Canada’s Department of Defence is replacing the wooden stocks of the Canadian Rangers’ C19 standard rifles in service since 2018.
Issues with the gun’s red-dyed wooden stock were first noted during its adoption, in which it was found “leaching and staining the hands of users as a result of extended periods of time in a wet environment,” Nunatsiaq News reported.
This condition prompted commanders to instruct personnel to apply tung oil to seal the wood and protect it from moisture.
Additional problems, including stock cracking, emerged as a consistent pattern during a Canadian Armed Forces small arms competition in 2019.
The C19 rifle, developed by Colt Canada, is a license-built, Finnish-designed Sako Tikka T3 CTR bolt-action rifle assembled to replace the Rangers’ 1940s-era Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I.
It has red-stained stocks with a Canadian Ranger crest and a large trigger guard, enabling convenient use with gloves.
Three-Year Project
The price to upgrade the rifle stocks for the entire stock of C19s, including spares, is estimated at 8 to 10 million Canadian dollars ($5.8 to $7.2 million).
Acquisition of the parts is now in progress, with the contract to be awarded “later this year.”
Alex Tétreault, a senior communications advisor at the Canadian defense agency, told Nunatsiaq News that the new stocks will look the same as the originals, with the same red and gray wood design.
He explained that the stock issues will not influence the rifle’s performance.
“The functional and operational viability of the C19 Ranger Rifle has not been in question,” Tétreault said.
Work for the modernization effort will roll out over three years starting in 2026.
The Canadian Rangers are part of the Canadian Army Reserve. They help provide a military presence and support in Canada’s northern, remote, and hard-to-reach areas.
