How to properly adjust the stock for yourself: instructions and disassembly procedure

• June 3, 2019
• Weapons and ammunition
• Alexey Emelyanov

A weapon that is tailored to the shooter gives him confidence in hitting the target. Also, after firing, the recoil is significantly reduced. The shooter receives only pleasure when using a firearm.

Individual measurements are made only when purchasing a very expensive gun. Skilled gunsmiths can measure all the parameters required for this with high accuracy. Self-fitting of weapons is also possible. After reading this article, any novice shooter can modify the stock in such a way that it is convenient and safe to use a personal weapon.

What is the butt made of?

Many novice shooters ask the question of how to customize a gun for themselves. The gun is adjusted to suit you by modifying the butt. In order to correctly perform such an operation, you need to know what parameters should be measured first:

• length;
• died;
• tap;
• pitch.

Changing the above parameters can have a significant impact on the rate of fire, accuracy and comfort of the shooter.

How to properly adjust the stock for yourself: instructions and disassembly procedure

• June 3, 2019
• Weapons and ammunition
• Alexey Emelyanov

A weapon that is tailored to the shooter gives him confidence in hitting the target. Also, after firing, the recoil is significantly reduced. The shooter receives only pleasure when using a firearm.

Individual measurements are made only when purchasing a very expensive gun. Skilled gunsmiths can measure all the parameters required for this with high accuracy. Self-fitting of weapons is also possible. After reading this article, any novice shooter can modify the stock in such a way that it is convenient and safe to use a personal weapon.

Butt length

In order to answer the question of how to adjust the butt of a gun, you need to know the length of the butt. This parameter means the distance between the trigger and the middle of the butt plate. If the weapon has a stock that is too long, the shooter will have difficulty aiming. To select its optimal size, you should conduct a series of test throws of hand-held small arms.

If the stock is too short, you will need to purchase and attach one or more spacers. If the wood product turns out to be too long, then it needs to be cut down. Only people who have experience in such matters can accurately and correctly shorten the butt. Therefore, if you want your gun to look decent, it is better to seek help from gunsmiths.

Necessity

The main purpose that absolutely any hunting bandoleer is designed to fulfill is to ensure the safety of carrying various types of ammunition, quickly loading weapons, as well as preserving the combat properties and performance of “consumables” for a shot. The auxiliary role played by a bandoleer or a bag for cartridges is to ensure freedom of the hunter’s hands and maximum acceleration of his reactive actions to a constantly changing situation.

As mentioned above, charges held in the hand, in the pocket, or - God forbid! - in a backpack, doom the hunting enthusiast to complete failure due to the untimely reloading of the weapon and the inconvenience of its use. That is why the bandoleer can in no way be called an “accessory” - it is the most important element of equipment!

Pitch

Pitch is the angle of inclination of the buttplate relative to the sight rail. If the tilt is slight, the gun may slide down from the shoulder. This parameter can affect the firing of the gun and the uniformity of the impact force on the shoulder.

The stock, made by American craftsmen, most often has a length of about 37 centimeters. It does not have a side outlet. The flex is about 37 millimeters at the front of the ridge and about 63 millimeters at the heel. This design is suitable for hunting and shooting at a round target.

Customizable stock

Some people who have recently purchased a rifle are wondering how to adjust the stock to fit themselves if it is customizable? Modern stocks on hunting and sporting rifles have special adjustments for some parameters. Such properties make it possible to correctly adjust the stock to the shooter’s needs without special tools. The main rule when fine-tuning such an improved stock is that there is no need to make changes to the design until you are sure that the amendments made are not suitable.

Fitting the gun to the shooter's needs is especially important in sport shooting, where even the slightest deviation from the target determines the winner. Experienced athletes adjust the butt of their weapons in such a way as to achieve the highest accuracy.

Measurements and calculations before fitting

Before you begin adjusting the butt of a hunting rifle with your own hands, you should take the basic dimensions of the person who will shoot the gun:

• First, you should measure the distance between the biceps and the first phalanx of the index finger. In this case, you need to bend your arm 90° at the elbow and then lift it up.
• Secondly, you should measure the width of the shooter's chest. This parameter can be measured by placing a ruler between the armpits.
• The third parameter is the distance between the pupil of the eye and the collarbone.

When adjusting the butt of a hunting rifle, you should know that its length must match the value of the first measured parameter. The size of the vertical bend and side bend can be determined from the table.

Hunters who are wondering how to customize a stock for themselves and where to start should know that the table above shows approximate parameters. They may differ from actual sizes depending on the shooter’s make, his physical characteristics, preferences, and other things. Table values ​​in various manuals for adjusting the stock yourself also vary. In addition, the standard sizes of Russian, European and American-made stocks differ significantly.

Fitting the butt of a hunting rifle

An important procedure for a hunter is adjusting the butt of a hunting rifle, which, first of all, allows a novice shooter to improve his hunting results. This article will be useful to both hunters and novice shooters who are to some extent dissatisfied with their shooting results at moving targets.

Fitting the stock consists of the following steps:

• Adjustment of the aiming bar relative to the eye;
• Target shooting;
• Elimination of vertical corrections;
• Elimination of lateral corrections.

The first stage is adjusting the aiming bar relative to the eyes

The bar should be below the pupil, i.e. There should be a small gap between the pupil and the bar. You can shoot when the bar touches the pupil, but this gives a worse result. If the bar covers the pupil, in this case you cannot shoot, because your right eye is covered by the bar and in fact you are shooting with your left eye, that is, at the cross, and as a result you miss.

Vertical butt adjustment

It is necessary to adjust the butt so that when the gun is inserted into the shoulder, the aiming bar is below the pupil with a small gap. How to find out where your bar is? To do this, stand in front of the mirror and make a shotgun, in the reflection of the mirror you will see at what level relative to the eye the aiming bar is located.

The bar is adjusted using the butt comb; it is either raised or lowered. If the bar is at or above the pupil (in most cases), you will need to raise the height of the ridge - the bar will go down. To do this, place a thin layer of foam rubber 1 - 2 mm thick on top of the comb.

If the eye is too open, it is necessary to grind down the butt comb, thereby increasing the height of the bar. But such cases are rare. There are stocks with an adjustable comb - the best option for a novice shooter; there is no need to sharpen or extend anything.

Conclusion:

raising or lowering the aiming bar relative to the eye is carried out by raising or lowering the comb.

You need to take a sheet of A2 size paper, draw a target on it, place it 20 - 30 meters from the shooter and make several shots at the target without aiming, at a glance. Invested - shot, invested - shot.

You need to make from 8 to 12 such shots at one target. This is necessary to understand where the center of the scree is forming. Since the target flies from different directions when hunting, it is better to shoot the combination of shots shown in the figure.

Wiring from bottom to top shot, wiring from left to right shot, etc. A scree will form on which the center of the scree will be formed. It can be centered, top, bottom, right, left, or other combinations. After we have found out where the center of the scree is, we can move on to adjusting the butt to the shooter. If the center of the scree is centered, there is no need to adjust the stock.

The third stage is adjusting the butt vertically

In this case, the center of the scree is either above the target or below the target.

If the scree is below the target, then most likely we do not see the bar, but only see part of the block and a small part of the front sight, perhaps we don’t even see the front sight. Therefore, the shot occurs below eye level and, as a result, the shot falls under the target. The bar is closed.

Adjusting the butt plate - pitch

In this case, it is necessary to open the bar slightly so that the center of the scree goes higher. To do this, you need to place a gasket under the lower part of the butt plate, thereby opening the bar above eye level.

If the center scree forms above the target, then the bar is too open. In this case, it is necessary to close the bar. Place a spacer under the top of the buttplate, thereby lowering the aiming bar. The center of the scree will move down.

Conclusion:

opening or closing the strap is carried out by changing the angle of the butt plate, i.e. pitch change.

When the center of the scree has formed to the right or left of the target.

What flies to the left of the target must be straightened to the right, and what is flying to the right must be shifted to the left. To understand why this happens, look at the picture.

• The scree goes to the left (Figure A), the ridge must be moved to the right.
• The scree goes to the right (Figure B), the ridge must be moved to the left.

How to do it? If the comb is not adjustable, in case “A” it is necessary to grind off the butt comb on the left side, and in case “B”, on the contrary, stick something on: double-sided tape, foam rubber, electrical tape. If the stock comb is adjustable, then move the comb in the direction you need.

Conclusion:

To adjust the center of the scree left or right, you need to adjust the comb either left or right.

There are also combinations of adjustments up to the right, down to the left, etc. In this case, it is necessary to combine the third and fourth stages of adjusting the stock.

So, we looked at the four stages of adjusting the butt of a gun to suit you (the shooter). This technique allows the hunter to make do-it-yourself stock adjustments, which will ultimately improve your hunting results.

Preparation for revision

Some hunters are wondering how to adjust the butt to suit themselves? Before modifying the stock, you should circle on it with a pencil those places that need to be reduced or enlarged. Particular attention should be paid to the vertical bend, the distance between the middle of the butt plate and the trigger, as well as the length from the heel of the butt plate to the trigger. If it turns out that the butt needs to be cut down too much or the distance increased too much, then it is better not to modify it, but to purchase a new product.

Next, you should clamp the wooden part in a vice for finishing. In order not to spoil the appearance of the product, you need to wrap it in rags. When sawing off excess with a saw, you should take into account the direction of the fibers of the wooden product. It is better to saw the butt around the entire perimeter, otherwise chips and cracks may form during the work. It is quite difficult to get rid of them on a wooden surface.

To increase the buttstock, it is enough to purchase special rubber gaskets or special adjustable shock absorbers in the store, and then securely fix them in the right places with special screws. If necessary, holes should be made in the butt.

Do-it-yourself adjustment of the butt of a hunting rifle: general tips

As a shooter and instructor, nothing frustrates me more than seeing how a gun handles its shooter. Except maybe getting hit by your own gun. Why? First of all, it shouldn't be like this. Second, it will negatively impact the shooter's training and performance. And thirdly, for this reason, the owner of the gun may simply stop shooting.

The main reason for this situation is a poorly fitted gun, this especially often happens with shooters of thin build and short stature.

And by such shooters I mean everyone whose physique differs from the average size of a male shooter: height about 1.77 cm, weight 84 kg. It's not their fault, but it's not our fault either.

Gun manufacturers need some kind of standard to operate - and luckily for us little guys, some of them have taken notice of our concerns and released smaller versions of various gun models.

But there are a large number of guns designed for a “normal adult man”, as a result of which they are not suitable for people who do not reach the criterion of 1.77 cm, weight 84 kg. (I would like to point out that it is always easier to shoot with a long rifle or a shotgun that is too short to the shooter. But it is very difficult, and sometimes painful, to shoot with one that is too long).

Keep in mind that there are two main categories: moving target shooting (skeet shooting or hunting) and self-defense shooting, which use very different techniques, stances and upper body positions.

Also remember that gun fitting is a mixture of theory and practice, and gun fitters spend years learning and perfecting their skills.

If you are going to focus on just one discipline, I advise you to find a professional gunsmith who has a good understanding of your chosen form of shooting, and therefore knows the specifics of the placement of various body parts when inserting.

The sizes of guns are not standardized, it all depends on the fit of a particular sample. And every manufacturer wants to stand out in some way - so you should begin to understand why fitting a gun requires so much knowledge!

The main dimensions of your gun are as follows:

1) LOP - the distance between the center of the butt plate and the front surface of the trigger.

2) Pitch – the angle between the butt and the barrel.

3) Shift - the distance between the line of the barrel (or rib) and various points of the butt (comb, butt plate, etc.).

4) Retraction - the angle or bend of the butt (right or left) in relation to the rail or barrels.

5)
Barrel Length - This dimension is not usually considered when fitting a weapon, although barrel length is very important for compact shooters.
It affects balance, leash comfort and, in many cases, aim.

This feature is often overlooked because it is easier to shorten the stock than the barrel, but it affects the shooter's ability to manipulate the gun more than most people realize.

Despite the complexity and variety of elements of fitting a gun, here are those that will show us the overall correctness of the fit:

Length

The butt of the gun should lie so that the butt plate can be placed in the “notch” of the shoulder - on the upper chest muscle, located deep in the shoulder joint.

The chest and shoulders should form a square, that is, be perpendicular to the gun. To fix the butt plate, it is allowed to rotate the shoulder of the shooting hand slightly forward.

If this does not work and/or the butt plate slides to the end of the shoulder, the length of the butt is too long.

Hands

With the stock positioned correctly, the shooter's hand should rest comfortably on the neck/pistol grip of the gun, gripping it tightly.

The shooter should also place the index finger on the trigger between the front pad and the crease of the knuckle.

If you cannot place your index finger on the trigger in this manner, even with the buttstock positioned correctly at your shoulder, the cause may be that the neck is too large or the diameter of the pistol grip is too large.

Meanwhile, the shooter's supporting (non-shooting) hand should reach the fore-end of the gun, while maintaining a natural curve in the hand. The more extended the arm is, the weaker the grip will be, and since the supporting arm bears the brunt of the gun's weight, it is important to provide strength.

When the gun is adjusted, both hands should act organically, and the load on them should be distributed evenly. The result is a comfortable, stable insert that is essential for proper casting and aiming.

Face/Head

When properly fitted, the head should be in a relatively neutral position, without much arching of the neck. It is recommended to slightly stretch your neck forward when aiming, but you should not bend it so that your face tilts down.

This causes unnecessary tension in the eye muscles and interferes with aiming, and can also cause instability of the eyepiece.

The nose should be a couple of inches from the hand, and for most people this will mean the cheek resting slightly in front of the middle of the buttstock comb (measured from the buttplate to where the ridge drops and the pistol grip begins).

Weapon balancing

After successfully adjusting the stock, the gun should be balanced. To do this, you need to drill a hole in the wooden part of the butt, and then place a metal weight of suitable size into it.

Many shooters are interested in why it is so important not only to adjust the stock to suit themselves, but also to balance the firearm well? Good balance makes a hunting weapon maneuverable, and the shooter's accuracy increases. In addition, the well-balanced but fairly heavy gun feels much lighter when aiming and lofting.

Modern guns with elongated barrels are quite difficult to balance, especially if the product is equipped with an English stock.