Daz W
Well-known member
Apologies, this is a long post. TL : DR at the bottom if you’re after a quick read.
Before we start, a bit about me. I’m 6ft 4, north of 18st, size 11 gloves. In the industry I’m in we have to design our equipment to fit the 5th to the 95th percentile of people. I’m 97th. Off the shelf guns don’t fit me by a long shot.
I did consider an adjustable type stock such as TSK or Ergosign, but although I see the benefits of them, I don’t like the look. Also you’re limited by choice of grips, and you still have your old forend.
I decided to have a custom stock and forend made, and there’s one name that immediately springs to mind, Manuel Ricardo. I priced it all up, and I could fly to Porto, stay in a hotel and get custom woodwork for significantly less money than I could in the UK. I did consider their “One click gunstock” option, but any minor tweaking would then have to be done in the UK and then the stock possibly re-chequered and refinished.
Booking the trip
So I emailed the guys at Manuel Ricardo. Received a reply from João Seco, their Customer Service representative and booked in a date. João is really helpful, speaks excellent English, and will he be your contact and translator throughout the MR process. He will also sort out the permit you need for your gun, as we are no longer able to use the European Firearms Pass. He can also assist in booking a hotel if needed.
I booked flights on EasyJet from Luton to Porto. If you intend using another airline, check to see if they allow firearms. Cost an extra £37 each way to fly with a firearm, and you’ll need a suitable case to carry it in. I managed to pick up a Peli IM3100 case on eBay for a very reasonable price.
I also booked the São Félix Hotel. This is where the majority of MR clients stay. Manuel Ricardo’s old factory and the Clube de Tiro de São Pedro Rates (the shooting ground previously used) were only minutes away from this. Unfortunately, they are no longer, apparently the new town Mayor is anti-shooting. Last year I had heard some rumours on some UK shooting grounds that MR had closed, they haven’t, they were just moving.
The São Félix Hotel offers B&B or half board. I booked half board, as the hotel is fairly remote, and other restaurants are a taxi ride away. The hotel itself has a pool, pool table, bar, free Wi-Fi, English TV channels (news, movies, and entertainment). There is a kettle in the room, but take your own tea & coffee, as it wasn’t provided in the room. Breakfast is a typical continental buffet type affair: tea, coffee, juices, cereals, yoghurts, pastries, fruit, cold meats and cheeses, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages. Half board evening meal offers a choice of starters, meat, fish or vegetarian main course and a choice of dessert. À la carte and drinks are extras, both very reasonably priced. The hotel can arrange transportation to and from the airport, which can be done at the time of booking. The hotel is in a small village, at the top of a hill. Very picturesque steps down to the village. A serious amount of steps. It is very quiet, so don’t expect a vibrant nightlife.
There were 2 other chaps there that were visiting MR too. Quite nice having 2 other shooters to hang around with, otherwise time away from the MR factory could have been fairly quiet. Typical shooting banter soon over a few beers soon develops.
Outward journey
Flying out was pretty simple. EasyJet will advise the bag drop for you flight opens 2 hrs before departure. Got there 3 hours before, because of the gun. Got to the EasyJet bag drop, told them I was flying with a firearm. Checked in my suitcase as normal. Supervisor was called to deal with the gun. Filled in a 4 colour firearms declaration form (1 copy for you, 1 goes in the gun case, 2 for the airport). Blag a 2nd copy for the return journey if you can. Then I was escorted straight to the front of the queue at Excess and Oversize Baggage, much to the disgust of numerous skiers already there. Gun case opened, serial numbers, licence and permits checked. Yellow copy of the 4 colour form goes into the case. You get the white top copy. Case locked and tagged as a firearm. Gun then goes on its merry way.
Arrival in Porto begins as normal; Passport Control and then Baggage Reclaim. Gun is reclaimed from Lost Property, which is at the end of the baggage arrivals hall. Then escorted through the Red Channel at customs, gun case opened, serial numbers and permits checked. Turn left out of customs to the Police office, gun and permits checked again, then off you go. Taxi driver arranged by the hotel was waiting for me at the Police office.
Monday
João arranged for us to be picked up from the hotel at 10:45. All in country communications were via WhatsApp. Met promptly at the hotel by Júlio, their IT manager, who also speaks excellent English, and driven the 10 mins to the MR factory. Coffee and introductions, then time to choose some wood. The wood selection is unreal. Wood selection goes from grades 1 to 5, then exhibition 1 to 5, then finally premium. Wherever I looked, the same piece of exhibition 2 kept catching my eye. Bit more chat about the requirements for the stock (shooting disciplines, glove grips, adjustable combs etc). I don’t shoot trap or skeet, so don’t want to be locked into a glove grip, but an adjustable comb is always handy. I also requested a “standard” recoil pad, plus a thinner one to compensate for thicker clothing in the winter months.
Now for a gunfit. You can have your measurements taken there, or take your own with you. I have previously had a gunfit in UK, a MR gunfit went way beyond this. A UK gunfit, in my limited experience, will generally be tailored for adapting your existing stock to fit you. As MR are making a brand-new stock, their gunfit (performed by Manuel) takes into account much more. LOP, comb (cast & drop), stock (cast at heel/toe), pad pitch, Monte Carlo (if required) grip (size, angles & palm swell). Plus numerous other measurements. Needless to say, it’s very comprehensive. Manuel picked up an eyesight issue on one of the guys, that he didn’t know he had.
Then some discussions about forends. Beavertail, Schnabel, sporting, Kreighoff style, or pretty much anything else you can think of. Also discussions about oil or lacquer finishes.
Then we all get dropped off back at the hotel while the stocks are made. Small café just over the road is well recommended for a coffee and snacks. At 16:00 one of our guns already has a stock on it, and it’s time for some grip customisation. All 3 of us decide to go back, to see the process.
Tuesday
All 3 of us picked up in the morning at 09:45, all 3 guns now have stocks and forends on, we spent the entire day fine tuning the fit. The stocks are made initially with a full palm swell, so this can be reduced if required, which I did. If you are there over the lunch period then there’s a cafe in the supermarket which is a 2 minute walk away, or a Mediterranean restaurant “Cortesia Cozinha Mediterrânea” which is a 5 minute walk. Both good.
Before we start, a bit about me. I’m 6ft 4, north of 18st, size 11 gloves. In the industry I’m in we have to design our equipment to fit the 5th to the 95th percentile of people. I’m 97th. Off the shelf guns don’t fit me by a long shot.
I did consider an adjustable type stock such as TSK or Ergosign, but although I see the benefits of them, I don’t like the look. Also you’re limited by choice of grips, and you still have your old forend.
I decided to have a custom stock and forend made, and there’s one name that immediately springs to mind, Manuel Ricardo. I priced it all up, and I could fly to Porto, stay in a hotel and get custom woodwork for significantly less money than I could in the UK. I did consider their “One click gunstock” option, but any minor tweaking would then have to be done in the UK and then the stock possibly re-chequered and refinished.
Booking the trip
So I emailed the guys at Manuel Ricardo. Received a reply from João Seco, their Customer Service representative and booked in a date. João is really helpful, speaks excellent English, and will he be your contact and translator throughout the MR process. He will also sort out the permit you need for your gun, as we are no longer able to use the European Firearms Pass. He can also assist in booking a hotel if needed.
I booked flights on EasyJet from Luton to Porto. If you intend using another airline, check to see if they allow firearms. Cost an extra £37 each way to fly with a firearm, and you’ll need a suitable case to carry it in. I managed to pick up a Peli IM3100 case on eBay for a very reasonable price.
I also booked the São Félix Hotel. This is where the majority of MR clients stay. Manuel Ricardo’s old factory and the Clube de Tiro de São Pedro Rates (the shooting ground previously used) were only minutes away from this. Unfortunately, they are no longer, apparently the new town Mayor is anti-shooting. Last year I had heard some rumours on some UK shooting grounds that MR had closed, they haven’t, they were just moving.
The São Félix Hotel offers B&B or half board. I booked half board, as the hotel is fairly remote, and other restaurants are a taxi ride away. The hotel itself has a pool, pool table, bar, free Wi-Fi, English TV channels (news, movies, and entertainment). There is a kettle in the room, but take your own tea & coffee, as it wasn’t provided in the room. Breakfast is a typical continental buffet type affair: tea, coffee, juices, cereals, yoghurts, pastries, fruit, cold meats and cheeses, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages. Half board evening meal offers a choice of starters, meat, fish or vegetarian main course and a choice of dessert. À la carte and drinks are extras, both very reasonably priced. The hotel can arrange transportation to and from the airport, which can be done at the time of booking. The hotel is in a small village, at the top of a hill. Very picturesque steps down to the village. A serious amount of steps. It is very quiet, so don’t expect a vibrant nightlife.
There were 2 other chaps there that were visiting MR too. Quite nice having 2 other shooters to hang around with, otherwise time away from the MR factory could have been fairly quiet. Typical shooting banter soon over a few beers soon develops.
Outward journey
Flying out was pretty simple. EasyJet will advise the bag drop for you flight opens 2 hrs before departure. Got there 3 hours before, because of the gun. Got to the EasyJet bag drop, told them I was flying with a firearm. Checked in my suitcase as normal. Supervisor was called to deal with the gun. Filled in a 4 colour firearms declaration form (1 copy for you, 1 goes in the gun case, 2 for the airport). Blag a 2nd copy for the return journey if you can. Then I was escorted straight to the front of the queue at Excess and Oversize Baggage, much to the disgust of numerous skiers already there. Gun case opened, serial numbers, licence and permits checked. Yellow copy of the 4 colour form goes into the case. You get the white top copy. Case locked and tagged as a firearm. Gun then goes on its merry way.
Arrival in Porto begins as normal; Passport Control and then Baggage Reclaim. Gun is reclaimed from Lost Property, which is at the end of the baggage arrivals hall. Then escorted through the Red Channel at customs, gun case opened, serial numbers and permits checked. Turn left out of customs to the Police office, gun and permits checked again, then off you go. Taxi driver arranged by the hotel was waiting for me at the Police office.
Monday
João arranged for us to be picked up from the hotel at 10:45. All in country communications were via WhatsApp. Met promptly at the hotel by Júlio, their IT manager, who also speaks excellent English, and driven the 10 mins to the MR factory. Coffee and introductions, then time to choose some wood. The wood selection is unreal. Wood selection goes from grades 1 to 5, then exhibition 1 to 5, then finally premium. Wherever I looked, the same piece of exhibition 2 kept catching my eye. Bit more chat about the requirements for the stock (shooting disciplines, glove grips, adjustable combs etc). I don’t shoot trap or skeet, so don’t want to be locked into a glove grip, but an adjustable comb is always handy. I also requested a “standard” recoil pad, plus a thinner one to compensate for thicker clothing in the winter months.
Now for a gunfit. You can have your measurements taken there, or take your own with you. I have previously had a gunfit in UK, a MR gunfit went way beyond this. A UK gunfit, in my limited experience, will generally be tailored for adapting your existing stock to fit you. As MR are making a brand-new stock, their gunfit (performed by Manuel) takes into account much more. LOP, comb (cast & drop), stock (cast at heel/toe), pad pitch, Monte Carlo (if required) grip (size, angles & palm swell). Plus numerous other measurements. Needless to say, it’s very comprehensive. Manuel picked up an eyesight issue on one of the guys, that he didn’t know he had.
Then some discussions about forends. Beavertail, Schnabel, sporting, Kreighoff style, or pretty much anything else you can think of. Also discussions about oil or lacquer finishes.
Then we all get dropped off back at the hotel while the stocks are made. Small café just over the road is well recommended for a coffee and snacks. At 16:00 one of our guns already has a stock on it, and it’s time for some grip customisation. All 3 of us decide to go back, to see the process.
Tuesday
All 3 of us picked up in the morning at 09:45, all 3 guns now have stocks and forends on, we spent the entire day fine tuning the fit. The stocks are made initially with a full palm swell, so this can be reduced if required, which I did. If you are there over the lunch period then there’s a cafe in the supermarket which is a 2 minute walk away, or a Mediterranean restaurant “Cortesia Cozinha Mediterrânea” which is a 5 minute walk. Both good.
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we need to see it 
great hear about the process of actually going over though 
I’m sure most of us have seen the TGS video of Johnny getting one done “over the internet”
Cons: Additional cost of flights and min 4 days accommodation. Oil finish will require completion at home or by a third party.
