On a vintage gun...
1. add a rubber recoil pad
2. add a rubber recoil pad
3. add a rubber recoil pad
4. add a rubber recoil pad
5. cut the barrels
Oh, and I'll even add a 6th one
6. add a rubber recoil pad
So what do you do if the stock's too short? And on quite a few vintage doubles, a recoil pad was a factory option: Parker, Elsie, Fox, Iver Johnson. And "period" pads are available.
I should get a pass on this, I am 6'4".
CHAZ
Yes, you should. Further, there exist a lot of very useful, utilitarian shotguns produced in an era that had men of smaller stature shooting them. While the purist would look at the leather covered pad on a Purdey and pronounce "that is how it should be done, on all guns", the cost of that fancy pad could be three times the worth of said utility gun.
I'm not a fancier of pads myself, but, I don't feel too bad replacing a white line Pachmeyer of any vintage with a more subtle sporting clays model on a gun that will see some use.
The thing I hate seeing perpetrated to a double of any sort is not a modification at all, but, an abuse-slamming the action closed. I see guys pounding the hell out of their guns at the club all the time.
I don't say anything. But, I cringe when I see it.
Best,
Ted
