TRUE TO FORM

Mat Manning talks to Peter McGregor, founder and CEO of Exeter-based Form Rifle Stocks, to find out more about this acclaimed maker of rifle stocks.

Matt Manning: Are you a shooter and what type/types of shooting do you do?

Peter McGregor: I’ve always enjoyed a wide range of shooting sports, but with work and kids taking up most of my time I don’t get out as often as I’d like. Growing up on a farm gave me plenty of opportunities to shoot early on. These days, whenever I have time I tend to reach for my shotgun. Whether it’s clays, rough shooting or occasionally getting a peg, it’s always great to be out there.

MM: How and when was Form Rifle Stocks established and how has the business developed since then?

PM: I founded Form Rifle Stocks in 2013 while still managing a construction business and overseeing large projects. During that first year I dedicated any spare time I had to developing Form, working from my attic. It was there that I sketched out initial design concepts and created the first prototypes before taking them on the trade -show circuit.

By 2015 I had incorporated the business and begun manufacturing. I made significant investments in machinery to bring key processes in-house and focused on sourcing the best materials available. Today I have a fantastic team alongside me and the company continues to grow, which is incredibly exciting.

MM: Who are the key people in the business and what do they do?

PM: Form is backed by a fantastic and dedicated team. In the office we have Liam at front of house handling customer inquiries, sales and marketing. He’s also instrumental in the day-to-day running of the business. Lou manages accounts and keeps the atmosphere light with her great sense of humour. In the workshop Dan – affectionately referred to as the “wood butcher” is a skilled machinist. Fin, Marcus, Doug and Karl take care of sanding and finishing. Fin specialises in finishing bolt-action rifle and air rifle stocks, as well as laser engraving and fitting metalwork. Marcus focuses on finishing bolt-action rifle stocks, air rifle stocks, lever-action stocks and Enfield woodwork. Doug, known as the “King of Grips” is the go-to expert for AR, handgun and air rifle grips. Karl is our quality-control captain with his great eye for detail. If there’s a scratch on a stock, he’ll find it.

MM: How important is the airgun market to Form Rifle Stocks?

PM: In my view the airgun market in the UK is now the largest shooting market, overtaking shotguns. This market is very dynamic and proactive, with manufacturers constantly upping their game with new technologies, materials and concepts.

Over the past two years we have designed and taken to market a number of AR/AK grips to fit air rifles, with cheekpieces to match. Our ambidextrous Chieftain stock has gained strong support from both PCP and springer owners, and our new CR2 stock is making a significant impact on the HFT and FT circuits.

MM: What factors set Form Rifle Stocks apart from other businesses in your field?

PM: I’m bound to say it, but we really are a quality product. We ensure that each product is made using the best materials available and we don’t believe in cutting corners anywhere.

I am absolutely passionate about delivering products that have ergonomic design at their heart, and I work closely with all members of the team to ensure that the product and service we deliver as a company is always of a consistently high standard and something we can all be proud of.

We quality control everything to within an inch of its life. That said, we are only human and sometimes things do slip through the net. On the very rare occasion that this happens, you have the Form customer service to fall back on.

MM: Can you tell us more about the stock options you make for airguns?

PM: Our Chieftain stock was specifically designed for the air rifle market. It features a thumbhole ambidextrous grip, Form chequering and can feature both an adjustable

cheekpiece and length of pull. The consumer has the choice of five laminate colourways and can opt for sling studs and an Anschutz rail for a palm rest if they wish.

We can inlet the Chieftain stock for Air Arms S400, S410, S510, HFT 500 and TX200, Weihrauch HW100KT, HW100 full length, HW 100 buddy bottle conversion, HW97, HW77, Anschutz 9015, BSA R10, Daystate Huntsman and Revere, FX Dreamline and FX DRS.

The CR2 is our HFT/FT stock and we are very excited about it. Full details and third-party reviews can be seen on our website.

MM: Walnut is a classic choice, but you also offer some stunning laminate options. What colour choices do you offer, and which are most popular?

PM: We can source most colours but our most popular are Black, Forest Green, Walnut, Blue/Black and Red/Black. These are the ones we keep in stock, but we are always open to conversations about custom orders.

MM: How do you go about sourcing and making your laminates?

PM: We source our laminate from CWP in Finland. The company’s product is, in our opinion, the best out there. The veneers are 1.5mm thick birch and they’re individually dyed and hot glue-pressed together – they are absolutely solid.

MM: You make more than just stocks for airguns. What other accessories are available from Form and which guns/pistols can they fit?

PM: We make beavertail and pistol grips to fit all AR or AK fitments for air rifles,. The list is massive but a few are FX Impact M2/M3/ M4, Daystate GP, BRK Ghost, AGT Vixen, RAW and more. We also make cheekpieces, benchrest blocks and hamsters/palm rests.

The firearms parts we make include rifle stocks to fit the main brands in the UK, Chiappa Rhino revolver grips (LBR and standard revolver), Smith and Wesson revolver grips, Colt 1911 grips, Lee Enfield service rifle woodwork (SMLE, No 1 Mk3, No 4 Mk1/ Mk2, L42A1, De Lisle), Bren Mk1 and Mk2 machine gun, general-purpose machine gun and MAG 58 machine gun.

MM: I have heard rumours about some very exciting projects involving Form. Are you able to reveal much yet?

PM: We always have exciting internal projects in the works, with the most prominent one being a new accessory for the BRK Ghost. We continue to collaborate closely with Sportsman Gun Centre on the FX brand, as they are the UK distributors of our FX Impact grips and cheek sets.

With BRK and Daystate we’re actively working on grips and cheekpieces for both the Ghost and GP models. Additionally we’re engaged in research and development with ISB. We’re hoping to see some of these products hit the shelves by the end of 2024.

Another exciting project is a new HW100 bottle conversion kit stock we’ve designed with its key distributor, Pickering Airguns. They will be offering kits to convert existing HW100s into a buddy-bottle setup, or you can purchase a fully converted HW100.

UK DISTRIBUTOR

Form Rifle Stocks

01392 363109

formriflestocks.co.uk