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.
Mat 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 can carve out some 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 began 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 a 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 within 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 last two years, we have designed and taken to market a number of AR/AK grips to fit air rifles with cheek pieces 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 which 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 our lives. 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. We pride ourselves on how we deal with any issues that arise, and our customers will always be able to speak with an actual person to resolve their issue.
MM: Can you tell us about the stock options you make for airguns and which models they fit?
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 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
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 ones are most popular?
PM: We can source most colours but our most popular ones 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. Their 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 manufacture beavertail and pistol grips to fit all AR or AK fitments for air rifles, the list is massive but to name a few: FX Impact M2/M3/M4, Daystate GP, BRK Ghost, AGT Vixen, RAW – I could go on but people will get bored. We also make cheek pieces, benchrest blocks and hamsters/palm rests.
The firearms parts we make include rifle stocks to fit the main brands within the UK, Chiappa Rhino revolver grips (LBR and standard revolver), Smith and Wesson revolver grips, Colt 1911 grips, Lee Enfield service rifle woodwork (SMLE, No1 Mk3, No 4 Mk1 / Mk2, L42A1, De Lisle), Bren Mk1 and Mk2 Machinegun, General Purpose Machinegun and MAG 58 Machinegun.
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 cheek pieces 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 directly from them.
Form rifle stocks
01392 363109
info@formriflestock.co.uk
www.formriflestocks.co.uk
You can read the full November 2024 issue below:
