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Length of Pull


Jbob
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Hi folks

 

I have owned my Lanber O/U 12G for a number of years (bought it new as my first gun). To start with I could shoot well with it, now not so well. I will admit practice has been lacking for one reason or another over last few years but I also think the length of the gun feels wrong now. I am 6' and am a couple stone heavier than when I bought the gun. I also have a side by side with a slightly shorter LOP which feels more comfortable.

 

I have been toying with the idea of shortening the Lanber but Im not sure by how much or the best way of doing it. The rubber recoil pad on the gun is about an 1" thick and when I remove that it feels more like the SxS

 

I am reluctant to start hacking away at the stock only to find it may have been ok in the first place or theres a simpler option.

 

Also is it true that gun stocks are better the shorter you can get away having them?

 

What do you guys think?

 

Jbob

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Thanks for the replys.

 

The video was very informative and the number of fingers between the thumb knuckle and end of nose is something ive heard before. Currently i can get 3 fingers between my nose and thumb knuckle. I think a thinner recoil pad would make that measurment 2.

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Take the pad off, and if you can get some rubber belting, cut strips and screw on and add as required, but dont just shoot a few, be sure before you commit.

 

I would think its more to do with the toe digging into the extra pounds rather than lop, your sxs will have a shallower stock than your o/u, so a kickeeze rocker pad would cure this, as they curve in sharply at the toe for gentleman of larger chests and ladies too.

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Stock length can be a matter of personal preference but there are no hard and fast rules as each person is different in build so there are many things to consider , in no specific order - length of arms ,length of upper are /lower arm , size of hands ,width of shoulder/shape of shoulder , height and build , mobility of shoulder/neck etc.,etc.

Played a trick on a guy a couple of years ago He always claimed he needed at least a 15inch stock which I disagreed with as he always seemed to me to be over reaching himself , to cut a long story short he was looking for a nice side by side and I told him I had just the gun for him ,as I gave it to him I told him to close his eyes and mount the gun before he looked at it . Doing so he fell in love with it as it "fit me like a glove " ,"how long is the stock " he asked? 14& 1/2" I said ." Oh" came the reply" that's to short for me "

Point is what feels good to you is what you want ,but often helps to have an experience eye give you a few pointers .

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Grip position from the trigger also has a bearing on stock length and can make a short stock feel long and vice versa

I have a Browning 725 and had a notion that the stock was just a shade too long, but the palm swell on that gun actually encourages me to grip higher up so causes my elbow to lift and I am pulling up on the trigger, the gun sits slightly twisted as a result of my shoulder position.

 

If I change so I am holding at the bottom of the grip my elbow drops, the shoulder pocket opens up, the gun sits square and i have the pad of my index finger pulling straight back on the trigger and the stock doesn't feel long at all. I shoot better too.

 

Answer is, I think, the palm swell needs to go, not shorten the stock as i first thought. I am going to see a good gun fitter and stocker at the weekend to get an experienced eye to take a proper look and stop me guessing.

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Thanks again folks for all the replies. Lot of useful information :good: . Will try removing the existing recoil pad and see if that makes a difference as my body shape has change and could be catching as JD suggested. A chat with my local gun fitter wont hurt either.

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I've messed around with gun fit on various guns for what must be 30 years. It was not until I treated myself to a new gun at Brierley Guns and they made a brilliant job of fitting it for me that I realised I should have had my guns fitted by someone who knows what they are talking about years ago. However that's the difficult bit there are plenty that give that impression but very few that can actually do it.

Another point is that if and when you have a gun fitted it can take a while, 6 - 8 weeks to get used to it, until you do yours scores may actually go down.

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Hi folks

 

I have owned my Lanber O/U 12G for a number of years (bought it new as my first gun). To start with I could shoot well with it, now not so well. I will admit practice has been lacking for one reason or another over last few years but I also think the length of the gun feels wrong now. I am 6' and am a couple stone heavier than when I bought the gun. I also have a side by side with a slightly shorter LOP which feels more comfortable.

 

I have been toying with the idea of shortening the Lanber but Im not sure by how much or the best way of doing it. The rubber recoil pad on the gun is about an 1" thick and when I remove that it feels more like the SxS

 

I am reluctant to start hacking away at the stock only to find it may have been ok in the first place or theres a simpler option.

 

Also is it true that gun stocks are better the shorter you can get away having them?

 

What do you guys think?

 

Jbob

If you mount the gun - can do this indoors - at a target at about eye level or higher as you normally do, immediately after and without making any adjustment, where are the muzzles/rib in relation to the target?

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Normally it's the other way around.

I maybe explain it poorly. If my hand rotates around the top of the grip where the palm swell wants to push it then it causes the gun to want to twist as my shoulder lifts, if i keep my hand lower on the grip i have a much better alignment of arm to shoulder so the gun mounts straight.

 

One of these occasions where a picture would be better.

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I maybe explain it poorly. If my hand rotates around the top of the grip where the palm swell wants to push it then it causes the gun to want to twist as my shoulder lifts, if i keep my hand lower on the grip i have a much better alignment of arm to shoulder so the gun mounts straight.

 

One of these occasions where a picture would be better.

Sounds though your first impression could well be right. Good luck with the stocker/fitter. If he agrees and there's no other recommendation and it goes, you might find it thin at the wrist especially at first - as I do with my SbS. Consequently, I'm a fan of Gripswell gloves - in effect a moveable palm swell.

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Thanks Wymberley, I am still guessing a little bit to be honest and trying to work it out myself, but of course there is the danger that I am causing other problems.

 

The guy that I am going to see had a very good reputation so I am happy to be led by expert eyes.

 

The palm swell was one of the attractions with that gun it feels nice when i pick it up at first, but after a while my hand aches. I have rheumatoid arthritis and I think that I have adjusted to try and prevent my hand being uncomfortable at the expense of a good position. I was pulling up on the trigger with the blade in between the first and second knuckles which is mental.

 

By lowering my hand everything else feels better, my finger sits on the trigger better, I shoot better, the gun sits square, but it hurts as my hand is bending around the swell, my little finger is actually off the stock.

 

So from really liking the palm swell at first i now hate it

 

It is amazing though that just even a small rotation of the wrist and slightly different hand position changes so many other parts of the mount

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When it come down to the bottom line having an experienced eye look at you and your gun, can tell you in a minute what you may take hours of messing about .Looking at you and asking a couple of questions can tell if its the gun , you or both .

+1

a decent o/u shotgun will cost you £1400 new and every thousand shells you put through it will cost circa £170 plus the cost of the clays.

To get someone who knows what they are doing to look at you and your gun and recommend what fitting action is required will cost far less than a £100 plus the modification costs.

welsh warrior on here does it, he has try guns I believe. Many have recommended his services.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sit rep: went to my local gunsmith today and he looked at my gun fit. First thing he said after i mounted the gun was its too short 😳. I wasnt expecting that. We put a slip on pad and it improved seemed to improve things including the mount. So im going to try with the slip at my next clay shoot and see how the extra length effects things.

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