More good suggestions...thanks.
Dave in Maine: the problem is both weight and balance - the gun is definitely front heavy. Also, the stock is unnecessarily thick at the wrist and forend. You are right, I have also seen Belgian and French (and early German) o/u with much slimmer stocks.
I am personally not an over-under guy. My own tastes are 16 ga SxS (or single shot, which I am now shooting), 30" barrels or barrel, and 5 3/4" to 6 lbs. I am 6' 3" with big hands but I love guns with petite actions and slender wrists and forends. However, my companion is used to an over-under, and I have been taking for granted that she is likely to be more successful with one. Maybe I should revisit that assumption, and think about a SxS (as some of you have suggested.) Again, she is remarkably un-recoil-sensitive, so I don't believe lighter weight is an issue.
