doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Why do most prefer a straight stock?

My Webley 600 Special made in 1946 has 30" barrels and a nice Prince of Wales grip. What you cannot see in the photographs is the significant swelling towards the base where my little finger grips it - this makes a huge difference.

My Miroku / Browning side-by-side made in 1976 has a pure straight grip and is not so easy to use despite being a carbon copy of the Webley. Both have double triggers.

When shooting at English and (especially) Scottish pheasants which are driven and so directly overhead the POW grip makes a significant difference. Look at the photographs in Percy Stanbury's book from the 1960s; just like his prize-winning gun.

HB

If you ever end up in the northern US or Canada doing some grouse hunting, make sure you bring the Miroku along.

Different tasks call for different tools.

Best,
Ted

All 12s, all very different guns, some are lighter (and some aren't).

As Ted surmised earlier here, different tools for different tasks. I have to adapt when I switch between them (and that can take a moment or two) but when eventually I do make the shift they all shoot wonderfully for me.

FWIW...the lighter ones are far nicer to carry afield.

That list you have there may have saved me a trip to the haberdasher, in Baudette, for briefs, last trip, Lloyd.

Then again, I forgot my blaze orange vest at the cabin, so, you never know.

I usually just bring one gun along. Reasons.

Best,
Ted

My preference has been for a straight stock and double triggers, for a traditional look. They work very well for me.
Pretty is as pretty does!
Karl

Not a trap gun, but, I did OK with it that day. Early 1920s Halifax Darne short chamber 12 gauge, chokes are IC and IM, barrel walls are .050 the whole way down (!) raised rib. Hope to hunt pheasants with it tomorrow. Nice bone colors on the old Darne guns.






Best,
Ted

O/U or SxS, I believe a straight stock makes ‘em go faster.

Can anyone explain how a straight stocked gun is faster?
How much faster? .0000000002 of a second? (if any)
POW stock, semi beaver (no handguard needed) single trigger, raised flat rib, for me.

OT But I love when you and Lloyd mention towns and places I feel like, in the larger world, they are known only to me. Always makes me laugh and think about the time spent in that area.

Only those who make the pilgrimage get to meet Willie:

[img]https://i.ibb.co/jZxfZHtc/IMG-1009.webp[/img]


I won’t profess to noticing any difference in speed between straight and pistol gripped guns, but, my examples of straight stocked guns run a bit lighter, and carry well at the ready position in, or, on the edge of, dense cover.

The gun I have killed the most birds with in my life is a Remington model 17 with a 21” barrel and Stan Baker chokes. I haven’t used it in years, but, even with the dreaded pistol grip, it was hell on grouse and pheasants mid 1970s until I got my first double, a 20 gauge Darne R15 with a straight stock.

I got a lot of birds with the Darne, too.


Best,
Ted