Fiddling with the XS, an Adjustable Comb

TheKlawMan · November 3, 2012, 11:25 PM

I guess I am going to try to correct some fit problems with my Brwoning Citori XS Skeet. It has a standard stock and high rib 30" barrels. For those not familiar with the model, it has a parallel stock.

While it is designed for skeet, I rarely use it for that and usually shoot trap at the 16 yard line. I wanted a gun to use for all the shooting sports; trap, skeet, sporting clays and etcetera.

Because of personal physical characteristics, the gun sets up for me with a classic figure 8 and pointing slightly to the left. The fig 8 is fine for trap, but I would like to be able to lower the comb in relation to the rib to achieve a flat POI. From what I have gleaned by reading Rollin Oswald, there are at least three ways to do this. One is to take a rasp and remove wood from the top of the comb. One is to stick an add-on rib and the third is to have an adjustable comb cut so that the top of the adjustable section can bcomb can be lowered so as to increase the drop at comb.

Can someone explain how a stock smith cuts an adjustable comb to increase the drop at comb? I am pretty certain that I am going to install an AC since my XS could use just a tad more cast off (and as my cheeks get chubby it will need evenn more).

BigJimP · November 4, 2012, 12:41 PM

Having responded to your other note on adj pads....I'll second my suggestion to go visit JS Air Cushion stocks...and talk to them about all of this stuff...

But if you look at the XS Skeet with no adjustable comb - the comb is higher than the gun with the adjustable comb gun - when the adj comb is all the way down, flat in the cutout. This allows for adjustability both up and down from what Browning thinks is the "neutral" position.

Like you - the gun with no adjustable comb - fits me very well ---- but I shoot the adj comb versions, for more precise adjustabilty up and down ...and any cast on or off the stock. Its just a better way to go.

Options:
a. Wood Rasp to the comb ...NO....

It would be like sideswiping your car into a pole....( leaving a scar - that is near impossible to blend into the rest of the stock ).

b. Cutting the comb for an Adj comb insert ...with a bandsaw jig is the way the pros do it ( or maybe CNC machinery )...

c. In extreme cases - the gun will have to be re-stocked because the shooter is so far out of the norms / only a custom stock will work ( exceptionally short necks, very long necks etc ..)....

but I think ....JS Air Cushion ...will have a good solid option for you ...and relatively inexpenisve ...( once the gun fits ) / your success potential will increase significantly because right now you know the gun doesn't fit...

TheKlawMan · November 4, 2012, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Like you - the gun with no adjustable comb - fits me very well

That is just it, BigJim. While I was told by a stock fitter a few months back that the gun fit me fine, if I mounted it as he showed me and crawled the stock, I can get no flatter a sight picture than the classic figure 8. And this is after dropping 18 pounds. Should I gain weight back, and that seems to be the way things go, it will be difficult not to get see some rib.

Since then I took a lesson with a guy called Phil Ross at Redlands. Phil started out telling me that my gun shot flat, until he shot it. It shoots high.

Maybe it is not big thing, but I think I would like to be able to lower the comb to shoot skeet and raise it when I got over to the trap field.

I just tried something. While I have been thining that the XS needs some cast off (just a hair as the mid bead tends to sit just to the right of the front unless I pull it so tight against my cheek that it is almost painful), it may be that the gun just needs to be rotated a hair counter clockwise, which is what an adjstable pad can do.

(This is testing fit with the pad removed, slid down just under 1", and taped in place.)

BigJimP · November 4, 2012, 02:51 PM

I think you need someone who really understands Fit - to help you out. Someone that can really go over the pros and cons on all this stuff with you sitting there.

As an example ....noone can say the gun shoots flat for them vs you ...every gun, every darn one, fits me and you different....if its set to shoot 60%/40% over point of impact for me....it may be 80%/20% for you ...or vice versa.

Noone, can tell you by watching you shoot if a gun shoots flat or not....there is just no way they can see what you see down the barrel or what that cloud of shot is doing ...or if you moved off -or up or down from the target line a little as you executed the follow thru on the shot ...unless they video tape you and give you some critique as they slow the tape down.

Anyone that tells you they know / until you take it to a pattern board ...is guessing in my opinion ( and you shouldn't let them adjust your gun). Now at the same time, I may think things look ok for you ...and I may say, hey, maybe we should raise the comb to adjust your point of impact a little ...but while I may say "I think" this or that ...until you go to a pattern board - mount and shoot that gun with a full choke, I can't tell what your point of impact is....with any degree of certainty.

No don't put the weight back on ..../ but that is another reason for having an adjustable comb ...so as you lose weight in your face, shoulders, etc...you can make fine tuned adjustments to the gun and move your point of impact around a little.

TheKlawMan · November 4, 2012, 03:56 PM

This is what I think. I will call Paul at JS and ask him what he thinks. If he thinks he needs to see me shoot, I will take a lesson with him. I can use a lesson, regardless. If he wants to do a more formal fitting with a try-gun, I will do it. I wouldn't be surprised if he tells me to work on my mount some more.

i don't understand what difference it makes, but my XS is a high rib. I believe some of them were low ribs. Which is yours and what practical difference is it supposed to make? I see that the Sporting Clays model is a low rib.

BigJimP · November 5, 2012, 12:18 PM

I think you're looking at different models ....the XS Special and the XS Skeet are 2 very different models...../ the XS Skeet only comes in one configuration....??

TheKlawMan · November 5, 2012, 02:22 PM

I knew they were two different models, the XS Skeet and the XS Special (which I called the Sporting Clays).

I thought there once was a low rib XS Skeet. I hit on a solution to my fit issues and am scheduling appointments with the surgeon to reduce some of the cheekbone.

November 3, 2012, 11:25 PM	#1
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Fiddling with the XS, an Adjustable Comb I guess I am going to try to correct some fit problems with my Brwoning Citori XS Skeet. It has a standard stock and high rib 30" barrels. For those not familiar with the model, it has a parallel stock. While it is designed for skeet, I rarely use it for that and usually shoot trap at the 16 yard line. I wanted a gun to use for all the shooting sports; trap, skeet, sporting clays and etcetera. Because of personal physical characteristics, the gun sets up for me with a classic figure 8 and pointing slightly to the left. The fig 8 is fine for trap, but I would like to be able to lower the comb in relation to the rib to achieve a flat POI. From what I have gleaned by reading Rollin Oswald, there are at least three ways to do this. One is to take a rasp and remove wood from the top of the comb. One is to stick an add-on rib and the third is to have an adjustable comb cut so that the top of the adjustable section can bcomb can be lowered so as to increase the drop at comb. Can someone explain how a stock smith cuts an adjustable comb to increase the drop at comb? I am pretty certain that I am going to install an AC since my XS could use just a tad more cast off (and as my cheeks get chubby it will need evenn more).

November 4, 2012, 12:41 PM	#2
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Having responded to your other note on adj pads....I'll second my suggestion to go visit JS Air Cushion stocks...and talk to them about all of this stuff... But if you look at the XS Skeet with no adjustable comb - the comb is higher than the gun with the adjustable comb gun - when the adj comb is all the way down, flat in the cutout. This allows for adjustability both up and down from what Browning thinks is the "neutral" position. Like you - the gun with no adjustable comb - fits me very well ---- but I shoot the adj comb versions, for more precise adjustabilty up and down ...and any cast on or off the stock. Its just a better way to go. Options: a. Wood Rasp to the comb ...NO.... It would be like sideswiping your car into a pole....( leaving a scar - that is near impossible to blend into the rest of the stock ). b. Cutting the comb for an Adj comb insert ...with a bandsaw jig is the way the pros do it ( or maybe CNC machinery )... c. In extreme cases - the gun will have to be re-stocked because the shooter is so far out of the norms / only a custom stock will work ( exceptionally short necks, very long necks etc ..).... but I think ....JS Air Cushion ...will have a good solid option for you ...and relatively inexpenisve ...( once the gun fits ) / your success potential will increase significantly because right now you know the gun doesn't fit...

November 4, 2012, 02:51 PM	#4
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I think you need someone who really understands Fit - to help you out. Someone that can really go over the pros and cons on all this stuff with you sitting there. As an example ....noone can say the gun shoots flat for them vs you ...every gun, every darn one, fits me and you different....if its set to shoot 60%/40% over point of impact for me....it may be 80%/20% for you ...or vice versa. Noone, can tell you by watching you shoot if a gun shoots flat or not....there is just no way they can see what you see down the barrel or what that cloud of shot is doing ...or if you moved off -or up or down from the target line a little as you executed the follow thru on the shot ...unless they video tape you and give you some critique as they slow the tape down. Anyone that tells you they know / until you take it to a pattern board ...is guessing in my opinion ( and you shouldn't let them adjust your gun). Now at the same time, I may think things look ok for you ...and I may say, hey, maybe we should raise the comb to adjust your point of impact a little ...but while I may say "I think" this or that ...until you go to a pattern board - mount and shoot that gun with a full choke, I can't tell what your point of impact is....with any degree of certainty. No don't put the weight back on ..../ but that is another reason for having an adjustable comb ...so as you lose weight in your face, shoulders, etc...you can make fine tuned adjustments to the gun and move your point of impact around a little.

November 4, 2012, 03:56 PM	#5
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	This is what I think. I will call Paul at JS and ask him what he thinks. If he thinks he needs to see me shoot, I will take a lesson with him. I can use a lesson, regardless. If he wants to do a more formal fitting with a try-gun, I will do it. I wouldn't be surprised if he tells me to work on my mount some more. i don't understand what difference it makes, but my XS is a high rib. I believe some of them were low ribs. Which is yours and what practical difference is it supposed to make? I see that the Sporting Clays model is a low rib.

November 5, 2012, 12:18 PM	#6
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	I think you're looking at different models ....the XS Special and the XS Skeet are 2 very different models...../ the XS Skeet only comes in one configuration....??

November 5, 2012, 02:22 PM	#7
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	I knew they were two different models, the XS Skeet and the XS Special (which I called the Sporting Clays). I thought there once was a low rib XS Skeet. I hit on a solution to my fit issues and am scheduling appointments with the surgeon to reduce some of the cheekbone.