Bending a stock to add drop?
- Thread starter hawk-i
- Start date
I don't know of anyone who bends stocks and after seeing some videos I'd be too chicken to try it myself and it seems the fancier the wood the easier to bend for some reason. There are adjustable butt plates that would have a similar effect.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Put a Myers comb on it and Graco adjustable pad and you don't have to mess with bending.
Yes this will change the dimensions but it will also add considerable weight and change the balance noticeably, usually resulting in different handling characteristics. an improvement, maybe a disaster. Quite a few real gunsmiths bend stocks, especially ones that regularly work on fine doubles and they can do some amazing things but there are several things to consider…
It will be at your risk. The gunsmith will specify that if the stock breaks he takes no responsibility. Every piece of wood is individual, different, unique. If it turns out to be brittle, have internal flaws that can’t be seen, etc it can break. Your risk, not the smith’s.
There is a possibility of this process damaging the stock finish and in this case the matter of a stock refinish and maybe checkering touch up at the owner’s expense must be addressed.
This is a hot, dirty, smelly process, most smiths only do it in the summer, outside.
Cost will range from $300 tp $450 these days.
Bending a stock up or down isn’t practical with a traditional side by side because the top and bottom tangs would also need to be bent and then they wouldn’t quite fit the inletting properly but it can be done on some modern shotguns with a through bolt attached stock.
Another option on a Beretta might be to source a new Beretta Vittoria stock.
Had it done to my 870 Trap back in the day. Was lifted to change POI worked great. The gunsmith that did it at the time has long departed this earth but did not hurt the finish or other damage. Shot it for many years until I upgraded to A 1100.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
An adjustable comb and Graco pad will add a bit of weight but not as much as one might think due to the fact that you take away some wood in the process. I've had more than one gun done that way over the years and haven't noticed any real difference in balance. It's also possible to add some weight to the fore stock to shift the balance forward if it ends up being too stock heavy. There's less risk to that than bending the stock in my opinion... for what that's worth.
1/2" drop where? Comb? Heel? Heel would be easier with an adjustable butt pad. 1/2" extra drop at comb (face) would fit a minion!.
View attachment 629920
bingo !!!!
I have had one stock bent for me.....a 16 ga Ugartechea boxlock with an English (straight) grip and twin triggers. The wood on the Uggie was straight grained, and apparently had memory like an elephant.....after the first hot oil and clamp bending operation, done by a very competent old gunsmith, I was very happy with the results....for a week or two. But over a period of time the bend for additional cast off just returned to pre-bend state. The gunsmith tried it one more time and again the wood eventually returned to pre-bend dimensions. Gunsmith said it was the worst stock he ever tried to bend as far as memory and returning to original dimensions. I sold the gun soon after the second try.
That said, the same gunsmith bent two AYA #2 round body sidelock SxS's for my wife....again for more cast-off, along with shortening the length of pull. Both the 16 ga and the 20 ga remain bent 20 years later so the process worked perfectly on them. Both the AYAs have a lot more figure in the wood than the straight grained Uggie did. Likely why they stayed bent but who knows when dealing with wood.
That said, the same gunsmith bent two AYA #2 round body sidelock SxS's for my wife....again for more cast-off, along with shortening the length of pull. Both the 16 ga and the 20 ga remain bent 20 years later so the process worked perfectly on them. Both the AYAs have a lot more figure in the wood than the straight grained Uggie did. Likely why they stayed bent but who knows when dealing with wood.
I have never tried it on a double gun but I have raised the comb on Remington pumps and autoloaders buy changing the inletting of the butt stock where it mates with the receiver takes a bit of effort but not that all hard to do. Cast can also be altered a bit the same way.
1/2" drop where? Comb? Heel? Heel would be easier with an adjustable butt pad. 1/2" extra drop at comb (face) would fit a minion!.
View attachment 629920
I was measuring at the heel as it compares to my Beretta A300 which fits me a lot better than the 686...I think at the front of the comb there is about 1/4" difference between these two guns
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I've had a couple of stocks bent. may I suggest you measure at "face" not heel.
Be careful to compare both guns using the same measuring technique. Get someone to help you. With the gun mounted, mark the spot on the stock directly under your eye with a wax crayon or some similar marker that can be removed. Then communicate the desired change to your gunsmith. The height of the heel is kinda irrelevant if it sticks up or down a bit more or less, but where your face touches the stock matters a lot!
Be careful to compare both guns using the same measuring technique. Get someone to help you. With the gun mounted, mark the spot on the stock directly under your eye with a wax crayon or some similar marker that can be removed. Then communicate the desired change to your gunsmith. The height of the heel is kinda irrelevant if it sticks up or down a bit more or less, but where your face touches the stock matters a lot!
the spank
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Planet Earth Wearing My Tinfoil Hat
Had that done to a Model 12 years ago to achieve another bit of needed drop without taking more off the comb.
