doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Perceived Length of Pull

JJD: Sorry you had problems with your FN. Actually straight grips are best suited for double trigger guns because it is slightly easier to manipulate the index finger going from one trigger to the next with double triggers. One who has never used DTs needs to spend a lot of time on the skeet field manipulating the triggers. It requires practice switching back and forth. I think it's good practice to shoot back trigger first too. The more practice the better one gets with DTs. My first hunt with a gun with DTs many moons ago, I had a single shot all day long and considered giving up too. Glad I didn't because now I prefer DTs. Only way you can instantly go to tighter choke if game gets uP way out there.

I shoot "my" guns, regardless of LOP. When I shot I-Skeet, I shot a 3200 with a 13 3/4" stock just because it simplified the mount and allowed a more agressive swing. The last gun I bought for vintage sporting clays has a 15 3/4" LOP. It took me at least a week to get used to it, and now it is very comfortable. I prefer to have my nose very close to my thumb, but it isn't neccesary to break a target.

This interests me - because I have always 'perceived' my guns as being different lengths, whereas measurement indicates the are (almost) the same. All my guns (I have over a dozen in the cabinet) are between 14 3/8 and 14 5/8 when measured on a gauge. One feels noticeably short, a Darne, and the reason is that the standing breech is right above the triggers, whereas on an English gun it is a little forward. This, with the Darne, whilst the trigger is in the right place with respect to the shoulder, the standing breech is a little nearer the eye.

Similarly, single trigger guns 'feel' longer - because the measurement made to the trigger is about where the rear trigger on a double trigger gun would be.

I also have a theory that on our side of the Atlantic we tend to have stocks a little longer, a little straighter in drop and with more cast. The reason is we shoot with the gun mounted a little more 'obliquely' rather than fully 'square on' as we are generally taught (for a right hander) to have the left foot rather forward and to bring the gun well up to the face, raising the shoulder slightly as we do so.

The topic is discussed in detail in John Brindle's Shotgun Shooting: Techniques and Technology.

Hoof,

They make those new microcell pads. I have one that is 1.25" and it weighs about 2 ounces.

My problem wasn't with the double trigger. All but 1 of my doubles have dt's. The straight stock changed the way my finger addressed the trigger. I'm sure I was just holding the gun wrong, but the straight stock is what allowed me to grip too far back in a rush. I've never encountered the problem with a pow or pg stock because the ergonomics of the stock force you to grip the wood in the same place every time.

It was likely a problem with the thumbhole being back too far.

The 1 1/2" Silvers pad in stock form is 12.25 oz.

I weighed a Griffin and Howe repro Silver, uncut, with plugs and screws, and it weighs 6.7 ounces. I don't know how much an inch of wood weighs, but someone will tell us. The difference is probably very small.

The model 32 Remington I bought from Hoof had a 1 1/2" Galazan Silvers on it. It weighs 7.8 oz or almost 1/2 pound. I replaced it with a 3/4" Hawkins, the gun now weighs 7 lb 5 oz, it was almost 8lbs before. Made quite a difference in balance and handling.

It seems to me that the important measurement is not that from butt to trigger, but instead from butt to where the trigger hand grips, as long as the finger will still reach the trigger. If the distance to trigger were so critical I don't see how one could shoot a double trigger as the distance between the two triggers can easily be 3/4" to 1", yet it is easy to do with a slight change in the trigger finger position. If you can reach the trigger and your thumb doesn't hit your nose, I suspect that shooters can adapt to a fairly wide range of LOP and it really isn't that critical and compensation can be made as discussed above. Eightbore's 13 3/4 to 15 3/4" is quite a difference, yet he shoots both successfully.