Another interesting conversation with Mom

[Love Life]

So there I was larger than life sorting 308 brass when the phone rings. I answer it and it is the Matriarch. Good, old, fun loving Mom!! We usually chat it up twice a week, and this time the conversation went into something fun.

Me: Hello
Mom: What are you up to?
Me: Growing old and putting off spraying for spiders. What about you?
Mom: Your Dad and I just got back from the range (love my Momma).
Me: What did ya'll shot today?
Mom: A couple handguns and I shot the Enfield.

We chatted a bit more when the meat of the phone call began.

Mom: What rifle were we shooting when I visited?
Me: FN SPR A5M chambered in 308 Winchester. Why?
Mom: How far was the target I was shooting?
Me: The farthest one you hit with consistency was 600 yards. Why?
Mom: Well I want a rifle like yours, but the stock was to long and did not fit me well. How do I get one like that fit to me?
Me: Well (head scratching) it has removable spacers so that might shorten it up enough.
Mom: What if it doesn't?
Me: Well, if you can't find one off the shelf then you have to give a man a whole bunch of dollars to make you one.
Mom: Who?
Me: Hmmm. Let me ask around.

So at the end of all that Mom wants a rifle chambered in 308 Winchester, fit to her, with a synthetic stock, that shoots far accurately. Upon thinking about it I think a Mcmillan stock might work, but she is short. She is 5 ft 2 inches. I also think a recoil reducer would be nice. Mom ain't no spring chicken anymore, being 51 and all, even if she thinks she is. I also think a 20 inch barrel would be perfect as well with a target weight of 10-12 lbs unscoped.

What do ya'll think. Can anybody recommend a solid gunsmith in the Huntsville, AL area who can take measurements for her so she can get fitted out right?

Thanks a bunch and I look forward to any input.

[TXGunNut]

Good move, what Mom wants, Mom gets. Kinda glad my mom has never much cared for guns, doubt she's fired a round in her 77 years. Your mom may not be a spring chicken but many of us around here have a few years on her and plan on shoooting for quite a few more years.
Sounds like it was pretty close to the right length so it shouldn't need to be much shorter, how much difference would it make taking out the spacers?

[blademasterii]

The remington 700 aac is a 20 in heavy barrel threaded with a hogue synthetic stock and recoil pad. It also has the adjustable trigger. The archangel 700 stock is comeing out in a few weeks and it is adjustable for length and comb height. The archangel also converts to a 10 or 20 rd mag fed. Midway has the stock listed at 281.00 for the 10rd mag and release on 6/6.

[wool1]

Measure from the inside of the arm at the elbow with it bent at 90 deg to the first nuckle of the index finger and it will give you a good idea of length of pull needed. It isn't 100 % accurate because it is position sensitive with the tape measure, but it gives me a good starting point for fitting. This should help if you can't find someone to fit her for a stock. Start half inch high if in doubt, it's easier to take off than to add if it isn't a spacer system.

[km101]

Try Tactical Arms Gunsmithing in Huntsville. I had a friend in Huntsville who loved them.

[Blacksmith]

If she has a gun that fits her measure it as a starting point. Different guns or different clothes change the length of pull. So one she likes will probably be close to what she will be happy with for most of her shooting clothes choices.

[Duckiller]

Love life you are a rotten son. A bad person! For suggesting that your mother is old at 51 you should be banned for at least 6mos if not life. No way is 51 old. Your mother has just got started on life.

[Love Life]

Duckiller-Hehehehe. If mom heard me calling her old I would be in trouble. As a matter of fact she called me back about an hour ago to see if I had found anything out. I informed her that it had not been long since she first posed the questions, and was quickly reminded of my place in life...

After that she set my ears afire for not having called my brother and sister yet this week. I politely informed her that A) they also have phones, and B) The week did not end until midnight. Wrong choice. What was funny about that though is while she was on the phone with me my brother and sister called and beeped in. She had already called and read them the riot act!! I love my mom.

Back to business. Thank you for all the info so far and I will give that place reference a call later this week.

[fryboy]

hmmm i wont discuss "old" except that it's usually in reference to our own age ... sometimes it should mean mental age .... lolz

while i tend to love carbines ( they carry so sweet ) a longer barrel will tamp down recoil somewhat ( as would lighter projectiles ,lower velocities and cans etc ) , if she's mostly going to use it off a bench being heavier wouldnt hurt much , have to agree that the better the gun fits her the better she'll like it , have her find out her length of of pull ( that'll show that she's really interested in it lolz )

[crabo]

Have her check out some youth shotguns, rifles to see if any of those stocks fit her. Not only does the LOP need to fit, but the comb needs to be the right height for whatever the sights/ scope will be..

[DCM]

Now this is solely up to you but I think a good son would take the spacers out of his rifle and let momma see if she likes that one.

My alterior motive would be to biuld another mind you, besides making momma happy.

[Blacksmith]

Now a sweet young 51 year old would be interesting to some of the old coots on this forum. You got a picture of her?

[Mk42gunner]

Not only length of pull, but eye relief of the scope is important; you do not want momma getting a Weatherby Eyebrow.

Above all, remember: If Momma ain't happy, nobody is happy.

Robert

[nvbirdman]

I am old enough to consider your mom young, but I don't think of myself as being old, because some of the guns that I shoot are older than me.