How to Select a Shotgun
The Measurements are Taken of the Drop at the Comb and Heel, and of the Stock from the Butt to the Forward Trigger
That the shooter may not be handicapped by using a misfit gun, it is well to make a selection at one of the larger dealers’ where guns of various sizes, weights and lengths, as well as drops in stocks, may be tried until one is found that fits the gunner the best. A good shot can pick up almost any gun and do fairly accurate shooting with it, but he can do better work with a gun fitting him properly. The chief measurements of a gunstock are the length and drop of the stock, and the drop and shape of the comb. The ordinary thickness of the grip will suit the average hand, but in the case of unusually large or small hands, this must be taken into consideration. For the average man these measurements will probably be about right: Length of stock, from forward trigger to center of butt plate, A-A, 14 to 14¹⁄₂ in., drop at comb, B-B, 1¹⁄₂ to 1⁷⁄₈ in., which will give corresponding drop at the heel, C-C, from 2¹⁄₂ to 3 in. A fairly straight stock of good length may be reckoned an advantage for trap shooting, but for use in the field, a somewhat crooked stock with more drop at the comb, say, 1⁵⁄₈ in. with 2⁵⁄₈-in. drop at the heel, will more fully meet the average shooter’s idea of a well-balanced gun. However, as men differ, and there are as many faces and eyes as there are men, every shooter must decide this question for himself. So far as the circumference of the grip is concerned, the size of the shooter’s hand and the length of his fingers will decide this detail. For a small hand, a 7-in. grip is about right, while a grip of 7¹⁄₂ in. will probably fit the large hand well. The question of straight or pistol grip is purely a matter of personal taste, for one is as good as the other so far as accurate handling of the gun is concerned.
A Repeating Shotgun and the Position of Its Different Parts When Cocked and After Firing