I've decided to have at least one of my shotguns restocked. In fact, I bought it knowing I would have it restocked and maybe even completely restored. It's a 20 ga. Fox Sterlingworth in good mechanical condition, but I believe it was refinished and a very short, non factory stock installed for a woman/child ca 1960's. I'm not "average" in in my personal dimensions.

So my questions are: (1)Where and to whom should I go for a proper stock fitting? I live in central Virginia -- closer is better, if possible.(2) Is it customary for the fitter to also make the stock in a case such as this? (3) Do stock dimensions translate from make to make and model to model? In other words, would the same measurements for a Fox 20 ga also work for a Smith 16? Would the same stock measurements for a Beretta 687 O/U work on a Browning Citori?

I would appreciate your advice and counsel.

Regards --
-- No Plea

Hi No Plea,

I was in your boat a few years ago, except I was living in Northern Virginia (or Yankee Virginia, no that damn southern part of Maryland, or whatever you want to call it ). To my knowledge there are no good gunfitters close by. There are plenty of "gunsmiths" who will have to point a shotgun while make funny faces at you and come up with some strange gunstock measures, but no real gunfitters I found.

What I did was make a gunfitting appointment with one of the excellent gunfitters that go to the Southern SxS shoot in North Carolina at Deep River Sporting Claysdrive in April of each year. Then just drive down and have a great time there. Chris Batha, Bryan Bilinski of Fieldsport, and many other regularly go down there, and a good gunfitting with them will be a great experience. Be sure to tell them if you are looking for measurements for a SxS or an O/U, they do need different measurements.

Also I've heard the Vintagers will be down at Pintail Point in Maryland next year (September) and all those guys will be there and thats not too far away either.

There are a few places in PA or NC you could go for a fitting (like Bill at Deep River, or the guys at Woodcock Hill in PA), but I think you'd get a better fit with one guys at Southern SxS for the same time and price.

Hope this helps!

Well, Chasseur,

You definitely upgraded your domicile in leaving the (still) occupied territory of Nawthun Virginia for the Land of Aloha.

Thanks for your advice.

-- No Plea

No Plea,

You're welcome. Its a great experience getting a good gunfitting. I can personally recomend either Chris or Bryan. They really know what there are doing.

Yeah I'm pretty happy. Besides I have much better upland hunting here