For the finest presentation-grade surface, we suggest a painted finish. Seven solid paint colors are available.
Speckletone granite finishes are also available. Choose any solid base coat color and specify either one or two speckletone paint highlights to create an attractive custom finish.
When you order any paint finish, the underlying stock is hand-sanded, primed, and painted to eliminate all surface imperfections. This is the finish most manufacturers specify for the McMillan stocks that are sold with their custom shop rifles.
The paint we use is an industrial grade, non-slip pebble finish similar to that found on power tools, office machines and industrial equipment. This polyurethane paint is the most durable we can find and is suitable for conditions found from the Arctic to the tropics. However, any painted finish will scratch when dragged over rocks, limbs and other hard surfaces. It is impervious to most gun cleaning solvents, but harsh solvents should be wiped off immediately.
McMillan’s Transition Camo is a highly durable paint finish that mimics the spray paint patterns favored by many snipers and hunters. It is currently available in 12 color combinations.
The colors below are used to create molded-in swirled marble, ambush, carbon ambush and camo finishes. Solid molded in colored stocks are not available from McMillan.
Molded in colors are the most durable finish we offer. With a molded finish, the color is impregnated into the gelcoat, or exterior surface layer of the stock. All of the molded-in finishes below should be considered utility-grade. Mold lines, sanding marks, fiberglass cloth and small imperfections may be visible.
Molded-in stocks are provided with a matte finish to minimize light reflection. After receiving your stock, some customers take it upon themselves to further wetblock sand and buff the surface to achieve a polished, warm luster finish. This is particularly attractive with marble patterns.
A molded-in stock will weigh several ounces more than a painted stock due to the additional resin material that is used.
We do our best to make your particular finish as attractive as possible. However, we are limited in what can be accomplished with molded-in colors. Solid colors, especially darker ones, produce the greatest challenge, whereas the camouflage patterns tend to look better because the various colors and shapes hide imperfections. Marbled colors offer the best choice for creating a finished look with a molded-in color.
A marble finish is created by swirling two or three different colors into the surface of the stock. The result is a beautiful effect that is unique to your stock. McMillan pioneered this finish, which has become a familiar hallmark of our brand.
Note that a marble finish can be used as an effective camouflage pattern when using olive green, black, gray and other common camo colors.
Each finish is done by hand and it is impossible to duplicate any particular marble pattern. Because marbling is created in the mold under pressure, patterns are random and not controllable. Specific vertical or horizontal patterns are not possible. Also, colors will change shades somewhat due to the mixing of colors while the swirling is done. Marble stocks may not be returned because of dissatisfaction with the color. However, you may opt to have us paint the stock at our regular price.
No two stocks are ever made alike as the marbling action is totally random in occurence.
The most popular marble finishes are shown here. Virtually any color combination is possible and some color combinations are inherently more pleasing than others
McMillan Uses Molded-In Colors to create a Unique Camouflage Finish. The colors are not painted on the surface, but are molded into the stock for durability when used in extreme environments. Many military units specify this finish for their tactical stocks, with the choice of colors dependent on the part of the world where the rifle will be deployed.
Availability: Made to order.