"SteveB" wrote in message
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"Carl McIver" wrote in message
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I just bought a Mossberg HS410 for my family (my youngest kid is 12,
so I wanted a smaller gun) and was looking for a folding stock that is
adjustable in length. There's a few for Mossberg bigger gages, but I
haven't been able to find one for this one. Is anyone aware of one that
I haven't found, or one that can be made to fit? There's a good bit of
difference in the sizes of the folks in my family, from 5'3" to 6'1", so
a comfortable stock will help a lot at the range.

Take it to a gunsmith, and they will show you how to measure the boy.
This will be helpful because he will soon need a longer stock as he grows,
and you can buy butt pads and slip over recoil pads that will build up
what you will be cutting off now. Replacing the whole stock would not be
advisable because he is going to grow each year. He's not going to be
shooting enough that it has to be exact, so close enough is okay. When he
is old enough and stops growing, it'll be way past time to buy another
gun. This one will look funny with all the extensions and butt pads on
it.

Measuring stock length is something a gunsmith can do, as well as cutting
down a stock. Trouble is, the gun is usually set up for only one person,
and for another to fit it is just a lucky occurrence. One size does not
fit all, but close enough is close enough. Lots of guns are sold with
standard length stocks, but if a guy shoots a lot, they will soon have it
custom cut. If you don't shoot a lot, it's hard to notice the difference
or even know that stocks are custom cut for each person. And, if you
don't want to go through all the rigamarole, just keep the stock stock and
each person will have to adjust personally on how to shoot it and hit
their target.

Adjustable folding stocks are mostly available on law enforcement and
military models, and not a lot on hunting models.

My two elementary school daughters are about an inch shorter than my
wife at the current point (who's 5'4") and my two sons are gaining on me
fast (I'm 6'1") so the adjustable stock is something to make it easier for
all of us at the range. Mossberg has some tactical shotguns with the
adjustable stock already, but the gun shop I bought the .410 from was going
to have to do some research to find out if they can get one for it. I don't
want the stock length to be an issue for any of us, and by being able to set
it to the user's preference, we all win. This has to be a one size fits all
arrangement, and when fit is hitting the shan, the last thing they need to
think about is stock length, which is one reason I've considered a basic
pistol grip rear, but I haven't fully decided on that one yet.
Choice of bore is a highly personal decision, and there's lots of
opinion on both sides of the fence, so that issue will never be settled. I
was originally going to get a 12 ga, but I don't want to make the girls
afraid of the recoil or the report when they pull the trigger, so it's a
concession on my part. When I was growing up, I got a Savage .410 for my
11th birthday, and my friend down the road used to go wasting our daddys'
ammo with it on summer afternoons. He was a skinny little guy, and had a 12
ga, so after he had a chance to play with my "toy" we usually carried each
other's gun, as the 12 ga did a number on him after awhile. The .410 my
father had (very long barrel) had accuracy that larger bores couldn't keep
up with, so I grew up with a lot of respect for that choice. There's a lot
more to that, obviously, but I don't get to hunt, and this is strictly for
home defense.