Does anyone know of a company that offers after market stocks for rifles that are sized for youths? I have a seven year old son that loves to shoot but alas he is not only small but a lefty as well. I am having a devil of a time getting a left hand rifle to fit him. I do have a Savage 22lr in left hand that is adult sized but would like a youth stock for him. Also I want to get him his first centerfire but want the stock to fit as well as possible. Can anyone point me in the right direction or offer up some advice?

PS also looking for a short action in left hand.

[ 05-27-2003, 21:36: Message edited by: Howard ]

Howard,

You can make your own youth stock fairly easily with a skill saw and a piece of angle iron as a temporary fence. I've cut down stocks for my wife, and one for my kids. The nice thing about cutting down a full size stock for a youth, is you can add it back as he grows. First bore a 1/2" hole through the stock so you can use a dowel to line up and add sections back in as he grows.

If you don't want to tacle the job yourself, a smith ought to be able to wack down the stock and re-fit the recoil pad for a reasonable price.

Paul H, interesting concept. Do you blend the segments when you add them back to the stock, or do you live with the steps?

I have modified several 22 rifles and a few high power rifle stocks for women/children. The items I have had to adjust are length of pull, addressed by Paul H, pistol grip size/contour had to be reduced/altered to fit the smaller hands of women/children, and the forearm may also need to be reduced in size/recontoured to fit the hand, as well.

To accomplish this, I usually cut the LOP down with a miter/cut-off saw. The pistol grip is reduced in size/recontoured with gouge, rasp, and sander. Typically the forearm is reduced in size/recontoured, if necessary, with rasp and sander, although a gouge may be beneficial if there is a great deal of stock removal required. It really isn't too difficult. If you enjoy woodworking it is actually enjoyable.

Some stocks possess too much of an open grip to fit the hand of a child and cannot be recontoured. I have on a few occasions dealt with this by using fiberglass body filler, BONDO, to create additional material to fill in the open grip. This works if you do not need to remove the entire wood structure of the orginal grip, but need to cut away 50% or less of it. Stocks with this modification are obviously UGLY, but work for the purpose of training the young to hold a rifle correct and to shoot. I would not recommend this for anything bigger than a 22LR, though.

The last alternative is to carve your own. This can be a great joy, or a nightmare. Depending upon your proficiency with wood carver's tools.

Brownells used to sell some youth stocks for the 10/22. I am not familiar with anyone else selling them.

Axel

[ 05-28-2003, 03:00: Message edited by: Axel ]