WidenersTitan ReloadingLoad DataMidSouth Shooters Supply
RepackboxReloading EverythingRotoMetals2Lee Precision
Inline Fabrication
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 23

Thread: Thumbhole stock for a slug gun?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    2,602

    Thumbhole stock for a slug gun?

    I accidentally reserved a used (like new) Mossberg 500 . It is a 20" full camo with a thumbhole stock and hi-viz sights. You know the story,wife was shopping so I went to kill some time in my longtime gun dealer shop...

    I was just handling it and it felt very right and comfortable -except for using the safety. Good price - I thought it was new.

    Shotgun thumbhole stock opinions,experiences? My paperwork here will take a few months.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    WNY
    Posts
    1,521
    Quote Originally Posted by Petander View Post
    My paperwork here will take a few months.
    "We take a thousand moments for granted thinking there will be a thousand more to come. Each day, each breath, each beat of your heart is a gift. Live with love & joy, tomorrow is not promised to anyone......"

    unknown

  3. #3
    Boolit Master MarkP's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    Omaha NE
    Posts
    1,245
    I have a Rem 11-87 Thumbhole Slug (12 ga) and I really like the stock. It has a grey laminated rollover cheekpiece stock and has a grey laminate flat bottom forend. I also have a Rem 870 20 ga Slug with factory thumbhole stock this one is an olive green injection molded stock. I find them very comfortable when shooting off hand or from the bench. Also some of the recoil is transferred to my hand and arm which dampens the recoil at my shoulder. I have large hands and the grip portion on the 20 ga is a little small for my wider than average palms but still feels good or better than a standard pistol grip stock.

    I after shooting my 11-87 TH slug I liked the stock so much I ended up buying some additional Thumbhole stocks for my other shorter barreled 11-87's with 23" bbl & 18" bbl.

    I have one on a Ruger 10/22 heavy bbl target and I feel I can hold it steadier than a standard stock when shooing off-hand. It just feels good.


    I had the same thing happen to me when we out shopping at least three times.

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master
    Mk42gunner's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Butler, MO
    Posts
    9,021
    I don't like a thumbhole stock on any gun that I can't manipulate the safety with my hand in firing position. the Remington cross bolt safety is usually okay, Mossberg tang safety no.

    I had a buddy that had a thumbhole stocked McGowan barreled Ruger Model 77 (tang safety version) in .30-.338 for a while. Very comfortable rifle to shoot, but there was no way to even touch the safety while holding it in anything approaching a firing grip.

    Robert

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master


    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Aberdeen, South Dakota
    Posts
    7,136
    One option if you decide you love the thumbhole is to remove your safety, then install a maverick 88 trigger group, which has a cross bolt safety.

    Personally, I really dislike thumbhole stocks. They are kind of nice feeling in the shop, but a burden in the field. Luckily Mossberg stocks are the easiest stocks to get new and used of any shotgun, except for a classic wood corn cob forend which is big money for some reason.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Cap'n Morgan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Denmark
    Posts
    1,458
    The Blazer rifles touted their straight-pull system for its speed - then implemented a thumphole stock - go figure.
    Over here, glove grip shotgun stocks are all the rage, but so is luminous front sights, white tape wrapped muzzles, and holding the weak hand's pointing finger parallel to the barrels.

    One of these days, one of the shotgun pros are going to start shooting his gun upside down, and a lot of people are going to follow suit
    Cap'n Morgan

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    2,602
    Thanks for the replies,everyone.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cap'n Morgan View Post
    The Blazer rifles touted their straight-pull system for its speed - then implemented a thumphole stock - go figure.
    Over here, glove grip shotgun stocks are all the rage, but so is luminous front sights, white tape wrapped muzzles, and holding the weak hand's pointing finger parallel to the barrels.

    One of these days, one of the shotgun pros are going to start shooting his gun upside down, and a lot of people are going to follow suit
    Excellent points, Captain.

    I have a Benelli M3 with AR-style stock and I find it good. I also used to have an older AK with a thumbhole stock.

    This Mossberg safety design really takes your speed down, I will see the Maverick options,thanks MSM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Lone Star State
    Posts
    1,534
    I have a thumb hole stock on one of my slug guns (220). I have no preference either way. I like the feel of it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #9
    Boolit Master Blood Trail's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Lone Star State
    Posts
    1,534
    Quote Originally Posted by Blood Trail View Post
    I have a thumb hole stock on one of my slug guns (220). I have no preference either way. I like the feel of it.

    As far as safeties, I’m a huge fan of Mossberg Tang safety. Crossbolts aren’t as safe.

    That football player from LSU lost his leg a while back after a duck hunt when he laid his loaded shotgun on the back of his side by side and his dog jumped in and stepped right in the trigger guard, knocking it off safe, and firing a 3” load of steel shot in his thigh at point blank range.

    Exact same thing happened in my state, this time it was a father and son finishing up on a duck hunt. Son got in the passenger side of the truck. Father was loading up when the dog stepped in the trigger guard and fired the shotgun.

    The shot went through the cab and hit the son in the back, killing him.

    Yeah, we can argue that they should of eNoticed their guns and all, but that wouldn’t happened if they had a tang safety.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    NH
    Posts
    3,783
    A thumbhole defeats the advantage of a Mossberg top safety to be easy to use from both shoulders. Your waiting months to get permission time to order a stock to replace the thumbhole unless you also need paperwork for that. Replace the thumbhole and sell on ebay would be my idea for you.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master

    mattw's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    East Central Illinois
    Posts
    1,796
    Hands down the best recoil control stock I have found for a pump 12 gauge is the SpecOps active recoil control stock. My 5'4" 15 year old 150 pound daughter has a good time shooting slugs in my old 870 with their stock.

    https://www.blackhawk.com/accessorie...i/1000586.html

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Posts
    586
    The only type of firearm on which I prefer a thumbhole stock is a target rifle. Better control making minute aiming adjustments off a rest and better control during recoil are the reasons. For every other (long) gun, however, including shotguns...I much prefer a conventional stock design.

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    2,602
    The appointment time for applying the buying permit is tomorrow but I cancelled it.

    I can not get my head around the unreachable tang safety. No matter what,it is very slow and breaks your form. Plus my 12 gauge Benelli M3 (with pistol grip) does everything this does (semi or pump with a flick of the wrist) plus it has a normal,quick reach for the crossbolt safety.

    Money saved €100 for papers, €400 for the gun.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy eastbank's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Posts
    303
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSCN0481 (2).jpg 
Views:	21 
Size:	102.5 KB 
ID:	303750Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSCN0482 (2).jpg 
Views:	15 
Size:	70.5 KB 
ID:	303751, my rem 870 is a double duty shot gun, deer and turkey with a barrel switch.

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Castlegar, B.C., Canada
    Posts
    7,933
    eastbank... out of curiosity is the the model with the pinned barrel?

    I waffled about buying an 870 with the same stock but IIRC it was 3 1/2" chamber and came with pinned barrel. It was used in a gun shop in Ontario. I kinda wish I hadn't waffled so so long as it sold quickly. Just looked it up to check my memorey, it was the Remington 870 SPS Superslug. If mory serves used price was $600.00 CDN so not a bad price.

    I'm not big on thumbhole stocks but that Remington stock looks good for slugs.

    Petander, that's not like you to not buy a gun you want(ed)! Couldn't you replace the buttstock with something you like? Or change the trigger group for the Maverick trigger group like msm said?

    Longbow

  16. #16
    Moderator

    W.R.Buchanan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Ojai CA
    Posts
    9,872
    Petander: I would point you to this thread,,, https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...to-my-Shotguns. Tried to get Robert to make it a sticky but he won't do it, so it is in the Shotguns Section.

    It has a very detailed description of what I did to my Mossberg Shotguns. None have a Thumbhole stock, and all of them have Magpul Stocks and Fore Ends. There is a Safety Button you can get that has a raised ridge on it, that helps to give a better grip on the safety when running the gun.

    Before you shoot that gun down you should look at that thread. A Magpul Stock is about a 5 minute conversion and the Fore End is about a 15 minute project. The safety is a little more involved because you have to take the action apart to get at t it from the inside. I'm sure you could handle it! The Mossberg's are pretty simple guns.

    Randy
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails 100464706.JPG   100464677.JPG  
    "It's not how well you do what you know how to do,,,It's how well you do what you DON'T know how to do!"
    www.buchananprecisionmachine.com

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    2,602
    Quote Originally Posted by eastbank View Post
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSCN0481 (2).jpg 
Views:	21 
Size:	102.5 KB 
ID:	303750Click image for larger version. 

Name:	DSCN0482 (2).jpg 
Views:	15 
Size:	70.5 KB 
ID:	303751, my rem 870 is a double duty shot gun, deer and turkey with a barrel switch.
    Oh,I also got an 870 Express 12 gauge with both a smooth barrel and rifled barrel. Standard wood stocks. Standard trigger group safety.

    I was thinking another 12 now that lead shot ban is expanding in Europe. But I don't really NEED one... got a few 20 gauges set up for tungsten.

    That stock of yours looks quite practical.
    Last edited by Petander; 09-01-2022 at 06:35 PM.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
    Petander's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Finland
    Posts
    2,602
    Quote Originally Posted by longbow View Post

    Petander, that's not like you to not buy a gun you want(ed)! Couldn't you replace the buttstock with something you like? Or change the trigger group for the Maverick trigger group like msm said?

    Longbow
    Here where I live it's slow and difficult and very expensive to get aftermarket stocks or trigger groups. I might end up with a $ 1000 Mossberg 500... It was my mistake, thumbhole & tang safety just are not for me in the same gun.

    Randy,I have seen that thread,thanks. Great work but again, I better buy a shotgun that is more or less the way I like it out of the box.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy eastbank's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2019
    Posts
    303
    the barrel on my 870 is not pinned, with sabot rounds it shoot into 2.5-3 inch groups from a bench. the scope realy helps. i have killed quite a few turkeys with that shotgun, no deer as i live in a rifle area.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Location
    MPLS
    Posts
    1,486
    Remember> the main saftey on any gun is between your ears< never rely on a manical saftey>>>>

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check