Hello All,

This afternoon I picked up a Chinese made 12 ga side-by-side with rabbit ear hammers. I’ve wanted something like this for some time to use as very simple home defense. My bride can shoot, but doesn’t shoot near enough to be competent with something complex. When Katrina hit, we live in south Mississippi, I thought it was time to get something simple, easy to use, and effective.

My first question is this…what is the minimum overall legal length for a shotgun? I measured it and it is 37 inches overall with 20 inch barrels. The length of pull from the front trigger is 14 inches and from the rear trigger is 13 ¼ inches. I’d like to cut the stock back 1 ½ to two inches.

What is the best way to saw off an inch or so and have it look nice?

A few months back I saw a cowboy action shooting lever gun that had a patch of leather laced over the butt. It looked nice but I don’t remember how it was set up.

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

Best Wishes,
Harry C.

I am not sure there is a minimum length for a shotgun, but barrels from bolt face to muzzle must be at least 18-1/2 inches. I recall reading herein that a minimum length of 26 inches may apply, but can't swear to it. Anybody know about this?

To cut off a stock, mark a line all the way around with a pencil setting on a piece of plywood or some solid surface the thickness you desire and rotate the stock against the pencil. You'll get a consistent line all the way around, then cut carefully...

Hi Rootbeer,

Thanks for the reply. I understand what you're saying about drawing the line. I am NOT sure how to cut it straight! What type of saw? Any tricks or hints?

Thanks,
Harry

Harry, here's how I do it.

I stick a piece of 2" masking tape on the stock about where I want the cut and pencil the line on the tape. I mark the cut in at least two places and use a flexible straight edge and a pencil to connect the dots. That will help you keep the stock pitch the same. I cut about 1/4" short of the line with a band saw. Then I straighten everything up to the line on a belt sander using 60 grit.

By using the sander to get to the final length, you remove all the worry about chipping or getting the angle exact. It's a lot easier to sneak up on it than hit it perfect. It lowers the stress level substantially.

I use a band saw and set up a jig to cut the stock square to the original flat surface or the pad. Wrap a few wraps of tape around the stock at the cut line to minimize chipping of the finish. I use two wraps of wide masking tape. Be careful to maintain the same angle as the original pad from heel to toe. You can also use a miter box with a very sharp back saw.
Good luck.

Try to find someone who does art framing out of there house. Most of those folks have there own electric miter saw with an extremely fine tooth blade for cutting mouldings. It works great on a stock. No chips or splinters at all.

Minimum legal shotgun barrel length is 18 inches, not 18 1/2.

Many thanks for the helpful pointers! I seldom post, but greatly appreciate the level of experience on this board.

Best Wishes,
Harry C.

If your going to do all this by hand, then follow all the above advise, then take your hacksaw and make a cut all the way around on the line you drew...Now cut it off with your handsaw...Thats how we did it back when...Today I just cut it off on a fine bladed chop saw, file it flat and I'm done..Takes me about 20 minutes..

I might add that if you tape it first, then mark it and cut through the tape, then you probably won't get any splinters, chards or whatever you want to call them.

Thanks Ray.

Does anyone have any ideas on a nice, rustic finish to the butt? Leather covering or some such?

Harry

like this?


personally I'd install a grind to fit pad like this pachmayr old english decellerator:



Either way, have fun!

EDITED TO ADD:



http://www.amback.com/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=50612

This one is $13, which sounds suspiciously cheap to me but thought I'd add it too.

Mark, (sounds like I'm talking to myself), the last pad you posted looks like the Brauer Brothers lace on pad. Brownell's carries them. They are priced suspicously cheap but they are a good bargain. They are glove leather thin and don't have much of a pad. I think they look a lot better than the thick leather ones sold by Cabela's and others. I've used them on old Model 70 with steel butt plates that I wanted to shot but didn't want to cut. They add a vintage look to an old piece.

quote:

Originally posted by Bob G:
I use a band saw and set up a jig to cut the stock square to the original flat surface or the pad. Wrap a few wraps of tape around the stock at the cut line to minimize chipping of the finish. I use two wraps of wide masking tape. Be careful to maintain the same angle as the original pad from heel to toe. You can also use a miter box with a very sharp back saw.
Good luck.

If one has access to a table saw, the butt of the unaltered stock (sans buttplate) can be placed agaist the fence thus mantaining the original angle. As with the above method, tape the stock to minimize chipping and use a carbide tipped "trim" blade (fine tooth) set @ a depth that will just cut completely through the stock.

If you have a good sharp blade, you will not even have to sand the butt when done.

Set the distance from the fence to the outside of the saw blade @ the amount you want to remove.

Mark,

I like those pictures! I had devised a rather complicated notion of how to cut, mold, and stitch leather to make a butt sleeve. Your idea is clearly better.

Wildcat Junkie - thanks for the pointers

Harry C.

quote:

If one has access to a table saw, the butt of the unaltered stock (sans buttplate) can be placed agaist the fence thus mantaining the original angle. As with the above method, tape the stock to minimize chipping and use a carbide tipped "trim" blade (fine tooth) set @ a depth that will just cut completely through the stock.

I would caution against this technique. You don't want to CROSSCUT on a table saw with the stock against the rip fence. If you were to just slightly rotate the wood during the cut, the wood could bind between the blade and fence. I don't really see a safe way to make this kind of a cut on a table saw unless you made a jig to hold the stock then run it through the blade using a miter gauge.

Since I like my butt pads perpendicular to the top of the stock, I use Ray's method with my compound mitre saw and tape. With a really high quality fine tooth blade it is very nice and clean.