16ga.com ~ View topic - Any one here changed out wood stock for synthetic

Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 154 Location: Kentucky

I was wondering if any of you had switched out your wood stock for a synthetic on your shotgun. First do you like it? Second How much weight did you save?

I have a 1100 12ga. and I am thinking of ways to reduce the weight.

Thanks

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

Why would you want to take a nice piece of grained wood and replace it with "plastic"? Very Happy

OK, I do have an 1187 SP that came with matte finish and plastic stock and forend. But that was my deer gun and got beat to heck. I still have it but rarely use it. I now use a T/C with walnut wood in 20ga slug barrel.

Wood just looks so much better. Especially on a nice 16ga SxS behind a couple of pointing dogs. Wink

I replaced the beech stock on my express with a glass set. Not sure it saved any weight. It is an ugly blue now--but may see some krinkle coat finish in the future. Certainly no mistaking it in the rack!

I once had a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 with a stock of some sort of very bland and undistinguished-looking wood. That one got a synthetic stock transplant. No real weight difference. I should have just painted the wood flat black or camouflage.

Joined: 06 Sep 2007 Posts: 154 Location: Kentucky

Thanks for the replys. I was afraid that the weight saving would not be worth it, or the balance would be all off. I also struggle with the looks idea too but my gun is really not a pure 1100 it is a sportsman 12 auto , sort of a 1100 express with a beech stock so the stock is pretty plain anyway.

In '92 I bought a new 870 12ga Express for a steel shot waterfowl and turkey gun. I very quickly replaced the birch stock with a Bell and Carlson hand laid fiberglass stock set. It added at least 4oz. to the gun which was fine with me as it helped absorb the recoil from the 3" steel and heavy lead turkey loads Shocked

. A couple years later Remington started selling the Express with a synthetic stock for the same price as the birch stock Sad

. I also should have painted the original stock set flat black as Golfswithwolves previously stated.

Dennis

There was no weight difference between my Browning BPS 10ga magnum Stalker with synthetic stock or their Hunter model in the same gauge with wood stock.

I believe you'll only save weight if you buy one of the cheap molded plastic stocks with foam interior. Those made from fiberglass, carbon fiber and Kevlar tend to be much stronger, but heavier.