So what is a shotgun or rifle’s length of pull? What does it mean and why is it important?
Length of pull (LOP) is the distance from your bent elbow joint to your bent trigger finger (keeping your wrist straight). The average length of pull on most rifles and shotguns is about 14 1/4″. This length of pull fits most people quite well. Whenever you buy a rifle or shotgun take notice to this specification. It is very important, especially on firearms that have more recoil.
Too little length of pull will cause a firearm to kick up in your face. It will be very unpleasant to shoot. It will hurt. I owned a Remington SPR10 double barrel shotgun that had a length of pull of 13″. It kicked me in the nose everytime I pulled the trigger. I sold it shortly afterwards. Not fun!
It is always better to have too long a length of pull (LOP) than too short. A longer length of pull keeps the gun out of your face when it recoils. The standard LOP of 14 1/4″ works fine for me but I really prefer 14 3/4 – 15″. This makes a gun much more pleasant to shoot.
On really hard kicking rifles like the .500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs, you will want a LOP of 15″ or more. This will help manage the recoil better and keep it out of your face. You do not want one of these kickers to hit you in the nose.
You can easily increase the LOP of any rifle or shotgun by adding a thicker recoil pad or by adding a slip on recoil pad over the existing one.
Here is one of the best slip on recoil pads. The Limbsaver is a fantastic recoil pad. It takes the pain out of shooting.
