machines.htm

But understand that no machine of that era created "drop in stocks." Some minor hand fitting was still necessary.

Best, Kensal

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Srpingfield Armory be sure to visit. Incredible history and you will see the stock duplicator. I could have stayed for hours more, but they do close!

This is a "stock profiler machine" at work. 1922 in the Marlin factory.



While a rough profiling could be done, the stock department was mostly men working wood in jigs while belt sanders or cutting heads did the work.



I have seen similiar images of Belgian work during this time period.

As has been pointed out, the needs of the military drove production methods.

Pete

I can not recall with certainty where I saw it, may have been on CSMC's website or maybe in the back of MM's book on Fox guns but I recall seeing a stock duplicating machine that CSMC now owns that would duplicate up to 5 stocks at one time which came from the Fox factory... someone please correct me if I am wrong...

I recall reading in the Parker Story that the machine they used in the factory was so precise that very little hand work was needed to fit-up the gun. They even had a machine for the skeleton buttplates, if you have ever fitted one of these, you know its a real job.

Jim A.

It's been a long time since I've been there, but I remember the Smithsonian having a very early stock duplicating machine on display. It was from well before the Civil War. I don't know if is is still on display or not anymore.
Chris