doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 20 Gauge William Evans - What to do with the stock

As I mentioned in the EM Reilly line, my wife has a William Evans SxS.

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=437575&page=1

It was given to to her by General D.K. (Monty) Palit 26 years ago in New Delhi. General Palit was Sandhurst, British Indian Army during WWII, then Indian Army Major General and G-3 Chief of Operations during the Sino-Indian War and a noted military author. He passed away about 10 years ago.




It is 20 gauge, serial number 5210 made in 1901. General Palit shot 2 3/4 shells in it. I have too but am a bit loath to continue. It kicks harder than my 12 bores. General Palit said the side plates and accoutrements were silver which hardly seems possible but are certainly striking. It has a small silver oval plate in the butt with the initials "WHW". William Evans said it was ordered on Nov 22, 1900 (Thanksgiving Day that year) as part of a six gun order and delivered on July 4, 1903 (prophetic?). It was bought in 1904 by a man named Wakefield.

It has a long pull - 15 1/2 inches; a stock extension has been added at some point. The recoil pad possibly was added at that time and is now so hard it will bruise a shoulder.

So here is the question. It has an emotional appeal for wife as is. But with the long pull is not so ergonomic and the recoil pad definitely has to be changed. Color? Black or orange? (I prefer the latter). Do I fit it now to my 6'1" son who will inherit it? I.e. Keep the extension or reduce/eliminate it? I'm of half a mind to just put a recoil pad on it, maybe only 1/2" in depth and leave it at that for the future generation to figure out.