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- Mar 4, 2024
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Well I just acquired the missing link in my battery of left hand CZ's, so I've been trying to figure out what I want to do to really make them a "set". The first and most obvious thing that came to mind while handling each rifle back to back was making the LOP consistent across the 3, and thus started a long and convoluted journey of what length to settle on.
I started with what I already knew, which is that the LOP is measured from the front of the trigger blade where your finger rests, in a straight line to the back of the recoil pad, and here were the results:
550-14 & 1/8
527-13 & 7/8
452-13 & 3/8
Obviously the butt pads/plates were all different thicknesses so I decided to measure from the blade to where the wood ended to see what I had to work with while figuring out what thickness of pad to go with.
550-13 & 1/4
527-13 & 1/4
452-13 & 1/8
Handling the rifles, the 452 definitely feels short, the 527 feels great, and the 550 also feels good. Part of the difficulty is that they each wear a different type of sighting system, and to confuse me more the triggers all have slightly different shapes (the 527 the most so). So that got me wondering why we measure from the blade when the distance from the pad to the grip seems like it would be more critical. So I did that, measuring from the front of the grip cap (this measures 1.5x2" on all 3 guns) in a straight line to the back of the pad.
550-10 & 3/8
527-10 & 1/4
452- 10 even
What does that mean? Does it even matter? I didn't (and still don't) know so I decided to look for some people with intimate knowledge of stocks. Here is what I found.
HS Precision advises you determine rifle stock fit by getting a comfortable grip on the stock where your hand would normally rest while firing, and holding it against your forearm with the elbow at 90 degrees and hand upturned toward the ceiling. Ideal fit is when the end of the recoil pad nestles comfortably in the pit of your elbow.
Boyd's recommends measuring from the front of the trigger blade where your finger rests while firing, back toward the butt 5.75". Then, standing with the shoulders at a 45 degree angle to the target, mount the rifle as you would if you were about to fire and mark where the tip of your nose lands. Ideal fit is achieved when the tip of your nose lands at the 5.75" mark.
A number of other sources say to hold your arm much like you would during the HS Precision test, but to keep your palm and fingers flat and measure from your elbow pit to the first knuckle of your trigger finger. Ideal fit is when this measurement matches the distance from the front of the trigger blade to the back of the recoil pad.
Lastly I spoke with a very experienced stockmaker from England, with decades of experience, working with renowned gun builders such as Holland & Holland. Unsurprisingly, his was the most nuanced (and to me, logical) response. He was of the opinion that LOP measurements based on anatomy only really applied to shotguns for skeet/wing shooting, where you have a relatively consistent shooting posture (always standing) and intuitive pointibility/swingability was paramount (target is always moving). He thinks the most important thing is how the rifle feels in use, and thought most Americans tend to go with shorter than they may otherwise enjoy.
I am really quite amazed at how different the 527 and 550 feel with such a close LOP measurement and weight. I suspect the 527 feels a touch better simply because the stock isn't as massive as the 550. I've got a lot of experimenting to do before I decide where each stock will land, but I'm interested you know all of your thoughts on the subject.
-Bonus section-
Even though all rifles are 2014 manufacture (unplanned but a neat discovery!) and Turkish walnut stocks, the finishes differ significantly. I'm thinking seriously about stripping each, having an ebony forend tip and either steel or ebony grip cap added, then a hand rubbed oil finish and finishing off with a red Old English pad. They would really look like set then!
I started with what I already knew, which is that the LOP is measured from the front of the trigger blade where your finger rests, in a straight line to the back of the recoil pad, and here were the results:
550-14 & 1/8
527-13 & 7/8
452-13 & 3/8
Obviously the butt pads/plates were all different thicknesses so I decided to measure from the blade to where the wood ended to see what I had to work with while figuring out what thickness of pad to go with.
550-13 & 1/4
527-13 & 1/4
452-13 & 1/8
Handling the rifles, the 452 definitely feels short, the 527 feels great, and the 550 also feels good. Part of the difficulty is that they each wear a different type of sighting system, and to confuse me more the triggers all have slightly different shapes (the 527 the most so). So that got me wondering why we measure from the blade when the distance from the pad to the grip seems like it would be more critical. So I did that, measuring from the front of the grip cap (this measures 1.5x2" on all 3 guns) in a straight line to the back of the pad.
550-10 & 3/8
527-10 & 1/4
452- 10 even
What does that mean? Does it even matter? I didn't (and still don't) know so I decided to look for some people with intimate knowledge of stocks. Here is what I found.
HS Precision advises you determine rifle stock fit by getting a comfortable grip on the stock where your hand would normally rest while firing, and holding it against your forearm with the elbow at 90 degrees and hand upturned toward the ceiling. Ideal fit is when the end of the recoil pad nestles comfortably in the pit of your elbow.
Boyd's recommends measuring from the front of the trigger blade where your finger rests while firing, back toward the butt 5.75". Then, standing with the shoulders at a 45 degree angle to the target, mount the rifle as you would if you were about to fire and mark where the tip of your nose lands. Ideal fit is achieved when the tip of your nose lands at the 5.75" mark.
A number of other sources say to hold your arm much like you would during the HS Precision test, but to keep your palm and fingers flat and measure from your elbow pit to the first knuckle of your trigger finger. Ideal fit is when this measurement matches the distance from the front of the trigger blade to the back of the recoil pad.
Lastly I spoke with a very experienced stockmaker from England, with decades of experience, working with renowned gun builders such as Holland & Holland. Unsurprisingly, his was the most nuanced (and to me, logical) response. He was of the opinion that LOP measurements based on anatomy only really applied to shotguns for skeet/wing shooting, where you have a relatively consistent shooting posture (always standing) and intuitive pointibility/swingability was paramount (target is always moving). He thinks the most important thing is how the rifle feels in use, and thought most Americans tend to go with shorter than they may otherwise enjoy.
I am really quite amazed at how different the 527 and 550 feel with such a close LOP measurement and weight. I suspect the 527 feels a touch better simply because the stock isn't as massive as the 550. I've got a lot of experimenting to do before I decide where each stock will land, but I'm interested you know all of your thoughts on the subject.
-Bonus section-
Even though all rifles are 2014 manufacture (unplanned but a neat discovery!) and Turkish walnut stocks, the finishes differ significantly. I'm thinking seriously about stripping each, having an ebony forend tip and either steel or ebony grip cap added, then a hand rubbed oil finish and finishing off with a red Old English pad. They would really look like set then!
