Review: Bill Davis Pro Combo Stock

I try to remain skeptical about ad copy, but when Bill Davis says his 870/1100/11-87 stock (AJshotgun.com) “brings your shotgun’s value and performance to a level of shotguns costing $2500 and up,” he’s only partly wrong. No one will give me $2500 for the Wingmaster I’m shooting in this picture, but with Davis’ recoil reducing, fully adjustable stock and forearm installed, the gun is a shooter.

The synthetic stock comes in either black or a snazzy faux-carbon fiber finish. It has a fully adjustable comb. Unlike most adjustable combs, which start high and only go up from there, this one can be lowered significantly. (I have the one in this picture set down to shoot very flat for me, yet I could still remove a spacer and increase the drop more. That is rare for an adjustable comb). It moves side to side, also, to accommodate fuller faces.

The buttpad has a Bump Buster recoil reducer, essentially a spring-loaded shock absorber. It works well and takes a lot of the sting out of heavy target loads. That’s a good thing, because I have always thought 870s kicked hard. The buttpad – a soft Limbsaver – adjusts up and down and twists also so you can adjust the toe in or out. It is a little bit of a pain to remove the pad, which grabs screwdrivers and you can’t adjust length of pull but that is the end of this stock’s shortcomings. It weighs a pound more than the old wooden stock, and that extra weight helps with recoil, too. You can put the 1100 stock on by yourself very easily. Attaching the forearm to an 870 requires a spanner of some kind.

The whole set, with matching forearm, costs $400. Yes, the stock does cost more than the old 870 I put it on, but that’s an excellent price for a stock with so many features. And (here is the best part) Davis gives Scholastic shooters a 25% discount, making a good deal even better.