Here is a thread from a couple of years ago which has some options: https://www.shotgunworld.com/thread...dations-for-a-trap-clay-gun-for-girlfriend.423700/?post_id=3420242#post-3420242

 

I would also look at the A300, two of the ladies I shoot with use them. One uses a 12 and the other uses a 20. It's a little more $$ but is available in left hand, both ladies are lefty's.

 

The A300 was one of the first guns I looked at but I’m having a hard time finding one with a short LOP online and at a reasonable price. It’s how I ended up looking at the Franchi.

 

My wife is 5'2" and has a small frame. She started shooting clays last year and finding a gun that fit her was very difficult, especially one at a reasonable cost. We landed on a SKB RS300 compact in 20 gauge. It is a SA with an adjustable butt pad and comb with LOP of 12.5-13.5 and cost around $1,100. The RS400 is identical, but with a parallel comb. It comes in 12 gauge and 20 gauge, with left hand in 12 gauge. Its marketed primarily to youth shooters (SCTP, 4H, etc.) and I've seen many at my local trap club and its youth team. My wife got hers at Dawson's in Ohio, but the RS400 is carried by Scheels where I received good feedback from a few of their stores.

My wife has over 1000 shells through it and its been reliable. It didn't cycle the WalMart Federal or Walmart Winchester, but its been flawless with Fiocchi and Winchester AA.

Shotguns | SKB Shotguns

Your default description here

www.skbshotguns.com

 

I would recommend a gas semi auto and lowest power shells that would reliably work in it to start out along with making sure it fit her well.

 

That’s what I’m on the hunt for.

 

Since it's a gun to see if she likes it and what I would get my wife/kids to try out clays, I'd go with a Tristar Viper g2 Compact in 20 ga. Fairly inexpensive, about the right size, and reliable enough for casual clay use and has negligible recoil. If she ends up not being into shooting, you can get a full size stock and now you have a nice upland bird gun that you don't mind beating up a little.

 

Do a search of this forum " Women Shotgun Shooters", you will see this is a common topic. My best advice is for you to find some local gals that shoot and let them help your wife make this decision herself because guys almost always get this wrong.

 

Bingo

 

Stoeger 3020... inexpensive and you can adjust stock. Comes in different colors/stocks. Easy to find parts if needed. I have a m3000 and it's a great gun. My buddy that is an instructor always comments on how nice it looks and shoots for a sub $1k gun. Check them out.

https://stoegerindustries.com/shotguns/m3020-upland-shotguns

 

Beretta a300 20ga

 

My wife started shooting at age 59. She is 5' 3'' 115. I purchased a used Hatfield semi auto 20 gauge for $250. After cutting the stock down about 2 inches I covered the recoil pad and comb with padding so that it would be a fun experience and the recoil wouldn't scare her away. I kept the gun clean, and she shot just under 2k shells through it without any issues. We slowly reduced the amount of padding until she was comfortable shooting without any padding. At that point she demoed a Beretta Silver Pigeon 20 gauge and loved how solid it felt. I purchased it and cut the stock down, & 4k rounds later she still loves it. The best part is she asks me if we can go shooting!! BTW, I sold the Hatfield for $250 to someone wanting to teach their grandkids! Good luck!!

 

My wife is about the same build at 4'11" and 115ish, also add to the equation that she had shoulder surgery on her right shoulder and is right handed. I ended up getting her a youth model mossberg 505 20ga in wood furniture. She shoots in more comfort with a pad that attaches to her bra strap but did try the gun straight to her shoulder, said it hurt but not unbearable. She's only shot a total of about 10 clays launched by me on a manual thrower and seems to enjoy it, but the main purpose for it is so she can go small game hunting with me and our oldest daughter this fall. So far been a great gun for what it is and I'm not out too much money if she only shoots a couple times a year.

 

Without a doubt, the choice would be n A400 20 gauge or if she wanted to go the 28 gauge route.

 

How would you like it if your wife picked YOUR shotgun?

I'm 5'6" tall, right handed man, stocky build, short arms. At 4'11, very few shotguns will come close to fitting her right out of the box. It will be a leap of faith.

Silver's formula is generally close:
"
Ballpark LOP In Inches = 0.15(Height In Inches) + 4
(or alternately, and 'perhaps' better)
Ballpark LOP In Inches = 0.1485(Maximum outstretched arm reach from fingertip to fingertip in inches) + 4
"
She is 4'11" or 59" tall. Her LOP will be about 12.85 inches (12 7/8" in Freedom Units).

Problems with the Franchi Infinity Catalyst:
1. You can't buy replacement recoil pads. No one has them. Sold out.
2. She needs about 1 inch removed from the Length of Pull. The TSA pad and Monte Carlo stock may be a very bad combination for her gunsmith. Trying to cut over an inch of wood cut from the back of the wood could result in a very wrong looking stock. With a straight stock, just cut the wood off and install a normal butt pad do fit.
3. Recoil semi auto offers all the fuss of a semi-auto while kicking like a light weight over and under. She wants a gas semi.

4. The Benelli 20 gauge Compact is exactly the same gun, with a nicer polish and the TSA recoil pad cut off.
The LOP is 12 1/2 inches with a straight stock. That might work for her, we estimated 12 7/8"
Weight: 5.4 pounds. It will beat her shoulder like Thor's hammer. It needs about a pound and a quarter of lead.
24" barrel is fine for her, proportionally. As the stock gets shorter, the barrel has to shorten, or the gun goes muzzle heavy.
Being a semi auto, it can be shimmed for a left hander.
5. $$$$ No matter how you do it, you either pay Benelli to take the stupid TSA recoil pad off the Franchi, or you pay a gunsmith to cut it off the Franchi yourself.

There is nothing you can do about the recoil system. It's what Benellis and Franchi sell. Light weight and kicks like a mule.

If you must buy, and can't find something used that is close to her fit,
I'd buy a 20 gauge Tristar Viper G2 Compact or Mossberg Sa-20 Bantam. BOTH should have wood stocks. They are the same gun, different importers. The Tristar might be 1/8" too long, the Mossberg might be 1/8" too short. Both are SOFT SHOOTING gas recoil operating systems. Both have the 24" barrel she wants.

As the stock gets shorter, the effect of cast and drop shims diminishes, because ... angles. She might need to use the maximum cast shim, customized with a bit of metal tape cleverly installed in a stairstep pattern to increase the angle more. But that's not expensive stuff.

Bottom line: have HER shoulder the Tristar or Mossberg. They are going to weigh a bit over 6.25 pounds. Based on weight, they will kick less than the Benelli. Add in the gas recoil effect, they will kick A LOT less.

People say that gun fit isn't all that important. Try this: swap shoes with your wife then go for a 4 mile hike. She'll tell you shoe fit isn't all that important, just add lots of socks and maybe some newspaper in the toes. You? Your feet will be bloody. It's the same for a small person trying to shoot a gun that's too big... it doesn't work.

The SKB guns were mentioned, too. If you can get your hands on one, have her shoulder one! A heavy 20 gauge that fits will be softer shooting than a 5.2 pound Benelli or Franchi. And they look cool.

 

O/U 20ga or 28Ga - don’t buy semi-auto if you reloading. IMHO

 

@TomK9er
If you reload then an O/U might be a good choice. You can load 20's as 3/4 or light load 7/8. I have a Tristar Setter and G2 Viper in 20g as loaners/recoil sensative guns. The Viper is a great gun with very little recoil. Just not sure if it comes in compact/left hand.

 

I like many of the aspects for Affinity Compact. Length of pull can be tuned to your wife and the 24 inch barrel should provide a decent balance on that gun. What I don't like is the weight and your not mentioning the CALIBER in your original post. If you are looking for a 12 gauge recoil will be an issue. If it's a 20 gauge you will have to spend time with your wife insuring that she uses a good hold with the stock held firmly to her shoulder every time she pull the trigger. Because if she slacks off on the hold it will kick her hard due to the running start the gun will have before it contacts her shoulder.

 

…your not mentioning the CALIBER in your original post. If you are looking for a 12 gauge recoil will be an issue.

In my first post I mentioned the guns I’m looking at are 20ga. But after reading and researching I’m slowly swinging towards the SKB RS300 Youth in 12ga.

 

My wife is 4'11" 90lbs and does not have the arm strength to open an O/U after its been fired, the act of opening it cocks the hammers.

I put an adjustable buttplate on her youth-model pump and adjust it down over an 1". This puts the comb up higher than the shoulder.

I'm shopping for a S/A but I'm worried she won't have the finger strength to press the button to close the bolt when loading that first shell.

Poole

 

Lots of people are overly concerned about total length of pull. Thinking only about the stocks total length. They overlook that there's more to it than shortening the stock length. First a true "women's" gun will have a shorter/smaller grip to trigger relationship. So it's essentially shorted in the grip area.( They have smaller hands on average) Next they have longer necks compared to men. So they need a higher comb. A " Monte Carlo" style stock or off set recoil pad. If you don't take these these things into consideration. Chances are she won't be shooting very long.
Probably more money than your looking to spend. But I would look a Beretta A400 Victoria model. Or plan on a visit with a stock/gun filter.

 

Or buy a Syren.

But the OP's woman is 4'11 inches... and the Monte Carlo stock can't be cut back far enough without the comb turning into a very long odd stock.

You're right about grip size and trigger length, but forgot that reducing a butt stock also means reducing the barrel length to maintain balance and swing.

The older Beretta Vittorias were nothing more than cut-down men's stocks. The newer Vittorias... Syren showed them how to do it.

The best, easiest, solution is out of his price bracket. I stressed a youth wood stock and how to make custom shims. You're right... sandpaper and bondo would be the next step.

 

Compact Silver 13" LOP with spacer adjustment, light recoil and quality. 24" bbl imo

 

I'm thinking this was the ticket......

 

Tradin' a shotgun fer yer wife? Good deal!

 

As a couple of others have alluded to, simply cutting down a stock is not likely to be the answer. Based on my wife's experience, an adjustable butt pad was necessary to adjust the pad away from her collarbone and adjust LOP. Further, she needed an adjustable comb due to having a longer neck which is common among women. Unfortunately, the options are not plentiful.

 

I probably glossed over this fact, but I didn't see if she's left eye dominant. Only saw that she's left handed. So, I'll assume that she's also left eyed, and will thus be shooting left handed.

I'm kind of surprised by all the inertia gun recommendations here like Franchi and some Browning recoil-operated models. Those won't do much to lighten the "kick". To me, the sort of gun that is obvious for a petite lady like this would be a short, fully adjustable, left-handed, gas-operated gun like SKB's RS300 and RS400 models. The 300 is the sloped comb (which I would suggest in this case), and the 400 would be parallel comb.

All the youth league kids are having pretty good luck with modern SKBs (unless you buy an over under - they have some issues with barrel regulation). The single-shot trap guns are solid. The semi-autos are at least as good as anything else in the price point. Probably better initial quality than Beretta's A-300 series. The quality of the comb and butt adjustment hardware is very good. Customer support from the Omaha importer, just down the street from Guns Unlimited, is superb.

RS300 Target | SKB Shotguns

Your default description here

www.skbshotguns.com

RS400 Target | SKB Shotguns

Your default description here

www.skbshotguns.com

 

I initially I thought that she was left handed and left eye dominate but after working with her a little I think she might be cross eye dominate, left hand right eye.

I gravitate to the inertia guns because they’re simpler and easier to clean in relation to gas.

I am looking very hard at the SKB RS300 Youth based on suggestions from this thread. My issue with it is I’m reading a lot of praise on this thread but it gets bashed pretty hard on other forums.

 

Here's one for $1,039. Comes with five chokes and all the specs you probably need. Stock photo is right-handed but sale is for a left-handed gun.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1048481458

 

If you know she's left-handed/left-eye dominant, do your wife a favor and get her a LH gun, particularly one with CAST ON. Giving her a RH gun with CAST OFF, she'll never have a true sight vision looking correctly down the barrel. I'm a LH shooter, and all my shotguns are either CAST ON or CAST NEUTRAL.

 

Got my lady a Beretta 686 vittoria 20 gauge. If she practiced more she would be dangerous. It fits her like a glove and she doesn't have to pick up shells. It cost a bit more, than a SA but I feel money well spent. She shot a pump 28 870 one day when I packed the wrong gun thinking it was hers and she was just as good with that. Fit, weight, recoil and convenience should all be high on the list for a wife/SO beginner IMO.

 

Another option is finding a Beretta youth model 3901. They came with an adjustable comb. My partner is 5 ft tall and I had to add length of pull. The stocks on those are very short.