stock straightening
 

Generally speaking, is it feasible or fraught with likely adverse consequences to buy a vintage gun with a 3 1/4-inch drop at the heel, and be successful either adapting your shooting to its passe dimensions or to have the stock subjected to straightening?

For some (myself included) gun dimensions seem to be critical to better shooting. To others not so much. I would go to a trap club and find out for myself if I could shoot the damn thing. I think if I really loved the gun I would bend my mind to adapt to it rather than trying to bend the wood.

I have a number of Parkers with drops like that. At first when shooting such guns I shot very poorly because I was uncomfortable having heard all the negatives spoken and written of such guns. Same with the stories that SXS don’t do very well at trap.
Well, I thought, if the shooters and hunters of the day when these guns were made could shoot the scores they did, it can’t be the gun, it must be the shooter.

I got very used to mine as soon as I adopted the mindset that it CAN be done.





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When having a stock bent there is always the chance of breakage. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Then, there is the much higher possibility that the wood will eventually return to its original dimension ........ it has a "memory". Occasionally a bend will stay put, but often they return to at least close to the original dimensions.

As for excessive drop, I can shoot a shotgun with too much drop much better than one with too little. I refuse to float a bird way above the bead to make the pattern center it.

I have a lifter, 3 inches of drop, and I use one of tho lace-up comb raisers, and break clays just fine. Good luck.

I would not try it.

My first thought having watched you do it. Repeatedly.

Have used comb risers to good effect. Hard to say not seeing the gun and not being you. There are lace on and velcro attaching types and i have used both. I will look to see what i have and perhaps i can send you one to try.

Don't bend it. Much too much risk and if it breaks and you have to replace it, you're looking at spending over $3k for new wood. Live with it or get rid of it

We use a guy named Michael Orlan up in New England . I personally have never had it done but to each his own . I’ve got a Velcro wrap around thing with spacers you put underneath . That’s worked well for me .

That’s Mike Orlen in Amherst, MA at 413-456-1630





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Wish there was a strap=on stock lowerer

I think you will be able to adjust to it. As we all know, many or most vintage guns have a lot of drop. I am surprised how fast you can get used to it. One of my tricks is to shoulder it a few times before I go to bed and then when I wake up I am usually good to go.

If I do shoot a gun with a lot of drop(and I did today a TA hammer gun with 3 1/2 inches). I just stick to shooting that gun for the day/outing. It is harder to switch back and forth in my opinion(between other Parkers...).

I keep thinking for shooting sports like FITASC a gun with more drop might be an advantage, at least for me....

Let us know what gun you get Russell!

Mike Orlen has long since given up stock bending.

I recently had an 0 frame stock bent DOWN about 1/4" with good success. Mitch Shultz did it for me, but he has just retired. He had a very good reputation. The key was that he took his time. It was in the fixture for over 10 days. It crept back a little bit the first time hee removed it, so he put it back in the fixture and gave it heat/oil for another 5 days. I was aiming for 2 3/4" and was satisfied with 2 9/16". I have had two other guns bent and the one I wanted bent upward had a very fine crack develop.
I use a Beretta stick on Gel riser with good luck. It looks like hell, but works

There is Kay Ohye called it a “belt sander” .

Have searched the cave and did not find either one. I have a feeling one went to my son, the strap on, for his Parker. The other is a mystery in my foggy memory. I got the sock type from Cabela's but do not remember the makers name.

I don't know how much you'd want it bent, but it's unlikely you can get more than 1/4" or so, or so I'm told. Plus, they sometimes go back.

You may call it one man's experience, or advice. Many of the available 'comb riser' devices drape over the comb evenly, and down the side of the stock, to some extent. I found that it I mount the stick-on Gel pad only enough to cover the comb, at your cheek bone, and the excess, off to the outside, you will not inadvertently add unwanted cast. Mounted incorrectly, you will raise your point of impact, but also shift it right, or left, depending if you are a common, right handed shooter, or a rare but unique south paw.

I totally concur ! The actual riser things I tape on the stock with electrical tape and just ever so slightly over the comb to my face side then I wrap the Velcro part around and it works pretty well . Think I’ve got three guns “cobbled up” that way .

Amen!

The Leatherman makes a lace on pad that fastens around the butt to keep everything stationary. He also makes those wrap around pads but they only give you about 1/4”. The comb is leather that is adjustable for height with its Velcro backing. It was made for rifle shooters but I bought one at the Southern a few years back to address a grade 3 hammergun with 3.5” of drop. He has a website. Worked like a charm

As an aside, Mike still does bore, chamber and choke work to the best of my knowledge.






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I still say try to adjust to it...

I’d go along with that if it were an only gun situation but not so much if you regularly shoot 6 or 7 and there’s a big difference between them all .

I didn't say it was always easy...but for the right gun I think it's worth it. I have my limits too, once the drop is past 3 1/2 - 3 3/4 I throw in the towel.

I believe he only works on steel barrels and won't do anything to composite barrels.

Mike altered the chokes on a set of grade-1 Laminated Steel barrels for me about 5 years ago.






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Bending for cast
 

I have sent 4 guns to Dan Morgan in Vermont , all of them were English stocks . The first two were a Parker and a Fox which had both been restocked. I wanted about an 1” positive cast and he was able to get them where I wanted them . I asked him about bending a pistol grip and he said if it would bend he could only get 1/8” , I didn’t send him the pistol grip . Last mouth I sent him a 1925 Wesley Richards drop lock and a Fox SP Skeet both with original stocks . He was able to get almost what I wanted in the WR but couldn’t get the Fox to move at all . I know there’s a chance for them to move but $500 for bending is cheaper than a new stock . I’m have a pistol grip stock made for a Parker DHE 20 gauge by Wenig Custom Gunstocks and could buy a nice Parker for what I’m paying for the stock. That’s my 2 cent worth on bending stocks. Tracy Pellett

I have had Mike work on guns several years ago, barrel work and stock bending both. His work was excellent. About two years ago I wanted a set of Parker composite barrels bored out slightly to remove some pitting. Barrel thickness was good. I contacted him and was told he didn't do composite barrels. This may have been a temporary thing but I haven't approached him about it since. I found that Skeets Gunshop does an excellent job on them and has quick turnaround and good prices.

That, in itself, was quite a chore, He's terrible about answering his phone. I found, in the past, that it's best to call him before 8am.

Sadly, Mitch Shultz, has retired, but we talked about honing, or opening chokes on composite barrels. His take on it was that from a practical point, there is no reason to avoid this type of work, and he believed the reluctance of others came down a liability concern, but not a metallurgical one.

I have been told the same about the physical work. Most people who do any of this have told me that the composite barrels are softer and much easier to bore or hone. I was told this by Skeets when I had the latest barrel bored.

Also, there is a question of boring vs honing. It takes a good inventory of reamers to cover the honing requirements, but the cost of significant removal can be half the job cost when paying for hones. From the smith standpoint I suspect that their preference would be to bore and then polish.

Wrought iron is softer than steel but due to its inclusions it doesnt machine as well. It can very quickly dull cutting tools and perhaps this is why someone would avoid damascus. I would agree that liability is a more likely concern and certainly so for dent raising, but the cost of the tooling isnt a small matter especially when the operator is doing high quality work at bottom line prices.

I am not sure what Mike Orlen uses, but I think it is the same as Mitch Shultz's machine; a Sunnen hone.

For what it's worth, when I had the barrel done by Skeets last winter, he told me that he pretty much bored everything due to the cost of the hones which wear out very quickly as opposed to the reamers which can be sharpened. Chokes and boring makes up the bulk of his work I would guess due to the trapshooter following of the shop.

Orlen honed a set of Remington 1889 composite barrels for me several years ago to remove some pitting. He didn't like the idea but he did it anyway. I wouldn't send him another set, though. He did a good job on that set for me, but I have found out in other situations that you usually don't come out good when you convince a gunsmith, or other tradesmen for that matter, to do a job for you that they really don't want to do. :nono:

Good advice!

Anyone who doubts it should watch Jon Kruger demonstrate what can be done with a shotgun - shooting from the hip!

Dry mounting
 

[QUOTE=Jay Oliver;414792]I think you will be able to adjust to it. As we all know, many or most vintage guns have a lot of drop. I am surprised how fast you can get used to it. One of my tricks is to shoulder it a few times before I go to bed and then when I wake up I am usually good to go.

I totally agree with Jay. With over 80 side x sides one has to learn how to dry mount the gun 5-10 times before shooting it to find where on your body is the best place to put it. Once you do that you can move to the range and start shooting. I HAVE to adjust to the gun, not the other way around. I have friends that want to be statuesque and shoot head up like they're shooting a modern target gun and they cannot adapt to anything else. They don't shoot side x sides. You can do it - if you want to.

I inherited my grandfathers 16 ga VH yrs ago. He ordered it and bought it somewhere in Boston
Anyhow, he ordered it with significant drop. My dad shot it for yrs before handing it to my at age 16. I just adjusted to the drop and shot it very well. Finally I had to have it restocked. The stock just had too much oil in it and the wood could not be saved so I had Larry DelGrego restock it to my dimensions. Great 16 vh. Shoots very well even after all these yrs. Every time I shoot it, it reminds me to remember my grandfather and dad from whom I inherited it. Nothing like a Parker 16 with so many family memories.