Pglasgow

Below is a picture of an Omega stock which Sabotloader posted a while back. Since I have never had an Omega barrel out of the stock, I'm not certain what I am seeing. But it appears to me that the lugs sit in sockets in the stock, so both the rear lug and muzzle lug transfer recoil intoabout an 1/8" to 3/16" section of plastic which bears all this recoil.

If this is so, I could definitely see these thin sections breaking down in time, especially withmagnum loads.Also if this is so, it would be clear to me that both theKodiakPro and the Apex have a sturdier arrangement fortranfering recoil to the stock.

If you can imagine the recoil lugs in front of each of the sockets instead of inside them, this would be a betterdescription of their (Apex/Kodiak) systems.

sabotloader

Pglasgow

What you are describing is correct, but or plus the 2 screws that pass up through the stock. The depth of the sockets is approximately the same as the thickness in thesynthetic stock. In the laminate stock this all different, it is much stonger.

That is exactly why I am going to re-enforce the front and rear of each socket (really is not a complicated project at all). Plus once they are re-enforced I will also bed the lugs in the sockets.

Because of this, what I think is a marginal design, I thought that there might be a difference between a Z5 stock and a regular Omega black synthetic - not so they are the same thing.

Pglasgow

It appears to me that the muzzle lug would be very easy to reinforce. The breech lug maybe a little more difficult but doable. As far as the difference between Z5 and regular, it would be cool to see the difference if any. Thanks for confirming, (there would have been an equal amount of appreciation for noting a misunderstanding), my impressions of the how the design works.

I have another question since it is not easily discerned from the photo. In the lug area. Is the barrel resting on the edges of the stock? and how high up do the lug sockets go? The ramrod goes through there somewhere so I figure no higher than the bottom of the ramrod. If so this is another significant difference in lug support as the Apex/Kodiak support wraps around the ramrod in the shap of a U, this same support, providing support for the barrel and is actually where the barrel beds the stock.

sabotloader

Pglasgow

Now you know. TC might not agree with us...

The barrel is not floating - it does rest up against the stock, which I prefer if the pressure is equal on all the bearing surface.

The base of the socket is about 1/4" up off the floor of the stock. There is additional room in the stock to build the heighth of the socket before hitting the ramrod. Look at the laminate stock picture and you will see what I mean the lugs a triple the deapth of the synthetic. Obviously TC thinks it is fine just the way it is and in actuallity for 95% of the people it probably is.

Here is a pic of both...

Pglasgow

Was I correct in assuming that the barrel rests on a bearing surface formed into the outer portion of the stock?

I appreciate your comments Mike and it confirms my original feelings, which even though I did not express them at the time,contrasted with outdoorlovers assessment that the Omega stock was of sturdier construction than the Apex.

sabotloader

Pglasgow

The barrel rests in the concave depression (barrel channel) along the edges of the the stock.

Does that make sense?

Pglasgow

Yes it does, and that was my impression (only you say so much better than I), thank you.

sabotloader

Pglasgow

Again if the pressure is equal on all bearing surfaces - that is the way I prefer it... but if pressure on the forearm of the stock cause the stock to flex and push with unequal pressure spots on the barrel - THAT IS A PROBLEM... of course with the laminate that doesn't happen the stock RIGID. With a lot of the cheaper synthetic stocks they flex way to much. You will realy see the results of this if you go target shooting lay the end of the forearm on a bag press your cheek down flex the stock or lean the tip of the forearm over a branch to take a long shot - POI changes. With the thick ML barrels this is less noticeable than in thin CF barrels but it is there...

frontier gander

theres no way the omega black syn. stock is better than the apex. The omega i handled was very flexy at the barrel portion end. Kind of reminded me of the stock on my old cva staghorn, but when a stock is hollow, flex is always going to be there. I wonder how the hollow stock do in really hot weather? Kind of curious if the stocks swell like the barrels do when they get hot.

Pglasgow

My thoughts as well, Mike. I wish an Apex or Kodiak owner would post a pic of theirstock so that a visual comparison, as opposed to a verbal one on my part, could be evaluated by readers.