Have you heard of Woodshop Wednesday before? I had never heard of them until I went searching for a custom wood stock for my Ruger PC Carbine. You see, I have this strange desire to make the Ruger PC look like a PPSH. Ok, maybe it’s not that strange because other people have wanted the same thing because most of us can’t afford a real PPSH.

But if you ever tried to look for a custom wood stock to give the PCC that final touch, it’s near to impossible to find. I said, near impossible however, which means there is still hope. I began my project with the purchase of the Ruger PC Carbine Model 19115. This is the model that has the full aluminum rail.

It comes with a Glock mag-well which I promptly switched out so I could use a Glock mag. After all, you can’t really have a PPSH wanna-be that doesn’t use a drum, right? My next step was to find the wood stock that really gives it the final look. In the gun world, accessories are normally easy to find for popular guns like the Ruger PC Carbine. But in this case, I could only find one company making the stock I was looking for.

Woodshop Wednesday is a small company located in Massachusetts It is run by a couple named Justin and Angela who are passionate about providing a high-end product for their customers. Angela runs the sales, marketing, and customer service while Justin makes the custom stocks. Here are some from an interview I recently did with Angela.

What inspired them to start Woodshop Wednesday?

When I asked Angela why they started the company and why they chose the name “Woodshop Wednesday,” she didn’t hesitate to answer.

“My husband wasn’t a big gun guy before this adventure but did own a handgun.  He had a friend who had recently started a small gun shop and he decided to buy the PC carbine to support him.  He really liked the rifle but was surprised that there wasn’t a wood stock available for it.  He attributes this to the complex magazine release system which is integrated into the stock.”

Angela said her husband is a mechanical engineer by trade and couldn’t help but try and make a stock for the rifle. He designed a 3D printed part, and it took him more than 50 prototype blanks until he perfected the design. This was a timely process which dragged out for more than 6 months.

She said their first attempt at selling the PC Carbine wood stocks was on eBay which garnered a lot of interest. After this, Angela and Justin decided to create a website and sell their product directly to customers. When asked about the name “Woodshop Wednesday,” Angela said there is a reason they chose it.

“We decided on “Woodshop Wednesday” as our business name. This is because Wednesday nights are woodshop night in our house where my husband’s friends come over and make random stuff. Woodshop Wednesdays has been going strong since we bought our home in 2012.”

How are the stocks made and how long does it take?

Most products today are mass produced to make them affordable and to allow a company to grow in size and volume. Angela said they use a CNC machine in the beginning stages, but the rest is done by hand. 

“We cut our blanks on a 3 axis CNC machine which machines out the receiver pocket and rough shape of the stock.  Each stock takes about 75 minutes to cut on the machine, through 3 separate setups (top/left/right).  Sanding and finishing typically adds another 2-3 hours using various types of hand sanders. Most of our stocks are finished with 5-6 coats of Tru-oil over several days.”

Buying a rifles stock that is hand finished is starting to become a rarity these days. This made me especially appreciate the quality of the stock I received for my Ruger PC Carbine. Justin sources the wood on the rifle stocks from a local woodshop in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts called SunnyLine7.

Angela said a small, locally owned business not only allows them to offer a high-quality product, but it also supports their community as well. There are benefits to locally owned companies that larger corporations may not offer.  “Local owned businesses build our community and support its local economy, plus it’s the American way,” said Angela.

What style of stocks do they offer?

My quest for a PPSH looking stock led me to Woodshop Wednesday. Many others finding them were looking for the same thing, but this was not the original intent of Woodshop Wednesday according to Angela. “We did not know what a PPSH was initially, but it was a constant request from customers.”

She said the PPSH stock and options available for it were not planned at first. “All of the optional add-ons that we offer (sling slot, pic rail, barrel band, Kickeez Buttplate, etc..) were requested by our customers.” Currently, Woodshop Wednesday offers two configurations of stocks for the Ruger PC Carbine.

One is their “Sportsman” stock, which has more of an angled grip and is based on the factory Ruger stock. The other, and my personal favorite, is the “Classic” stock, inspired by the PPSH-41 rifle stock. They offer multiple options in finish and the type of wood used. I chose Dark Walnut for my stock, but you can also choose from a variety of other wood types which include:

• Light Walnut
• Curly Walnut
• Mahogany
• White Oak
• Light Zebrawood
• Dark Zebrawood
• Padauk

You can find examples of each type of wood on WoodshopWednesday.com where orders can also be placed directly from them. One important thing to take notice of is that Woodshop Wednesday stocks only work with Glock magazines. This didn’t bother me a bit as Glock mags are the most popular mags on the market anyway.

Installing the stock is easy and only takes a few minutes. It does require installing the magazine release in the new stock, but Justin and Angela provide instructions with the stock.

Make that mass-produced rifle something special  

I like to accessorize my firearms, and finding a custom hand-made accessory can make all the difference. The price for a custom Ruger PC carbine stock starts at $350 and takes about 3 weeks to ship. While the price and shipping time are a little higher than other stocks on the market, it’s a great price for what you get.

When asked if they plan to make stocks for other rifles, Angela said they plan to, but right now they are staying busy. “Since we started our business, my husband has gotten more into firearms and intends to make stocks for other Ruger models.  He recently made a stock for his 10/22 take-down.” She said a Ruger Mini-14 stock is another possibility for the future, but current orders for the PC Carbine are all they can keep up with for now.

Out of all the stocks I’ve purchased over the years, this is by far the nicest one I own. The craftsmanship is superb and knowing it was hand finished makes it even more special. When you take those qualities into account, the Ruger PC Carbine stock is a bargain. If you own a Ruger PC carbine or plan to buy one, check out these great, handmade stocks.   

For more on small American businesses catering to the gun world, see the following reads:

Riton Optics: a Small American Business (breachbangclear.com)

1620 Workwear: A Small American Business | Breach Bang Clear

Small American Business: Colonel Blades are on Point (breachbangclear.com)