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I have an Uggie 16 gauge that smacks me in the face when I shoot it. Is their any chance that stock bending could fix this problem? I love the gun but it seems to have bad manners, and I've had no luck selling it. It seems that the english stock lies just under my cheek bone and when the gun goes off I get a lot of slap, more like a punch in the face.

What do the experts say?

Short answer: No.

There is a good chance your cheek slap is caused by the wrong pitch on the stock. (It could be several other things but pitch is the most likely.)

To check if the pitch is correct for you, watch how the butt or recoil pad makes contact with your shoulder as you mount the gun. If the bottom "toe" makes contact well before the upper "heel," that is what is probably causing the cheek slap.

The whole pad, top to bottom, should make simultaneous contact with your shoulder pocket (except for the inch or so that extends above your collarbone) when the gun is mounted.

There are two ways to correct the pitch when necessary. One is to install a tapered spacer between the stock and recoil pad and the other is to have the stock cut.

The first way lengthens the stock slightly and the second, shortens it slightly. Also, the first way will require a new recoil pad and the second way will not.

You can experiment with changing the pitch by mounting washers on the recoil pad attachment screws (most likely, on the top screw). When you find the pitch that is correct for you and your body posture used when shooting, you can have the pitch changed permanently.