The New England Firearms Company is out of Gardner, Massachusetts. NEF is part of the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company line of rifles. In fact H&R makes the Huntsman which is a version of the Sidekick. Sometimes the Sidekick is listed as a H&R while other times it is a NEF. Harrington & Richardson Arms is owned by Marlin Firearms Company. So when you purchase a NEF you are really purchasinga Marlin firearms. All of them are a subsidiary of the parent company. Just like the Optima you owned, itwas made by CVA which is a subsidiary of BPI. They also make Winchester, New Frontier, and a few other brands of rifle. But technically they are all BPI rifles.

The Thompson Center Omega is now a part of Smith & Wesson Firearms. Smith & Wesson just bought Thompson Center Arms. Their laminated stock is a mix of a lot of things. Just what I could not tell you. I am guessing it is glue, wood fibers, maybe some fiberglass, who really knows. I have a laminated stock on my White Ultra Mag. I like it. I waxed it and it has been water proof, very sturdy, a little on the heavy side, but when the recoil of a rifle is factored in, that is not always a bad thing, and they look very nice. The Omega X7 is a nice looking rifle.

The Omega Z5 has a plastic/ryanite stock I believe it is. Some of the Z5 owners, help me out here. My Black Diamond XR has that black ryanite stock, and I actually used to hate them, but have grown to like them a lot. They are water proof, sturdy, and require little care other then to wipe them out of fowling.

I have handled a Sidekick and it really shouldered well. Also the fiber optic sights it had were OUTSTANDING!! They were made by Tru Glow Fiber Optics. Like I said, when I was a kid I hunted with a single shot H&R 20 gauge. Wish I had not sold that rifle. It was a deadly little grouse gun. Maybe that's why the Sidekick fits me. Now I have read some posts of people that did not like the Sidekick. Maybe they will chime in here and tell you why they disliked them. All I have heard bad about them is the ramrod. Ramrods are cheap to replace.