HOW TO CRACK A STOCK

[J. A. EARLY]

I backed off of the 1.5 ounce 10 gauge loads and bought two boxes from RST in 1.25 ounce last year at the Southern. Bought 6s and 4s. So I'm finally getting around to patterning the gun. I learned what I already knew, it is a 35-yard gun maximum with I.M. chokes (.030).

But I looked at my shells and saw black around the primers on the first three I shot. The gun is piercing the primers as the firing pins are like a needle. They are also extremely long if the firing pin is driven out as far as it will go, which I think the primer should not allow since there would be resistance in the metal. I am guessing that is why I cracked the stock on both sides last year, and it had nothing to do with the 1.5 ounces. The firing pin holes are full of black blow-back.

So what to do? Would you just file them down some and remove the sharp point? I shot three boxes of WW reloads (3500 psi) and never had this problem.