Getting ready to cut down a stock. Any advice?

[NoirFan]

I've had my wood-stocked rubber-buttpad Mossberg 590A1 for a couple years and I've always felt it was a little bit too long for me. Also, the bottom point of the stock seems too pointed and kind of jabs into my pectoral, so I'm thinking of putting a bit more slant on the base of the stock so the bottom point slants away from my body more. I'm not a super experienced shotgunner by any means so I'm just going by feel here. It seems like gun control and usability would be a lot better with about 1" trimmed off the end, allowing me to pull it in tighter and hunker down on the gun.

I have a hacksaw and a couple C-Clamps ready to go. But before I start cutting, are the any self-tests I can do to determine if the stock is really too long for me? Want to make sure it's not a technique problem before I make changes. This is a defensive gun, not meant for sport shooting or hunting.

 

[RaceM]

If the gun fits you better with the butt pad removed then, yeah, it could benefit from shortening. BUT, beware the thumb knuckle to the nose upon firing if you hunker down on it. Might also wanna consider elevated sights to avoid the thumb/nose thing.

 

[oneounceload]

hacksaw? seriously?

You will be changing a lot of dimensions with that saw including the pitch, the toe, drop at heel and drop at comb.
You might want to find someone who knows about fitting and get the proper measurements for you, then have someone like a smith using a jig and bandsaw, make the final cuts.....................
JMO, YMMV

 

[Sunray]

Cutting a stock is easier to do than describe.
Before you do anything else, you need to find your LOP. Put a yard stick in your bent elbow and grasp it like you would the trigger. Where your trigger finger comes is your LOP. Remember to cut to include the inch or so of recoil pad.
Next, take the recoil pad off first. And no hacksaws. Hacksaws are not for cutting wood. No unpadded clamps either. Use a mitre box(or mitre saw) and a regular wood saw with a fine teeth blade, so the cut will be square and clean.
You also want to put several layers(2 or 3 is enough) of plain masking tape on the wood where the cut will be and cut through it. Makes a cleaner cut and reduces splintering of the rest of the stock.

 

[kBob]

Most test for fit by holding the Shotgun with the shooting hand in your shooting grip. Continue to do so and bend your shooting arm to a 90 degree angle at the elbow. If the but pad allows you to form a 90 degree angle while holding the grip in a shooting grip then it is not too long for most folks. If there is more than an inch between the butt pad and your upper arm then it is a little too short.

Most folks seem to think that a little too short is better than a little too long. That said too short can result in the firing thumb knuckle smacking one in the nose if one is using an thumb over the small of the stock grip.

The concerns about self shortening are that you may not cut the but to the same angles as originally cut. if you make the cut flat from side to side BUT angle it forward a little bit the gun will tend to point high when shouldered and kicj down on that very area you seem concerned about. If the angle is such that the bottom is shortened more than the top then the gun will initially point low and the top of the but rather than the toe will now receive most of the energy. Make your cut even straight up and down , but angled to one side and the gun will point shoulder to one side of or the other and dig in with one edge or the other.

Now thing that you might get a few degrees of top to bottom and a few degrees off side to side and I think you can understand the multipliers.

Modern Shotgun stocks are generally and attempt at one size fits all.....with much the same success as other such products.

When only gentlemen of the upper class ordered fine shotguns there were folks that did little else but measure the shooter/ gun owner and cut his stock to lengths and angles to fit that one person's body.

This explains why one person can shoot a given shotgun and complain of the recoil ( it does not fit him) then someone else shoot the same shotgun and think it a pussy cat (it does fit him).

Good luck with whatever you do and safe shooting.

-kBob

 

[oneounceload]

Before you do anything else, you need to find your LOP. Put a yard stick in your bent elbow and grasp it like you would the trigger. Where your trigger finger comes is your LOP. Remember to cut to include the inch or so of recoil pad.

That is not how one find's one's LOP, but since everyone prefers A bubba job, I'll bow out now

OP - good luck - if you make a mistake, replacement stocks aren't that expensive

 

[number1wrench]

What the OP originally posted the possible problem may be the comb is not high enough. I suggest taken your shotgun to a competent gunsmith shop and ask for an opinion and recommendations for correction. Usually no charge and a wealth of knowledge if you pay attention and ask questions. Remember that you are a potential customer and should be treated as such.

 

[gunnerh]

Save the wood you cut off and mark it with the model and ser #.Then put it in your safe or gun storage area. A few years ago, help a lady at church sell her late hubby's guns and gear. He had saved 4 cut offs , I was able to get more for the the 4 the long guns I could put back to close to orginial.

 

[RMc]

Simple approach: Replace the thick recoil pad with a thin pad or simply install a plastic buttplate.

http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...t-plates/universal-butt-plates-prod27187.aspx

 

[TaxPhd]

That is not how one find's one's LOP, but since everyone prefers A bubba job, I'll bow out now

Save your breath, oneounceload. That old wives tale has been repeated so often, it is gospel truth to many, and they will never believe that they are wrong, and that you actually know what you're talking about.

What the OP originally posted the possible problem may be the comb is not high enough.

What would lead you to conclude that raising the comb would help the OP?

 

[M1key]

Or install a Magpul adjustable LOP buttstock.

M

 

[natman]

That is not how one find's one's LOP, but since everyone prefers A bubba job, I'll bow out now

OK, so what's the right way?

 

[oneounceload]

http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm.shotgun-stock-fitting.html

http://www.peteblakeley.com/custom.htm

http://www.gundogmag.com/training/fine-tuning-a-shotgun-to-fit-you/

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=2113

http://sidebysideshotgun.com/articles/gun_fitting_article.html

Those should give you an idea.........happy reading!

 

[AlFarkle]

drink heavily

 

[Pete D.]

Lop

Making it easy......

Many feel length of pull to be the important measurement, as witnessed by numerous individuals putting the stock in the crook of their arm and reaching for the trigger to “check the fit.” This, however, only proves that you have a gun, an arm and a finger. Length of pull is determined by where the head meets the stock.

As a rule, proper length of pull when the gun is mounted positions the shooter’s nose an inch-and-a-half to two inches from the shooter’s thumb as he grasps the wrist of the stock. Too far and the stock will be awkward to mount, too close and the nose is in jeopardy of being whacked by the thumb in recoil.

 

[NoirFan]

Gotta be honest, I'm a little confused here. Seems like a split crowd, half the people saying do it and the other half saying go to a professional. I thought this would be a simple task but it seems there's more to this than I had considered.

If it helps, when I bring up the gun with the butt in the pocket of my shoulder, it feels a little low. I have to lower my head to the point where I feel a little neck strain to see through the peep sights. I also have to stand in a bladed stance rather than square-on to the target since the butt is too long. It's my understanding that for defensive shooting you want to be more square to the target and it's hard for me to do that with the current stock length.

 

[oneounceload]

If you want to be able to swing on a moving target ( and I mean a bad guy), it is very hard to swing to the target when standing "square" as opposed to offhand foot forward

 

[AFK]

Put a yard stick in your bent elbow and grasp it like you would the trigger. Where your trigger finger comes is your LOP

This is absolutely not the way to do it. Always try a different thickness of recoil pad 1st. Even remove the factory pad and use cardboard and cloth shims to build up the length to get to where you want it. Once you feel comfortable with it, then measure the shims and look for a recoil pad with the same dimension. You may have to go with a grind-to-fit pad, but it sure beats buying a new stock. Some people prefer their thumb knuckle closer to their nose and some people like it farther away. There is no hard fast rule for LOP. Usually 2 to 4 fingers widths between your nose and your thumb knuckle. Also remember that usually for every 1/4" you take off, you reduce your LOP by about 1".

If you decide to cut, do not use a hacksaw as others have stated. A band saw would be best. I have used an electric compound miter saw with a new blade as well. A hand saw with a fine tooth wood blade would still be better.

Adjusting the LOP is as far as I would go. If you want to adjust any of the other dimensions, I would contact someone who is educated in how to do so. There are many after market recoil pads out there and I don't think it would be too hard to find one for that gun that fits you well. Even is you have to adjust LOP.

 

[Louca]

You will be changing a lot of dimensions with that saw including the pitch, the toe, drop at heel and drop at comb. You might want to find someone who knows about fitting and get the proper measurements for you, then have someone like a smith using a jig and bandsaw, make the final cuts.

I echo oneounceload a 1000 times. Changing the stock dimensions on a shotgun is like moving the sights on a rifle. Go see a person who can do a good fitting job, come home with the dimensions, and modify your stock to match your fitted dimensions.

The only thing I will add is be careful when cross cutting the butt of the stock (assuming you are interested in appearances). It is easy to chip a piece of wood off the exit side of the stock where the teeth of the saw are coming out of the wood. Some use tape on the wood to potentially reduce that from happening, and there are other methods, too.

 

[loose noose]

I've used a fine carbide blade, along with masking tape, never had a splintered stock, incidentally what Oneounce says is very factual as I've had to straighten out a lot of "bubberized" stocks in my day. (mostly for hunting shotguns, installing a recoil pad) My Browning Model 99, was done professionally for me quite a few years ago, and it still fits me like a glove, and when I concentrate I can still run 25 and occasionally 50. It is well worth the cost.