Product Test

Adjustable Hunting Stock

Advanced Technology International
2733 West Carmen Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53209
800.925.2522
http://www.atigunstocks.com

"ATI’s Adjustable Hunting Stock adjusts in four positions from 12-3/8” to 14-3/8” with one easy push of a button...and fits the 12 and 20 gauge Remington 870, Maverick 88, Winchester 1200/1300 and Mossberg 500/590 models."

Fitting a shotgun's length of pull to a shooter who does not fit the "average American male" profile in height and arm length can be a perplexing chore. If a shooter could, without the aid of a professional gun fitter, adjust his/her stock in both length of pull and comb height, that would be a real advantage. If it would be possible to periodically change those adjustments, that would be an even greater advantage. That was the goal of the designers at ATI with the introduction of their new Adjustable Hunting Stock (AHS).

That was their goal, did they achieve it? To find out I ordered one and put it through an extensive series of tests to evaluate not only fit and versatility but also ease of installation and use.

The AHS arrived in a package that contained the stock, forend, various adapters for the stock and forend, 3 stock bolts with washers and Installation Instructions.

My goal was to read the installation instructions, follow them literally and see how everything came together. Since folks who order this stock will have varying levels of experience, this seems to be a fair way to evaluate the instructions.

I read through the instructions completely prior to any action. Since the AHS is designed to fit 3 different makes of guns, I had to decided upon which one I wanted to try. There are several millions of Remington 870 shotguns out there, so I picked one of those in 12 gauge.

The first several steps of the instructions deal with removal of the current stock and illustrate which adapter is necessary for each gun that the AHS is designed to fit, all pretty straight forward. Next comes the installation of the AHS.

I found the instructions to be pretty clear and followed them for each step. I'll only mention the ones that I found to be troublesome or that needed some clarification.

You must first install the proper adapter that allows the receiver of the gun chosen, in this case the 870, to join the universal stock. This adapter is about 2" long. That means you have 3 parts to handle and if you're like me, only 2 hands.

I solved this problem by taping the adapter to the stock, thus giving me only 2 items to handle at one time. (It may also be necessary to remove the recoil plate from the receiver prior to installation of the adapter.)

The next task is to install the stock bolt. The instructions state that you should "...tighten the stock bolt, washer and lock washer to the receiver with a 1/2" socket and extension."

Three bolts are furnished to fit either the Winchester, Mossberg or Remington shotguns. Two of those bolts have 1/2" heads but...you guessed it, the Remington bolt does not. It has a 7/16" head, at least on the one that was with my parts. I'd recommend that you check the size of the bolt head prior to attempting to install the bolt. There's much less frustration that way!

(I've also recommended to ATI that they also provide a somewhat larger washer. That would allow the bolt to be better positioned during installation.)

The only other troublesome procedure comes when you reinstall of the "lever housing". Installation is very easy but replacing the screw that holds it in the stock is difficult if you follow the directions literally and leave the stock in an extended mode. It's very easily done with the stock in its most compact mode and that's what I'd recommend.

All in all, it's a pretty easy installation and my comments are meant only to clarify some of the instructions and make installation easier for "literal readers" like me.

I also chose to immediately install the matching forend. Instructions were excellent but I found that my adapters were not properly marked for the 870. That's not a big deal because only one set will work but I've pointed that out to ATI for future correction.

Okay, I have the stock and forend installed now, how does it work?

I was most interested in making sure that each position of adjustment would hold under fire. My examination of its construction, prior to and during installation,  appeared to support its integrity but there's just no substitute for trying it.

When you adjust the stock length by depressing and then releasing the adjustment lever, there's a very reassuring "click" that you can hear and you can also feel everything go into place.

I loaded the 12 gauge 870 with 3" magnum turkey shells and fired them off as quickly as I could in the most extended position. I repeated this exercise in all positions and found that each adjustment held, just as it should.

My next step was to reinstall my scope on the receiver of the 870 and try adjusting height and position of the built-in "adjustable comb" of the AHS. This is easily done by removing a screw cover on each side of the comb, loosening the set screws, sliding the comb to the desired position and then raising or lowering it. After you have it in the desired position, tighten the screws and replace the covers.

That slightly raised comb put my eye in the proper position to view my scope. I found the neoprene cover on the raised comb to be very comfortable as I fired 3 more 3" magnum turkey loads through the 870.

I found the recoil pad that is furnished with the AHS to be a bit hard. It is wide and long, so that helps with distribution of recoil but for a younger or lighter shooter, recoil might become troublesome after more than a few shots. I was able to cure that by installing a Shooter's Friend slip on recoil pad over the existing one. That really helped.

The ATI Adjustable Hunting Stock fills a real need for many shooters. It can allow a single gun to be used by shooters of various builds and ages. It can also allow a gun to grow with a shooter or to be adjusted when more or less clothing is worn in the various seasons of the year.

My final test involved my wife Doris. She's a competitive shooter with a World Championship and World Record to her credit. Doris is about 5' 5" tall and being a woman, does not fit the "average American male shooter" profile. Her gun stocks must always be custom fitted with the length of pull reduced several inches.

For any of you who've ever had that done, you know it can present some real problems. As the stock is shortened, the area of the butt is reduced, causing all kinds of problems with recoil pad fitting and reducing the area for recoil "distribution".

The AHS solves this problem quickly and easily, plus the area of the butt remains the same and helps in spreading the force of the recoil to a much larger area.

Doris tried the 3 available lengths of pull with the AHS and it turned out that the 12-3/8" measurement was perfect for her, the same as the stocks on her guns that had been cut to length but with a much larger area recoil pad.

She can now shoot any gun with the AHS and I can as well. That's a real advantage to us as a shooting team!

I can certainly recommend the Adjustable Hunting Stock from ATI. It adds real value to your gun and will allow multiple shooters to use the same shotgun comfortably, allow a gun to "grow" with a young shooter and will also allow you to adjust your length of pull when you add on more layers in cool weather.

My understanding is that the suggested retail price will be $159.00 for the black model that I tested and $179.00 for the camo model. A list of retailers where the AHS will be sold should be available soon.

For more information on this product, you may visit the above listed web site and for more "Product Tests" please visit http://www.allaboutshooting.com