doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com daughters first double - .410, i need advice

I am on the brink of purchasing a .410 O/U for my 9 year old daughter. I want this gun to properly fit her so even the normal "youth" dimensions will need altered. Having said this - I have sought out an affordable gun that I won't mind working with. I have settled on a Stoeger Condor. At a little over $300 - you just about can't beat the price. Here are my questions for the experts:
1) how much wood (weight) can I remove from the stock? I will have the stock cut down to fit her - but was also thinking about boring out some additional wood. Is there any sort of guideline to follow? With this being a .410 - I am not too worried about the stresses on the wood.

2) obviously this gun, even though Stoeger is now owned by the Benelli family, will have a reciever made from not the highest quality steel. My plan was to take the "bluing" off, file the "read owners manual before using" and "Stoeger" stamps out of the metal and use the Faux Case Coloring method that has been described on several threads here. Does anyone see any problems with this in the quality of steel?

3) speaking of "faux" treatments - the wood on the stock looks like it saw its first life as a broom handle. Are their any techniques for dressing up the grain of the wood - that produce good results?

I also plan to hand cut the checkering and skinny up the stock a bit. Saying that the stock is proud of the reciever is an understatement. All of this sounds like a lot of work, I know. But I have two daughters and can expect this little project gun to last me for 5-6 years.

Any advice or tips would be appreciated.

Good for you to start your daughter off shooting at that age. In my opinion I would get a 28 ga. There are more shell options and even though the shells cost as much I think she will do better becasue of the added lead and not become discouraged by missing. Also if you reload, and if you are going to be shooting a lot, you can make some low velocity (low pressure) reloads that she wouldn't mind shooting longer.
As far as reducing weight in the stock,if it is a little under 6 lbs. to 6 lbs. 4 ozs. I would leave it alone. You start reducing weight you start to incresse felt recoil.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Also remember that safety, no matter how old you are is the most important thing in gun handling.

RDD,
What a fine project, and what lucky daughters!

Until experts post, you can have my $.02

Stock weight removal - figure .3 to .4 oz/cubic inch of wood.

You can add highlights (darklights is more like it, following the existing grain to faux mineral lines) using various wood coloring stuff; oil artists paint, sharpies, stains, etc.

I've never done the Ithaca - Perazzi CC touch up thing to color metal. If the steel will 'take' a cold blue, then it should be fine.
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You settled on the Stoeger and didn't axe...but...I think anything you're going to spend a few years noodling with should be a bit better as a base. It's easy to fall out of love with a project, especially once gun-guts are exposed as fairly horrid. I don't know what a used Citori or older B 680 .410 goes for, so I may be totally full of itshay. again.

FWIW, I second the 28 Ga suggestion.

I think the advice you've received so far is sound but I would like to recommend one more item. As soon as you make your final selection buy a full size replacememt stock to be re-installed at a later date. You'll then have a gun to can be put to further use.
Jim

go with a 28 guage, thats what I'm getting my 9 year old, an AYA 453, a .410 has lousy patterns, best, Mike

Any gauge but .410. It's an expert's gun. Cripples may turn-off your daughter. And take your time. My first five grandchildren were girls, and I treated them as boys, sharing my hunting, fishing, flying, trapping. Take your time. Get it right.

My girls both got HR Toppers in 410. At the same time I bought one full sized stock .... and as it turned out only one of my kids remains a shooter. They were both cleaning rabbits before they were cutting up supermarket chickens.

Al

A friend of mine wanted to get his grandson a first shotgun last year, had his mind made up to get a .410. He asked my opinion and I told him the same as others here, get him a 28ga. he'll have more success and that's important for a beginner.

He went with the .410, the kids done alright, but as it turns out Grandpa really wanted a .410, he uses too.

1. The .410 is an expert's gun, not a beginner's gun. I was started with one at age 7, 65 years ago. Millions of other kids have, too.
2. Far better choice would be a used Remington 1100, in 20 ga.
Shorten the barrel to make it cylinder and shorten the stock as needed. The girls will be able to hit some skeet targets right away with this gun, recoil will be minimal and you'll have a good gun for about $300. No reason a beginner needs an O/U or SxS to start.
You can put a plug in the 1100's magazine, so it will be a single shot until you're satisfied with her safety habits.
3. Unless you will be reloading, .410 or 28 mga. shells will break the bank. JMO, as always.