laminate

Doctor Lecter · Mar 16, 2023

i was wondering if anyone knows , this week i am shooting a browning xs black laminate where could i have my trap forend altered to a slimmer style ( london style ) or at least made thinner ? i guess being laminate complicates the job ? are replacements available , or do i need a stocker ? tia

ColinD · Mar 17, 2023

Laminate would be no different to a walnut forend I would think. Can't blame you for wanting it thinned down, I've got large hands and had a XS Pro exquisite and found the forends way to big even for me.

Was going to suggest just getting a Browning schnabel sporting forend and replacing it, but yours may be black laminate

Daz W · Mar 17, 2023

Surely be easier to swap from the XS BL to a 525SL with the schnabel forend? I know it's not a London style, but it's a lot thinner than the trap forend. Having the forend of the XS BL reworked will likely kill its resale value.

The stock balance weights available to fit the XS BL will fit in the 525SL with minor fettling.

I went the opposite way, the schnabel forend was too small for my gorilla sized hands, so swapped to the XS Pro. If Browning sold a trap style forend for the 525SL, chances are I'd still be shooting it.

Shame Browning haven't offered different forend options for both these models. They've got the forend blanks in both black and grey laminate, and the tooling to make both. As they're both laminate, matching shades and patterns of wood isn't even an issue like it would be for walnut. Guess it's because if you could buy a 525SL trap forend, would there be a market for the XS BL?

Doctor Lecter · Mar 17, 2023

i agree with you , and yes probably exchange for the sl , if anyone wants a deal get in touch 32" though !

lh8611 · Aug 2, 2023

If your using Browning Laminate be sure to double check the forend. I bought one new this year and it had a split through the front of the Schnabel. You could only clearly see it from a certain angle. This was from brand new and the gun hadn't been shot. I took it back to the shop where I bought it from with a view to exchanging it for another SL and had a look at 2 others that they had on the shelf and they had splits aswell, granted they weren't as noticeable. It's worth pointing out that the other two I looked at were 2023 serial numbers and one that I returned was a 2022 serial number. So possibly not just confined to a particular production run. Luckily the shop were spot on and gave me a full refund.

MartynB · Aug 2, 2023

Thinning the trap fore end was quite a common modification for game shooters using 38 trap guns . Michael Yardley recommended it . Any competent stocker could sort it out . There are hundred of laminate rifle stocks getting worked on so it’s not even an unknown process . A couple of hundred quid should sort it out .