shotguns, gunstockI purchased a Mossberg 500 shotgun a couple of days ago, and the length of the stock feels uncomfortable to me. How do I determine if the stock is too long or too short, and what the ideal length is? What are my options if I need to shorten it?
This shotgun will be primarily used for informal skeet shooting.
Truly fitting a stock requires multiple measurements and some tooling and maybe a professionals assistance. If you’re in the mood for a serious custom stock, try searching for “gun fitting”. At least one place quoted $250 and about 2 hours to get measurements, though I believe once you have them, they’re not likely to change much on an adult. That being said, for a Mossberg 500, I’m guessing you want a fast, relatively inexpensive fix.
To get a rough idea how much you may need to cutoff or enlarge for your “Length Of Pull”, with the understanding that there’s really more too it and it may still not be quite right, you can use the following:
ricciardelli on reloaders nest
Correct LOP can be determined by placing the buttstock along your forearm. Slip your trigger finger onto the trigger and the rest of your fingers around the pistol grip or wrist just like you would do if you were shouldering the rifle. Look down and see if the face of the butt plate or butt pad rests against your biceps.
If it is just touching the surface of your biceps then the LOP is very close to being correct. You can further test for a correct LOP by shouldering the rifle and relaxing your right arm and letting your elbow drop as low as possible without being uncomfortable. Your elbow should be approximately in the centreline of the side of your body.
If it’s too far forward the LOP is too long. If it’s too far rearward, the LOP is too short. These tests are just initial indicators of correct LOP. Because of variations in shooting styles you may still need to lengthen or shorten the buttstock to gain a correct fit.
Once that’s done, if you prefer the traditional style and don’t feel like cutting, Choate has a synthetic replacement that will let you adjust from 13-14” LOP in 1/2” increments for about $70. If you prefer a pistol grip, there are adapters and or full kits that will allow you to use AR15 collapsible/adjustable stocks and they run from $60 - $300 depending on what you get.
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