From Reader Greg S, a question via email:
Might I ask you to share your thoughts on “English” stock vs. American stocks for shotguns? As I imagine many do here in the USA, my shotgunning experience started with the typical “pistol grip” style of butt stock. There’s also a similar style called “Prince of Wales” that I’ve seen.
A few years in, I was fortunate to try the straight English butt stock and became an instant convert. Strictly for myself, I’ve found that recoil management is better and the shotgun seems to point more naturally.
Those would also be my reasons for choosing the straight stock, but I also just love the way they look. Compare the pistol-gripped Beretta Silver Pigeon and the “English” Browning Superlite (both lovely shotguns) below:
Now compare even the Browning to an English stock and splinter forearm on a side-by-side H&H Deluxe:
More graceful, lighter (by several ounces), quicker to shoulder and point… pretty much perfection. (We can argue about twin vs. single triggers at another time.)
Your opinion may vary, but neither Reader Greg nor I care.
I shot a Winchester model 94 one time and didn’t care for the way the straight stock changed the angle of my wrist. That was a long time ago though so I’d need to reinvestigate that idea.
Simple. Pistol Grip for single trigger, straight stock for double triggers. The straight stock makes switching triggers easier.