Franchi 612 Drop & Comb adjustment questions

[FearNoFish]

I just bought the 612 in wood with the 24” barrel and would like to adjust the drop so the receiver is a little higher. The instructions did not cover this procedure in detail. It recommended using a torque wrench when you reassemble the stock but it did not say how much torque to use; anyone have an idea?

Also, can you only use one shim or can you stack them? The different sides are marked R and L, what side would face the receiver if you just wanted to change the drop? Has anyone used these shims, and if so could you please describe the process of what side of the shim placement does what to the drop & comb?

Thanks in advance.

[Hawkeye421]

What I am going to say may not be the correct thing to do so I will just state what I did and let anyone else respond to correct what I have said. The shims that are thinner at the top than the bottom will move the barrel up this is called adjusting the drop. The shims that are thinner on one side are used to adjust the cast...that is the movement of the barrel left or right. Where I purchased my gun, he told me to close my eyes, mount the gun, face against the stock first then move it back to my shoulder. Then he asked me what I saw when I opened my eyes. I told him that I saw too much rib before I saw the bead. He said that I should use a shim that is thinner at the top to move the barrel up. After doing this, the following is my opinion on how to adjust drop and cast...this is just my opinion only; Get some patterning paper, I bought some packaging paper at wall mart that came on a roll(brown paper). Put your full choke in the gun and locate the patterning paper about 21yrds out. Shoot the gun and see where your point of impact is. If you are shooting low and to the left then you want to raise the barrel up and move the barrel to the right...To do this you would use the shim that is thinner at the top and thinner on the right side so you end up moving the barrel up and to the right. This is just my humble opinion and please correct me if I am wrong. This did work for me.

[oneshot]

Sounds kind of like sighting in a bow. I have adjusted my point of aim manually after paper testing. I was shooting low and left. Had a heck of a time hitting dove. I am going to try adjust the drop and cast with the shims and see if that helps.

Bill

[FearNoFish]

I ended up taking my 612vs to a gunsmith (Briley) for fitting. I am 6'2" with very long arms and have never found a "off the rack" gun that fits really well and I want my 612 to fit really well. I needed more of a drop than the shims could provide so he is shaving a little off the bottom of the receiver & stock to give it the needed "bend". I also needed the stock extended 3/4".

Because I have had two neck surgeries (fusions) on disk parallel with my shoulder I am having other modification made so I have less felt recoil. They are extending the forcing cone and putting a Kick-Ez extra thick recoil pad on my "fitted" stock. I didn't want the barrel ported but did get a ported Briley choke to try. The gunsmith suggested I not overbore just yet as the Franchi barrels are .723 dia. from the factory. I am also having a trigger job done. Briley is not cheap but I am still coming in a few dollars short of the Optima 391.

Will have it back in time for the South Texas opening weekend for dove, I will let you what I think of the modifications.