Knowing the critical measurements when custom making a gun stock is critical to the fitment of the gun to its user and to the overall success of your build. Things like pitch, drop at heel, length of trigger pull and the drop at comb will all make or break your sale when it comes to custom work. So, let us begin at the length of pull. The reading mentions that most American firearms have approximately a 14-inch measurement because this feels good to the average sized male, but it continues to say that taller men would prefer a longer option. The correct amount of pull should fit to the shoulder easily and allow the shooter to hook their finger around the trigger with ease. Next, we have the stocks pitch. This is essentially the flat cut that contacts the shoulder when firing. Getting this wrong could equal some pain to the user depending on body type and caliber being fired. This is easy to measure in most cases. Simply place the stock butt first on the ground and place it up against a wall, then just measure the distance the muzzle end is from the wall.
To finish up we still have the drop at heel and the drop at comb. The heel on the stock is where the top of the stock meets the butt end while the comb is located usually where the cut begins to drop again for the grip section of the stock. These measurements are alike in that they are both necessary to get the rifle’s line of sight to the user’s eye level. Find where the line of sight is going to be on the firearm, and you can begin to measure from there down to the comb or the heel of the stock.
Reference:
Sonoran Desert Institute. “Wood for Gunstocks.” Customizing & Woodworking, Sonoran Desert Institute, 2021, pages 31-33
Comments