How to trim 2" from a walnut buttstock?

[Armchair Bronco]

I just won an auction for a used Winchester 1300 Youth/Ladies 20 gauge shotgun w/ a 22" barrel that I bought to introduce my 2 boys (ages 11 and 12) to trap and skeet shooting. I paid $206 for a gun from the mid 1980's in very good to excellent condition, so I'm happy with the purchase.

The LOP was listed at about 14". I want to trim this down to 12" so I can use various leather Pachmeyer recoil pads with the gun.

What's the best and/or conventional way to do this? I have a circular saw, but it seems like maybe a chopper would be the way to go. Or maybe a bandsaw?

Also, I'd like to add some weight to the buttstock by drilling or augering some recesses and filling them with lead shot. How is this usually accomplished?

Thanks.

 

[ArmedBear]

A Youth/Ladies gun shouldn't be 14". AFAIK it should be 13".

Don't cut it. Find a trashed stock and cut that. You will regret cutting this one down (in excellent condition no less), when, in 6 months, your boys need a 13" stock and you won't be able to find one -- and you won't.

 

[rcmodel]

+1000.
Nothing against a well fitted stock.
But many of us learned to shoot shotguns at that age with full length stocked 12 ga single barrels.
And we came out pretty good I guess.

If you cut it any shorter then it already should be on that youth model, they will outgrow it before the sawdust settles.

And the youth model stock will be too short for them in another couple four years and then they will be wanting an adult stock.

rc

 

[oneounceload]

Most gunsmiths have a jig to keep the stock properly aligned - this isn't a flat 2x4 you're cutting - and if done incorrectly, can result in a major change to all of the other stock dimensions.

You might want to actually measure the stock and see where your boys are with it. I've seen some very good stocks cut very wrong by well-intentioned folks. If you have great wood-working skills, have at it.

Drilling the stock hole works well - if you can get a 20 or 28 gauge empty and fill it completely with shot and seal it - that will work; others have used lead plumber's tape.

The issue with doing that is that you then make the barrel end very light and "whippy" which means it will generally be harder to be successful with it. With an O/U, the easy answer is to add some of the weight under the forearm. With yours, it isn't quite as easy, although there are screw-on barrel weights that might work.

 

[Armchair Bronco]

The gun was advertised as a "Ladies / Youth" 20 gauge, but if the LOP really is 14", then it may have just been a conventional Winchester 1300 with a short 22" barrel. Hard to say until I measure it myself.

Right now, I'm just collecting ideas for what *could* be done to modify the gun. I don't mind trimming off an inch or two of wood from the stock if that's necessary for it to fit properly. Keep in mind that I'm trying to get it short enough so that I can use a nice 'n' soft leather Pachmeyer pad that has some memory foam in it. I use the same setup with the boys' 16" CZ Scout 22LR -- they get an LOP that works for them, and I can slap on a mondo-sized leather recoil pad and get the much longer LOP I need.

I see this gun as a "Youth / Ladies" project gun, so I don't want to spend extra money on a throwaway stock. I also won't add any weight to the buttstock unless it's necessary. But I want to reduce recoil as much as possible, too (without making the gun hard for my boys to swing smoothly).

 

[oneounceload]

Shooting light target loads will help with the recoil. If you reload, load some 3/4oz loads

 

[JWF III]

To cut the stock, use a miter saw with a long fence. Remove the bead and put the rib flat against the fence. It's important that the gun lays level. The barrel will be off the bed. (And possibly even the stock.) Cut slow and carefully.

Don't cut it. Find a trashed stock and cut that. You will regret cutting this one down (in excellent condition no less), when, in 6 months, your boys need a 13" stock and you won't be able to find one -- and you won't.

As long as the cut-off piece is kept, it can be repaired. My dad cut off the stock on my Stevens 311 20ga. I was such a small child, he had to cut off about 3-4 inches. (I was 10 at the time.) I shot with it for a couple years. We added a recoil pad to lengthen the pull when I needed it. I graduated to a 12 ga, and put it away for a while. Later on (after highschool), we repaired the stock. A 1/8 inch thick piece of oak replaced what the saw blade cut out. Some carpenters wood glue and some long screws had it assembled. After restaining, it's almost like new. Just with a conversation starter in the butt-stock. That is my "Cold Dead Hands" gun. I'll never get rid of the gun, or the great memories attached to it. Though I don't take it out as often, it's still my favorite gun to shoot. Just need to get on some quail with it.

BTW, I plan on doing the same for my son, whenever (if ever) I have one.

Wyman