My Dad bought a Beretta Silver Snipe in 1964. Because he was Dad, and put recoil pads on all his guns, he dutifully dropped it off at a forgotten gunsmith in Maryland, had the stock cut, and put a Pachmeyer white line pad on it. The deed was done before I was five years old.

I hate Pachmeyer white line pads. But, I digress. Dad never really warmed up to the Snipe, and it was used very little, until I got older.

Dad was built a bit like Popeye, and had a short LOP. The stock is really short. I have used it, successfully, bundled up late in the season, but, it is too short for anything else. The pad was a bit squishy when it was new, and caused some trouble with the Snipes inertia trigger, but, the thing is hard as a rock, now, and that hasn’t been a problem for years.

Recently, I was hunting about the sites and an uncut Silver Snipe stock was on the ‘bay, but, at an eye watering $225. That is about half of what a used but not abused Snipe is worth, in my opinion. But, looking further, I turned up a never installed stock in Canada for $80. So, technically, it was $100 with $20 shipping, but, getting something shipped from western AB for $20 seems like a steal.

It mostly fits. It was advertised as being for an S57 (same gun, mostly) and the wood is just a bit high on the side the lever opens to. When installed it has a nice, long LOP. I have the original butt plate off the Snipe, and the new stock (it was advertised as NOS and I believe it) has later version of the Beretta grip cap and butt plates. I can decide which I prefer, down the road.

No, it won’t be getting a pad.

No it doesn’t match the front wood. Not yet, anyway. It is finished in satin something, and the Snipe is shiny varnish. I’ll get there. For now, I’m just going to get it on, and get busy breaking a few clay targets with it, until I figure out this shooting off the right shoulder a bit more.

[Linked Image from i.ibb.co]



Best,
Ted