Does this desgin make a really big difference (assuming the stock actaually fits you more or less properly)?

I realise high comb, straight stocks are considered to reduce felt recoil and some designs just seems to make it feel worse but how effective are the coil-checks?

I remember reading years ago that Art Alphin had a chiropratic surgeon advise on the design of the his stocks, given the physics of recoil.

I wonder, as no one seems to have copied them (patented?) and other designs have been 'normalised' or is this a case that they look too 'out there' and untraditional to be readily accepted?

Thanks for the opinions/experiences.
Cheers

There is no such thing as a "chiropractic surgeon," and if you mean "orthopedic/orthopaedic surgeon" as they may have claimed, I submit that would be a poor recommendation for a rifle stock designer's credentials anyway.

Saeed's "Flying Rifle" has one of those stocks, and it doesn't do much for some of his victims.

Most around here abhor the design as if it were a cedar fencepost bolted to the barreled action.

The forums have been unkind to it many times in the past.

I have picked up and shouldered a few. I would rather use a reworked CZ Hogback on any rifle than that.

MPI makes the synth stock for a2 you can buy one for about 400 finished

I use them and like them im not overly sensitive to recoil though.

they do seem not to hurt after I fire about 40 rounds of 375 some others I have tried get a little rough at that point.
they are easy to cary and use at any rate

they look kinda silly and som neoexpert will complain about how they shoulder after only holding one for a few min at a show somewhere. I use them on .338 .300 win and .375 h&h also 458 lott and 458 win and have no complaints if you want to know if they work try one I guess but dont take the word of someone who never owned one.

RIP, I realised that after my post! I meant orthopedic surgeon...I was at the chiroprator earlier...hence the brain fart terminology slip...

Are A-Square rifles still being made? Ther is not much on web, just one site about Art Alphin, the rifles ammo etc but nothing about current production, news etc? I was reading some older info (about 1995) and they certainly seem well made...lots of attention given to reliability and flawless functioning.

The .460 Short A-Square seems to have a lot of good written about it but you surely don't dont see any around.

I have only ever seen one...a .375 on the rack at a JHB gunshop. It was about US$600 second hand but excellent.

Hi Kayaker,
The coil check stock will work as good as any other stock that is built with a straight inline function, large butt area to spread out the recoil and a good recoil pad such as the F990 to slow down the recoil velocity and absorb recoil enery. It isn't anything special that you can't build into a really nice looking stock. The apperance of the A-Square stock is a love it or hate it look.
Take good care,
Dave

coil chunk...

uglier than me, with a hangover...

jeffe

I had a client give me a 460 Weatherby Mark V barreled action and Weatherby stock. Didn't like the hand cramping Monte Carlo stock so I used a grinder, epoxy cloth, paste and resin to rebuild the stock.

I moved the pistol grip back 1.5 inches to fit my hand. Put on largest recoil pad I could find and built the stock up with epoxy to fit the recoil pad. I ground off the high comb and Monte Carlo cheek piece. Made thre comb parallel with the bore.

I made it look just like an A-square stock with thick pistol grip and hand filling round forend to see if Art Alphin had a point. It did handle recoil well.

The I used it to follow up maybe a dozen wounded buffalo. I found it was very slow and awkward to use. I was not getting on the buffalo quick enough and when they fled I was not getting the bead (I use a peep sight) up past their butt. Didn't like the feeling.

So I swiched back to a small 98 Mauser 458 rifle on a Brown Precision fibreglass stock. That worked perfectly. Once again I began hitting them in the chest.

The awkward, clubby, A-Square stock style was definitely slowing me down.

Now I have taken a grinder and chewed away the forend, pistol grip and butt on the 460 making it into a long slim rifle of the type preferred by Voere in Europe. It now seems much more balanced and snappier to point but I haven't yet tried it out in the field.


VBR,


Ted Gorsline

You'll want the A2 "cock on opening" version, not the early "cock on closing" IMO. Also, they have NO checkering from the factory!!!

If you have a "C On C" you can send it to A2 and they'll change it for about $250 IIRC.

www.njfg.com Two A2 in stock used, 416 Rem Mag and 416 RIGBY. You have to call them for info, guns not on web site.

Said guns ARE on www.gunsamerica.com site. Enter A-Square in the search box there.

www.griffinhowe.com Go to USED RIFLES, see a .375 H&H A-SQUARE for $2100.00.

I've shot a few and for me it felt on a given caliber the recoil was less with the A2.

I saw Art at the Shot Show and there never was a lot of people around his booth. He said he had been doing pretty well taking orders for rifles. For being known for his big bore rifles he only had two guns on his gunrack. One was a 375 H&H and the other a 25-06. Tried them both to the shoulder and yes I could tell they would take more effort to shoot quickly and accuratly for a fast shot. Just not for me.
I also noticed That Art walked with a limp. Didn't want to ask if he had been injured Just didn't seem like the right time to talk about personal injury. Does anyone know about Art's health?

I try to build my heavy recoiling gun's
stocks like coil check. Works good for me,
being heavy set, short neck, and big
hands....Art's limp is from a near fatal
car accident that happened about 2 years
after the illegal crap the ATF, etc did
on him and his business.It took him about 6
years to beat them on that, but his business
was ruined.That fight and accident made
him hard to get along with.What was done to him,is the thing that pissed Johnny and I
off,that we tried to start a shooting
sports TV network, to see if we could better
gunowners condition in USA.Ed.