Shotgun Life | The Best in Wing and Clays Shooting

featured

Taking Stock: Confessions of a Custom-Fit Convert

Monday, March 30, 2026
Written by Brian Booth
Categories: Shotguns
Tags: brianbooth, customgunstocks, featured, gunfit, Krieghoff, sportingaccessoriesltd

I had always been a little dismissive of the idea of a custom stock. I say this at the risk of confirming my ignorance, but hear me out: I already had an adjustable stock on my Krieghoff K-80, and I preferred it without any adjustments. Therefore, that contraption was of limited value to me. My LOP (Length of Pull) is 14.5” – which is fairly common. Cast was something to adjust to rather than worry about. Heck, if I had one custom stock made and shot it really well, that would be a slippery slope; I would need to have custom stocks made for all my guns. This is already an expensive hobby, so I thought it better to learn to shoot the gun as it was rather than custom-fitting the stock to me, and perhaps at one point in my shooting development that was not terrible thinking. I was not yet disciplined enough in my mount for a custom fit to make sense.

Read More

The Resurgence of England’s Frederick Beesley as a Maker of Modern Luxury Shotguns

Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Written by Irwin Greenstein
Categories: Shotguns
Tags: featured, frederickbeesleyshotguns

When it comes to reviving the names of long-gone British gunmakers, entrepreneurs face two choices: the easy way or the Tom Ward way.

The easy way is to buy the rights to an extinct marque and laser-engrave its name on a Turkish sporting gun. Case in point: Webley & Scott, William Powell, E.J. Churchill, Cogswell & Harrison and Holloway & Naughton. 

But you’ll discover after spending 40 minutes with Tom that the easy way won’t produce a great sporting gun that also pays tribute to the English legends. It took a few years of experimentation and research, but as Director of the London Gun Company, Tom was able to probe a deep well of resources before resurrecting the U.K’s Frederick Beesley with a stable superb, high-performance over/unders.

Read More

Longthorne’s Woodward-Inspired Foxcote Gets More Firepower

Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Written by Irwin Greenstein
Categories: Shotguns
Tags: 28gauge, featured, foxcoate, longthorne

First introduced by Longthorne Guns in 28 gauge, the Foxcote over/under pays tribute to Foxcote House, an 18th-century country estate in the village of Ilmington, England noted for the owner’s shooting parties dropping in by helicopter.

Now, the English gunmaker has upped the Foxcote’s firepower by adding a 12 gauge – certainly more apropos of us mere mortals for downing the plump high-flying pheasants of that lovely country manor. The 12 gauge continues the design and shooting principles of the growing Foxcote family.

Read More

At Grip Plus, Sai Chiang Will Make You the Most Accurate Shotgun Grip on the Planet

Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Written by Irwin Greenstein
Categories: Shotguns
Tags: #gripplus, #gripplusshotgunstock, #saichaing, #shotgunfit, #shotgunstockfitting, featured

When it comes to gun fit, we all know the standard check list: length of pull, cast, pitch, and drop at comb and heel.

But Mark Wade will tell you that something is sorely missing. Over the decades, after 15 custom stocks crafted by experts he describes as “well-known stock makers,” the competitive clays shooter will urge you to add one more measurement: gun grip. At 6 feet/3 inches and 280 pounds, Mark has what he calls “large hands, getting the right grip has always been a challenge,” he says.

For Mark, gun fit has become especially important as he ages. The Florida-based financial advisor has  been shooting competitively since 1989 – winning the Grand American Trap tournament in 1992. He recently got bumped up into the ATA’s Veterans Category. But now it feels like Father Time is catching up with him. “At 68, I’m not as good a shooter as I used to be. I’ve had big layoffs in between. My primary game is American Trap, although I shoot all the disciplines. I just want to shoot better.”

Read More

Shotgun Life Newsletters

Join an elite group of readers who receive their FREE e-letter every week from Shotgun Life. These readers gain a competitive advantage from the valuable advice delivered directly to their inbox. You'll discover ways to improve your shooting, learn about the best new products and how to easily maintain your shotgun so it's always reliable. If you strive to be a better shooter, then our FREE e-letters are for you.