To blend or not to blend.. that is the question.

[Copper John]

I just purchased a DHE 16 and the stock fits me much beyond my expectations. It is a straight grip with SST and the stock has an extension on it that seems to be well done and ends at a non peroid correct rubber pad.

I am trying to decide whether to have the stock blended or not and am hoping to hear opinions of folks who have maybe done it and we're pleased or regretted it.

I will post photos soon.

[Harold Pickens]

Looking forward to seeing pictures--I have a DHE 16 w/ straight grip that weighs 6 lbs . what length barrels ? There are some talented guys out there that could probably make you happy, Mark Larson out in Oregon comes to mind--he has a nice website, Google it.
Finding any grouse in Ohio?? I hunt Belmont, Jefferson, and Monroe counties and find very few birds, and decline to shoot those I find, but doubt my conservation efforts would have any effect.

[Copper John]

Originally Posted by Harold Lee Pickens

Looking forward to seeing pictures--I have a DHE 16 w/ straight grip that weighs 6 lbs . what length barrels ? There are some talented guys out there that could probably make you happy, Mark Larson out in Oregon comes to mind--he has a nice website, Google it.
Finding any grouse in Ohio?? I hunt Belmont, Jefferson, and Monroe counties and find very few birds, and decline to shoot those I find, but doubt my conservation efforts would have any effect.

I have never hunted Grouse in Ohio. I am actually living in northern Michigan now. I have heard that SE Ohio used to be wonderful when all the farms in the hills were overgrowing. I was in athens last year and I don't know that I saw a single spot of secondary growth forest.

My barrels are 28" how about yours? Would love to see your gun as well. What adorns your floor plate?

John

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by John Nagel

I have never hunted Grouse in Ohio. I am actually living in northern Michigan now. I have heard that SE Ohio used to be wonderful when all the farms in the hills were overgrowing. I was in athens last year and I don't know that I saw a single spot of secondary growth forest.


John

John, after reading your post and Harold's reference to Ohio grouse, I couldn't help responding, even though my comments are off the original topic. I went to school in Athens (many, many years ago) and continued to go back to hunt grouse for years around Nelsonville/Athens until the bird numbers dropped too much to justify the drive from Missouri. I miss so much my Ohio grouse coverts. I remember 25 flush days and lots of places to hunt with decent grouse habitat. Like so many other things related to hunting, "those were the days..."

Thanks to both of you gentlemen for bringing this up.

[B. Dudley]

Even the best stock “painting” jobs only look good from 3 feet away. The result is much like the look of tenite stocks on Stevens/Savage guns. It looks like plastic and sometimes can lack fine detail.
The end result IS worth the money for what you get as opposed to the alternative. It just does not pass for the real thing.
All my opinion of course.

[Copper John]

[Kensal Rise]

This is just my opinion, but if this were my gun, I'd send it off to Mark Larson for some wood graining magic and a more appropriate red/Silvers type pad.

I guarantee you that when Mark is finished, YOU will be the only person who knows that the buttstock actually has an extension.

Mark just finished up a Churchill stock for me, and will ship it after the Holiday. He's done others for me with outstanding results.

[Harold Pickens]

Well, you are in good grouse country now! I spent 16 days in the UP this fall. My DHE 16 has 26" cyl/m barrels on the O frame.
Very nice gun of yours, but certainly think I would do something about that extension also. Look at Mark Larson's website.
Oh yeah, mine has the flying turnips( ducks) on the floorplate

[Mark Beasland]

If I was doing it I would redo the extension with a better matching piece of wood and original butt plate.

Look at several examples of who ever is doing the work. Quality varies wildly . Dennis Earl Smith is the best I have seen.

[Garth Gustafson]

Recently I bought a GH that also had a stock that had been cut way down. I considered having an extension added to it but I wanted it to be right and in the end I opted to spend $2k for a new buttstock and have it done by one of our members. I got the wood I wanted, the gun fits me perfectly and am very happy the way it turned out. In your situation, you could have a SSBP installed and the gun would really stand out. I just feel these high quality guns are heirlooms and deserve to be as correct as possible. Cheers!