Ruger Explorer stock

[pgsmith]

Does anyone know if the stock on the Ruger Explorer can be swapped to the Ruger Airhawk, my wife has the Airhawk Elite and does not like the weight of the rifle. Saw the Explorer and thought changing to that stock would make the rifle much lighter.

[howie1a]

In building stocks I don't find a lot of weight difference in stocks unless they have been weighted or are made of laminated plywood type stock blank then they are  about 1 lb. to 1 1/2 lbs.more than a wood stock, The weight is in the action and barrel, I would like to lighten some of the rifles I have but can't figger out how to take weight off the action without turning down the barrel dia. . Howie

[pgsmith]

Howie,

Here is a link to the Explorer http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Ruger_Explorer/2016

And here is the elite that she has http://www.pyramydair.com/p/ruger-air-hawk-elite-air-rifle.shtml

I am thinking if I can put the elite action into this stock it may shave a few pounds off it. My wife also has a problem with the legnth of the butt of the gun. The major problem here is she wants my Big Cat and I dont want to give it up.

[howie1a]

Hi I just weighted a stock from a rws 34 and it weights 2 lbs and one of my custom stocks for an RWS34 also weights 2 lbs one is beech and mine is walnut but an other custom stock I made for a qb2078 in walnut weights 2.6 lbs. What I would do is to take off the stock from your wife's rifle and weight both the stock and the action. see if you can save some weight by changing the stock at least this will give you an idea where the most of the weight is. I don't think shorting the barrel will help either I have a 3 inch piece of barrel I weighted and it is only about 3 oz. not enough to help.The other question is will the stock's fit from one rifle to the other ? You might do better to sell the one rifle and look for a lighter rifle in the power range you want. Howie PS I have a very good postal scale I use for weighting stuff for my ebay shipping.

[pgsmith]

Howie,

Hmm well thanks for the legwork, I guess it is all in the action. Well she had better get used to it she picked that rifle as her own. Or she could do more bench shooting.

[leftcoast1]

No the stock will not swap. The air hawk is a RWS 34 copy and the explorer is a copy of the B-16 which is a much smaller rifle.

[tunaboat]

Pat
Cabela's has the BigCat for 98.00 Just get her, her own, problem solved.   :emoticon:

[pgsmith]

No matter, I may just let her have the Big Cat and see what I can do about the trigger on the AirHawk, that is the only thing I don't like about it is the sloppy trigger. I will just have to tell that then I get a new scope.

And thanks Jason for the confirmation on the no swap, but as Howie pointed out the stock swap will not give that much weight savings.