GRS Riflestocks

The company Grodås Møbler AS (Grodås furniture AS) was started in 1983 by Oddvin and Anne-Lise Haugen (Håvard and Oscar's parents) in the basement of their house. They had to invest in a separate factory building in 1985 as the business proliferated and the company became well known for its high-quality products. Oddvin Haugen's devotion and the company's intelligent and effective solutions became Grodås Møbler AS's business model. Both Håvard and Oscar - their older children - worked in the factory almost every day after-school, where they learned fundamental entrepreneurial skills, and Oddvin's passion was passed on to the next generation.

Both Håvard and Oscar shared an early devotion to shooting and hunting. Håvard bought his first guns and ammo magazine in 1985 – when he was just 11 years old. Both brothers read eagerly about weapons and developed a focused interest in the weapons industry. To this day, Oscar remains a dedicated hunter, shooter, and fisher, while Håvard tends to prefer shooting.

After graduating from college, Håvard started working in the family company and - in the late 1990's - started to work with CNC programming and machining. The newer CNC technology was a game-changer in the industry, opening up nearly limitless possibilities.

After graduating in 1997, Oscar worked away from the company for a couple of years and was called into the Norwegian Army in 2000  for the one-year mandatory national service. Oscar was enrolled in a specialist branch of the Norwegian National Guard just two days after ending his compulsory service, working - for 3 years - as an instructor of National Guard's Sharpshooters; he served as a QRF Sharpshooter Team Leader for 7 years, ending his contract in 2010. Oscar remains active in the National Guard, with the rank of Company First Sergeant. In March 2010, Oscar was nominated CEO and part-owner of the family's company, while Håvard took over the majority of the shares, with the first-generation owners keeping a minor share position. The Norwegian furniture market suffered a complete crash during the financial crisis between 2008 and 2010, and the company had to find ways to turn difficulties into opportunities.

The adventure of trademarking

The brothers decided that they would launch their first rifle stock, and the company was established as a trademark in 2011. "We took what we had - field shooting experience and expertise in CNC machining - along with a good handful of guts, and we never looked back ever since. We can say that we carved success through hard work, lots of traveling, taking on personal debt to keep the company alive, and the effort paid off. The company grew. Both the industry and our customers recognized our stocks for what they were: rifle stocks with functionality, ergonomics, and aesthetics that improved their shooting."

As the word quickly spread thanks to the international web forums, social media, and a growing client base, they were soon represented in 45 countries around the world. In 2015, GRS Riflestocks was awarded as the company of the year by Innovation Norway. GRS presently has 20 employees: 19 in Hornindal and one in South Carolina. The growth has been excellent.

Norway

A country where cows meet wolves and sheep meet bears. The weather is unforgiving, and nature is beautiful but will kill you if you have the wrong clothes or tools.

GRS's headquarters and factory lie uphill from Grodås, uphill into the wild.

The Hornindal lake seen from the factory windows is the deepest in Europe and is one stone's throw away from the Nordfjord, where the Vikings ruled with their mighty ships back in the days.

The hills are teeming with deer and the rivers with salmon - it's protein land as much as it is forest land. "We hunt in all seasons and fish on most. We have in our minds that good quality will take you there and back, and poor quality may take you there but won't bring you back." Legg inn sitering 2

It is the perfect condition for testing and developing the products you find on the GRS portfolio. The hunting grounds start literally at the front doors. The testing areas are 10 minutes away from the factory. The shooting range is available during the summer and autumn months, and they can shoot from 100m -2000 meters, along with 45% inclined shots out to 600 meters.

From the very beginning, GRS decided that the rifle stocks should be added adjustability to their ergonomics and that this adjustability should be activated in the simplest way possible - the GRS-click.

The Speedlock

The Speedlock system was developed for the first models - it is silent, easy to use, and precise. Press one button to change your Length of Pull as you need, and the other button to adjust the height of your cheekpiece with one push, one adjustment.

The adjustments are instant and simple, with no need for any tools.

The Speedlock 2

The patented Speedlock 2 system was born in 2018. As the portfolio progressed, it became clear that users could make good use of a system that could be accessed from both sides of the stock.

The functionality[edit]

Weapon stocks are the human side of weapons - they should adapt to human needs. A rifle that can shoot deadly bullets at very high explosive speeds should not be difficult to handle in any way and all conditions. Using a rifle requires precision in all situations. One should pay attention to the variables that affect accuracy: can you hold it securely without slipping? Do you have to adapt your body or stance to the rifle, or does it adapt to you? Does the rifle naturally accept all the peripheral items you need to make your shooting easier and more precise? Is it rugged enough to withstand use? GRS strives to make rugged stocks, designed to human specs, with functionality and precision in mind.

The ergonomics[edit]

Ergonomics deals with the application of physiological principles to the engineering and design of a product. GRS looked at the human act of shooting in different positions and started from that fundamental point to develop stocks in ways that would accommodate human physiology. When you lay your shooting arm on a flat surface, you will notice that your hand will be naturally angled  - that 6º angle was a starting point to develop the shape and angle of the GRS gr

A Savage bolt action rifle with a GRS stock used for long range shooting.

The products range from the lighter types for the younger hunter and drift hunter of deer, to more stable versions for post hunting such as elk and moose hunting and chassis stocks for target shooting, long-range shooters, and competitions. GRS also produces shooting accessories.

In 2011, GRS launched its first ergonomic laminate stock. Different laminate stock models includes Hunter, Sporter, Hybrid, Varmint and Decima, which had some minor differences in regards to length and shape. All laminate stocks have an adjustable cheekrest and length of pull which GRS calls "speed lock". GRS laminate stocks have been offered with inlets for many different firearm models, as well as in blanks for other models which require inletting by a gunsmith. Inletted stocks have for instance been provided for the Tikka T3 model.

In 2020, the Ragnarok and Warg stocks were launched. Ragnarok is a chassis for Blaser R8 and Blaser R93, while Warg is a hybrid stock which fits several other bolt action models. Both stocks feature M-LOK compatible handguards.

In 2019, the Bifrost composite stock was launched. The stock is reinforced with glass fiber, and features the speed lock system.

In 2018, the Berserk composite stock was launched. It uses a different composite and a new type of stock adjustment called SpeedLock 2.

Hunter 2017-2020

A stock with more classic lines and with a fore-end that was broader than the standard stock. This gave better control of the rifle when aiming and shooting. It had an adjusted grip size and length of pull compared to earlier models.

Decima Sporter 2016-2018

A sporter Varmint with a shorter length of pull and slimmer grip. It was phased out when the Sporter was launched.

Decima Hunter 2016-2018

Decima Hunter was a slimmer version of the Adjustable Hunter. It was produced until Hunter was developed.

Adjustable Hunter 2015-2020

The features from the Sporter-Varmint stock was used to create a solution for the hunter wanting an adjustable rifle stock with classic lines

Safari 2015-2019

A stock made for shooting with big-bore rifles and was slightly broader than the standard stock.

X-Eater 2015-2019

A stock for benchrest shooting. The fore-end was made to fit the standard front rest, and the rear of the stock was designed for a two-stitch rear bag. The front and back stock were made perfectly parallel, giving the stock excellent tracking in the rest.

Bolthorn 2014-2020

The GRS Bolthorn was made for long-range prone shooting. It was made in hard-anodized aluminum and composites. The design brought the recoil line as close to the core line of the barrel as possible – which means excellent recoil handling and greater accuracy. The stock could be converted to be a folding stock with the added extra feature. It was delivered with options for the SIG Sauer 200 STR/SSG 3000, Remington 700 (Short Action and Long Action), Howa 1500 (Short Action and Long Action), and Tikka T3. Bolthorn used the same speedlock system as the laminate models. Additionally, the Bolthorn stock had an adjustable pistol grip and used AICS-magazines.

F class 2013-2015

The first F class stock GRS designed was developed with the Norwegian champions in F class. The stock had a catamaran hull design, with two contact points in the fore-end sitting in the front rest.

The stock was redesigned to meet new regulations in the FTR and F class Open laws regulating design. The redesign gave birth to the X Eater.

Long range 2011-2015

The first long-range stock GRS made. This stock had an integrated monopod in the rear stocks. This feature was dropped when the stock was redesigned to the Hybrid because, during testing, it got overall better grouping using a straight surface rear stock and a rear bag than shooting with a monopod. The monopods seemed to snag in the surface it was skidding over, picking up vibrations in the motion.

Biathlon 2011-2016

The GRS Biathlon was a cooperation between the Norwegian Biathlon school in Stryn and GRS. Fully adjustable, with a solution made of Laminate wood and Aluminium component. The stock was popular amongst customers in Norway and Scandinavia. Still, it was discontinued because the number of stocks was limited, and the market was significantly lower than the Hunting and Shooting markets internationally.

Sporter Varmint 2011-2018

The First stock from GRS was launched in March 2011. GRS sponsored the Norwegian championship in Jakfelt shooting, displaying it to the core of the best shooters in Norway. The adjustments and ergonomics were second to none, and GRS was a success the next day. The GRS Sporter set GRS on the world map in the shooting industry. This stock was sold to 6 countries in 2011.