How do I tell if a gun "fits"?

[BillBlank]

My bride to be and I are about to purchase our first shotguns. These will be for sport shooting or game that weighs about 140-220lbs and might disturb our slumbers. We're treating this purchase the same as any other and intend to utilise the facilities of of our local clubs to try before we buy so to speak. I am worried however that because of our ignorance in these matters an unscrupulous sales person may well attempt to blind us with bovine excretia.

Are there any pearls of wisdom for choosing ones weapon that even an an englishman would understand?

She and I are of a mind that two 'pump action' or semi-automatic with a capicity to hold at least six rounds in a magazine, internal or external would fit the bill (pun intended) nicely. Really looking for something that will tackle most uses with merely a change of ammunition. Suggestions?

My reading on this board would seem to confirm my preconception that recoil is determined by the type of ammunition employed, not just the gauge. Is this a valid assumption?

In terms of making the weapon more usable/controllable, what is it possible to get adjusted or changed to match our body shapes?

Is this worth it?

I am a firm believer in 'practice makes perfect' and will therefore be shooting as much as time and budget allow. This is going to sound silly but bear in mind I am a novice. How many rounds can you put through an average weapon of this type (if there is such a thing) before something wears out?

What bits break first?

Do any ladies, either here or your partners gents, have any advice for someone with an ample chest who is worried about discomfort?


Thanks in advance for your thoughts, I have searched as much as possible to determine the answers to most of our questions but would appreciate some input on these ones.

Bill

Edit: Am now reading DaveMcC's old TFL posts (missed em first time round) but any input is still appreciated

 

[Dave McCracken]

Welcome to the board. Let's go down your list....

As for pearls of wisdom, stick with major brands. An 870 in stock condition is more shotguns than 10 knockoffs.

No common, currently made shotgun hold 6 rounds without an extension, and those may not be available to British subjects. 870s, 500s, 1300s and 37s usually hold 4 in the mag. Still a lot of effectiveness.

Felt recoil,AKA kick, is affected by speed and mass of the ejecta, weight and fit of the weapon, and size/softness of the pad,. Gauge, per se, doesn't matter here.

Fitting the stock to the shooter is as essential as oxygen. The few shekels it costs is well spent.

870s start cracking the receivers at around 250,000 rounds. Some others do not seem so durable, but 50,000 rounds up is standard if PM is performed and some small parts replaced on the autos.

Ample chested folks of both genders benefit from a rounding of the toe of the pad and perhaps some negative pitch. I do.

HTH....

 

[fecmech]

I had a minor problem in 1999 taking a Beretta 390 to the UK, had to get some kind of special permission because of it holding 3 rounds in the magazine. I believe all the autos and pumps in the UK are limited to 3 rounds total. Nick

 

[BillBlank]

Mr McCracken, I thank you for your thoughts and it is a pleasure to do so. Having now made the effort to find your writings on these matters elsewhere I have rendered this post redundant. Nonetheless I will take the opportunity to thank you for putting your thoughts where novices like myself can find them. It is heartwarming to read about the good side to being a man, in the tradtional, honorable, sense of the word. My firearms experience is limited to time spent as a cadet in my teens, enough to respect them and have basic rules for there safe use spanked into me. Enough to know how much I have to learn about it's proficent use and the reasons for that use. I have never seen the elephant, as I believe you put it, and have no desire to do so. Should I be confronted by said irate pachyderm however I need to able to do more than whimper. Facing thirty, marriage and a desire for children has made me aware of responsibilities I am taking on and ask myself just how well equipped I am to deal with those. For now the best thing I can do is sit down, shut mouth and open ears.

Fecmech - The three round limit may well apply, I hope not. I have only got so far through a thick document from the home office detailing what is good cause for owning a weapon and all the other laws concerning its use, storage and who is allowed them. I have only just finished whooping for joy that I can own something more versatile than a double barreled shotgun, being a firm believer in my ability to need more than two goes at anything. I have not yet even visited an emporium that sells these tools due to never having seen one. I and my better half are just trying to gather as much info as possible so we at least have some idea of what to do next. We are in the process of finding a club near us, but you will understand that there are not too many here due to the active encouragement not to have this as a hobby. Please excuse my ignorance. It is far more painful for me than it is for you . Your advice is therefore much appreciated.

Bill

 

[fecmech]

Bill-These people may be of help to you in your quest for information about shooting in the UK. They were the ones who handled the paperwork for my UK gun permit. Actually after rereading your post I was surprised that you think there are few shooting facilities in your fine country. On the contrary that was the reason for my trip , shooting sporting clays! The UK has a very large selection of sporting ranges from the info I got from CPSA and I had no difficulty finding a place to shoot. I met some wonderful people and had a great time, my wife and I are planning to go back in the future. Nick http://www.cpsa.co.uk/

 

[kudu]

BillBlank, maybe one day the UK will trust it's subjects enough to let them decide for themselves if they can have guns again . Maybe they need a wake up call, lets hope it is not an invasion of some foreign power.

Keep on plugging away at Dave's posts, there are a lot of them, and all have quite a bit of info.

Gun fit is important, and if English shooters are even a bit like us Americans they will be more than likely to help you out in determining what you really want for your intended purposes and help you set one up. Unfortunatlly we are at a disadvantage to help you with your laws concerning firearms.

Best of luck to you and your wife,

kudu