[Billy Sparks]

I just bought a new pickup and a am going to start carrying a truck gun. A 870 to be specific but I want to change the wood stock to a synthetic. How hard is it to change out stocks?

[Clemson]

Changing the buttstock involves removing the pad or plate that is there now, unscrewing the stock bolt, and pulling the old stock off, then putting the new one on. Getting the forend wood off involves taking a threaded ring on the front of the forend off and pulling it off forward, then reinstalling the new stock and the threaded ring. You may have to make a spanner wrench to get the ring off if it is very tight.

[Dave McCracken]

Clemson got it right, but a few caveats may be in order....

There's a long bolt that secures the stock to the receiver with a slotted hex head. Either use a socket or a long screwdriver to loosen but be careful not to twist with the head of the screwdriver between the bolt head and the wood. The nwood's thin there and one could bust it out if not careful.

On many forends, the tips of a set of needlenose pliers inserted in the notches on the large nut can be used to loosen it up, but again be careful.

HTH....