2-1/2" pitch?

[Setter Man]

A friend of mine has a neat old VHE. It's a #1 frame, 20 ga, straight grip with 32" barrels choked Full and Full. According to the letter the order specified to shoot 2-3/4" shells and 2-1/2" pitch. Anyone have an idea what "pitch" the order referrs to? Note the specs of the gun are/were LOP:14-1/2; DAC: 1-5/8; and, DAH 2-1/4".

Thanks, JDG

[Parkerman]

Pitch is commonly referred to as the angle of the buttstock when it is against your shoulder.
As I understand it -- if you ran a line along the barrel to the rear of the gun and, at the same time ran a line from the face of the buttstock up to the line from the barrel you would define the pitch. If the lines were perpendicular at the intersection, the pitch would be zero, if the lines were not perpendicular at the intersection the difference in the angle at intersection would be the pitch.
It is important because if angle is improper the muzzle of the gun can be pointed up or down while you are thinking how good the stock fits you.

[Dean Romig]

True - pitch is determined by the angle of the butt in relation to the angle of the top of the barrels but pitch is measured on the 90 degree. To determine pitch stand the gun on its butt flat on the floor and slide it toward the wall until the top of the breech is against the wall then measure the distance from the wall to the muzzles.

[Bill Murphy]

Dean's method (against the wall in inches) is the American method and the most convenient. The English method is to measure the angle in degrees, a totally inconvenient method devised to excuse the stockmaker from blame if things don't come out right. The wall method changes a bit as the barrel length changes, but it is still a more convenient method.

[Theodore LeDurt]

Do you measure to the barrels from the wall at the muzzle, or do you measure from the wall to the center of the muzzle?

[Dean Romig]

From the wall to the top surface of the top rib at the base of the front bead. That's the way I do it and that's about as accurate a measurement as you'll get.

[Bill Murphy]

The edge of the barrels at the muzzle.

[Dean Romig]

Either Bill's or my method will give you approximately the same reading unless the gun has a ventilated or elevated rib.

[Setter Man]

This is why I spend time reading threads on this forum. Thank you all. As a follow-up, what practical effect would this have on the point of impact and what type of shot would this benefit? Thanks in advance.

[Big D]

A pitch discussion will benefit the person who misses, and is looking for an excuse. Personally, I think the measurement is overrated, but I'm sure there will be others who will chime in and tell us it THE critical measurement.