I have a Limbsaver on my 870. Tames the recoil a bit, but recoil is still not pleasant. The Compstock and the Limbsaver both claim to cut recoil reduction by 50%. I want to buy a new stock with a sling stud for my 870 Express. My existing one doesn't have one (it's a black synthetic). I can probably a Remington stock with a sling stud installed for about $75. I THINK that comes with a Remington R3 pad, which I have heard is identical to a Limbsaver. The 870 Marine Magnum I saw today has an R3 installed, and it says "Limbsaver" right underneath the "Remington" logo. The Compstock has the spring system in there, but I have to drill a hole for a stud. I had the Knoxx Spec Op once, and I got cheek slap with it. Is the Remington stock with a Limbsaver pad just as effective at reducing recoil as a Compstock is? I'll spend the extra cash if it lessens the felt recoil. I'm a big guy, 6'2 and 235 pounds, and the stock is firmly in my shoulder pocket and my stance is forward, but shooting a 2 3/4" slug out of the gun makes me never want to do it again.
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Knoxx Compstock vs. Limbsaver Precision Fit for 870?
- Thread starter Homerboy
- Start date
Homerboy, there are palm trees and there are mighty oaks. In the hurricane, the palms bend with the wind and survive. The oaks stand tall and are torn to bits. At 6-2/235 you're an oak, so am I.
What you need from the get-go is a proper fitting stock, weather one device works better than an another depends a lot on which one fits you best. Remember, recoil is transferred to your body by your hands and face as well as your shoulder. I had two O/Us with the same stock LOP and drops -- one kicked like crazy and the other just kicked. The difference was the width (a dimension often overlooked) of the butt stock, including recoil pad, a palm swell, and the shape of the foregrip. Have you had a pro check out your stock fit? Have you experimented with a curved (trap style) recoil pad?… it might work better for you.
I could have bought several 870s with the money spent on all of the off the shelf and custom recoil reduction work I had done before I finally had my stock converted for an air unit. They are commonly seen on comp guns; but, with an 870, it doesn't really make sense to have a stock that's worth more than the gun.
Before you sink any more into your 870, you might want to have a look at some of the newer guns that advertise significant recoil reduction from the start. I'm thinking of a Beretta gas auto, but Benelli has some interesting offerings in pumps and autos. BigJimP, who's a big oak, swears by his Benellis. He recently had surgery to reconstruct his shoulder, so we know he'd not a big fan of recoil.
What you need from the get-go is a proper fitting stock, weather one device works better than an another depends a lot on which one fits you best. Remember, recoil is transferred to your body by your hands and face as well as your shoulder. I had two O/Us with the same stock LOP and drops -- one kicked like crazy and the other just kicked. The difference was the width (a dimension often overlooked) of the butt stock, including recoil pad, a palm swell, and the shape of the foregrip. Have you had a pro check out your stock fit? Have you experimented with a curved (trap style) recoil pad?… it might work better for you.
I could have bought several 870s with the money spent on all of the off the shelf and custom recoil reduction work I had done before I finally had my stock converted for an air unit. They are commonly seen on comp guns; but, with an 870, it doesn't really make sense to have a stock that's worth more than the gun.
Before you sink any more into your 870, you might want to have a look at some of the newer guns that advertise significant recoil reduction from the start. I'm thinking of a Beretta gas auto, but Benelli has some interesting offerings in pumps and autos. BigJimP, who's a big oak, swears by his Benellis. He recently had surgery to reconstruct his shoulder, so we know he'd not a big fan of recoil.
big oaks, little oaks, svelte oaks.....I'm confused ....(I'm more of a wide body Cedar ).....
But Zippy is on to something here - "Face Slap" is usually caused by too much angle on the comb / you're not down on the gun where you need to be - because it doesn't fit ---and you might be raising your head a little - to see - and get smacked.
It really has nothing to do with how big you are ...I'm 6'5 and 290 lbs ....but I can still get "slapped" by a gun that doesn't fit right ...and it hurts ....
I sure wouldn't put a limbsaver on an 870 / its not money well spent in my opinion - and it may not change the stock configuration enough to stop it. Changing the pad / if you go to a little different angle, like Zippy suggested - might work.
Changing guns will work - if you base your change on "Fit" - but you really need to find someone to help you with this stuff at your local club.
There is an adhesive pad / you can buy from Brownells and others - that sticks on the comb ( and its angled ) so you can move it around - to get just the right fit ( they're about $ 35 I think ). Tape it on with Elec tape first - find the position / then stick it on permanently. But usually to fix this - you want the gun to recoil - under your cheek bone - ideally straight back - so it won't slap you ( with light loads / or slugs ) ...
I do like the Benelli's ...and I've had a complete shoulder rebuild ( rotator cuff, bone spurs, torn bicep shortened and fixed, hairline fracture in shoulder blade ..) and the Benelli I shoot has a lot of adjustability ( snap in comb pads, snap in recoil pads, and shims - so I can move the stock around / so it "Fits" me ). But I don't think you need to change guns to fix this issue - you just need some help from someone that understands "Fit".
But Zippy is on to something here - "Face Slap" is usually caused by too much angle on the comb / you're not down on the gun where you need to be - because it doesn't fit ---and you might be raising your head a little - to see - and get smacked.
It really has nothing to do with how big you are ...I'm 6'5 and 290 lbs ....but I can still get "slapped" by a gun that doesn't fit right ...and it hurts ....
I sure wouldn't put a limbsaver on an 870 / its not money well spent in my opinion - and it may not change the stock configuration enough to stop it. Changing the pad / if you go to a little different angle, like Zippy suggested - might work.
Changing guns will work - if you base your change on "Fit" - but you really need to find someone to help you with this stuff at your local club.
There is an adhesive pad / you can buy from Brownells and others - that sticks on the comb ( and its angled ) so you can move it around - to get just the right fit ( they're about $ 35 I think ). Tape it on with Elec tape first - find the position / then stick it on permanently. But usually to fix this - you want the gun to recoil - under your cheek bone - ideally straight back - so it won't slap you ( with light loads / or slugs ) ...
I do like the Benelli's ...and I've had a complete shoulder rebuild ( rotator cuff, bone spurs, torn bicep shortened and fixed, hairline fracture in shoulder blade ..) and the Benelli I shoot has a lot of adjustability ( snap in comb pads, snap in recoil pads, and shims - so I can move the stock around / so it "Fits" me ). But I don't think you need to change guns to fix this issue - you just need some help from someone that understands "Fit".
Here's a link to an old thread - where we discussed this a couple of yrs ago too ...same discussion ....maybe a little more detail ...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=327195
and don't feel alone in this process ....many of us figured it out on our own / by trial and error until we ran into someone that really understood it. Serious competition shooters figured this out years ago - but most of us don't hang out in those circles ....( and I still don't ...) ...
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=327195
and don't feel alone in this process ....many of us figured it out on our own / by trial and error until we ran into someone that really understood it. Serious competition shooters figured this out years ago - but most of us don't hang out in those circles ....( and I still don't ...) ...
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Thanks, Jim. I'll look into it. I see Remington sells an adjustable length of pull kit for 11 bucks. Would you recommend trying it out? I'm a retired cop and the 870 is the standard issue pump gun. I'm not shotgunner for sport. Just have it for home defense, but would really like to get it to be more pleasant. I really would like to get it to work for me
$ 11 is cheap enough you can try it ... but it's probably a 50/50 bet on whether it'll work or not... I don't have much experience with 870's - and I don't know much about what Remington is offering on that fix / my primary pump gun is a Browning BPS.
I'm not really a tactical shotgun guy / you might want to reach out to "Scattergun Bob" on this forum and ask his advice our our host on the site "Dave McC" ....they're way more qualified than I am on tactical shotguns - and my hunch is they'll have a cheap solution for you.
I'm a target shooter in shotguns - ( 200 - 500 shells a week or so ) but way lighter payloads than you're shooting - even in 12ga I shoot a 1oz load at 1225 fps ....and honestly, you could practice with a light load / and just keep the slugs around --if you needed them. The expense is way less - and it may not beat you up as much / but "Fit" is still an issue - even on light loads.
If you really like that 870 - and want to keep it / I'd go to a Jack West adjustable comb stock - so I could dial it in / and I think they're around $ 300.
Life is too short to shoot guns that beat you up ....because they don't fit - but everything I approach on "Fit" - is so I can shoot 1,000 or 2,000 shells a month ...and to do my best on the clay fields / and not beat my face up ...
On my pump guns - Browning BPS Hunter models - I put the adhesive comb pad on both of my guns / but I rarely shoot them anymore ... ( my defensive approach is a Wilson Combat CQB 1911 ...chambered in .45 acp )...and I'll fight my way to the gunsafe ...where the rifles and shotguns are ...
I'm not really a tactical shotgun guy / you might want to reach out to "Scattergun Bob" on this forum and ask his advice our our host on the site "Dave McC" ....they're way more qualified than I am on tactical shotguns - and my hunch is they'll have a cheap solution for you.
I'm a target shooter in shotguns - ( 200 - 500 shells a week or so ) but way lighter payloads than you're shooting - even in 12ga I shoot a 1oz load at 1225 fps ....and honestly, you could practice with a light load / and just keep the slugs around --if you needed them. The expense is way less - and it may not beat you up as much / but "Fit" is still an issue - even on light loads.
If you really like that 870 - and want to keep it / I'd go to a Jack West adjustable comb stock - so I could dial it in / and I think they're around $ 300.
Life is too short to shoot guns that beat you up ....because they don't fit - but everything I approach on "Fit" - is so I can shoot 1,000 or 2,000 shells a month ...and to do my best on the clay fields / and not beat my face up ...
On my pump guns - Browning BPS Hunter models - I put the adhesive comb pad on both of my guns / but I rarely shoot them anymore ... ( my defensive approach is a Wilson Combat CQB 1911 ...chambered in .45 acp )...and I'll fight my way to the gunsafe ...where the rifles and shotguns are ...
oldcspsarge
New member
Do both and have the best of two worlds !
The CAR stock is handy and the new Limbsaver pad for the CAR stock is fantastic.
2 excellent investments !
The CAR stock is handy and the new Limbsaver pad for the CAR stock is fantastic.
2 excellent investments !