Hey Tim!
Can we talk about uncustomizing? My Dad bought his Silver Snipe in 1964-I think he said it set him back $168, and, truth be told, my Mom would still be PO'ed today if she found out it cost THAT MUCH!
Anyway, Dad just had to have one of them there white line pads. My Dad worshipped at the shrine of Roy Weatherby and the rifles he was creating, although he never got to buy or use one. My Dad did need a shorter LOP, but, egads, man, couldn't he have at least just had the original buttplate fitted to his new, shorter stock?
I have a mint, unused Silver Snipe butt plate, anyway-not sure what I'll do with it.
Oh yea, there was another thing he did-spiffy mid-bead in white, and one of them there BRIGHT RED Ithaca Ray Bars, don't 'cha know? I don't know who fitted the mid-bead, but, they missed center of the rib by a few thou. Ick.
To be fair, my Dad was a lousy shotgunner. He never did make the leap from being a Marine Corps sniper instructor, to forgetting about the bead and concentrating on the bird. He always thought he should be paying attention to the sights, and always thought he needed more of them.
The 13 1/2 LOP doesn't work most of the time for me. But, put a heavy Pendleton wool shirt and a union suit on me (like yesterday, hunting pheasants in the snow) and it works out OK. The Beretta pistol grips from that era are nice and open, no need to go POW on shaping, but, I'm thinking maybe a plug to replace the white mid-bead, a standard brass bead to replace the Ray Gun (I mean Ray Bar!) front sight, and a leather covered pad?
This one will be my kid's gun someday. But, I use it for cold pheasant hunting while I have custody.
Maybe I'll leave the front sight as is, so we still have a touch of Grandpa in it.
Almost forget to mention, what do you guys have against straight grips in a grouse woods? I love 'em, but, this gun, a single trigger O/U (my only O/U) doesn't really call for one.
Best,
Ted
