As mentioned in the previous Boyds At-One review, Boyds has been making laminate wood stocks for a long time. So you most likely have heard of them. They have since come out with the At-One for pump action shotguns. So they asked me if I would like to review it, and here we are.
Boyds gunstocks history goes back to 1981. But they have definitely kept up with the times. The stocks are inletted with CNC machines. Only US grown hardwoods are used for the laminate process. Boyds’ stocks are also hand sanded so that the smoothness is just right. I’m told the factory is even temperature controlled to maintain consistency. All of this, and finished off in a special hard finish that seals the stock, including the inlet portion, to protect it from the weather and make it last for years
As of right now, they only make the shotgun At-One for two models. Those models are the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500. I chose the Mossberg 500 version in “Sky,” which is a blue/grey/black laminate. Now, when the marketing rep and I ordered this, we did not look at everything, so the forearm was the wrong one. I now know that there are two different action slide lengths for the forearms. I have the shorter one. So when ordering, please read the fine print at the bottom. This was by no way Boyds’ fault, it was mine. But as the saying goes “the more you know.”
On to installation. The stock and forearm go on pretty easy. Take the buttplate of your old stock and unscrew the bolt holding it on. It should come right off. Then you need to install the included metal adaptor to your receiver. The stock comes with all the hardware needed and really good instructions. Pretty easy so far. Now you have to install the stock to the adaptor with more supplied hardware. First you have to remove the bottom cap off of the stock so that you can have access to the screw hole. Then you can install the stock itself. This is where I ran into a little bit of a problem. The hole and supplied screw are at an odd angle, so getting a long enough allen wrench in the hole is key. My universal nut driver, with allen head bits, was just too large in diameter to fit down in the recessed hole. Because of this, I took out a tiny chunk of wood where the bottom cap meets the stock. I should have just ordered a long allen allen wrench, which fits fine. Once that’s done, screw the bottom cap back on and the stock is good to go. The forearm went on easy. Just loosen the odd nut (I’m sure it has a name) that holds on the forearm. A special tool works best, but I just used a big chisel as a huge screwdriver (not recommended). I did remove the forearm from the shotgun first. Then I just lightly tapped the new Bantam forend on, installed the odd nut, and reinstalled the forend and rails onto the shotgun. It was really fairly easy.
Now that the At-One is installed, it’s time for my experiences with it. As with the other At-One I reviewed, it is very comfortable to shoot. All of those adjustments really give the shotgun shooter an edge. Finally a stock that can be adjusted for the individual user. My Mossberg 500 has never really fit me correctly, until now. Since the comb on the At-One is adjustable, I was able to raise it up a little more than the fixed factory stock. This improved my shooting some. The length of pull on the Mossberg was fine, but with the At-One, I could fine tune it just a little more. However, I wasn’t real keen on the sharpness of the pistol grip. I liked it on the rifle, but prefer a more rounded one on the shotgun. If you want a larger pistol grip, they make the target one, which adds more meat to the grip and also changes the angle slightly. Another advantage to the length of pull, is how short the Boyds stock can go. One can shorten it up to 12.5” and out to 14.25”. If you want to make a more maneuverable shotgun, say for moving through a house, you can adjust the stock all the way in. It also works good for shorter armed shooters. The buttons to adjust the buttpad and comb have a very stout spring in them making them hard to push. This is done on purpose to keep any accidental adjustments from happening. Now I will say that the buttpad on the At-One is nice, but on a shotgun, a softer one would be nicer. It is the same buttpad as on the At-One rifle stocks. Now If you are really into adjustments, Boyds does offer a vertical adjustable buttpad system.
Boyds makes some really nice products. The At-One for shotguns is another one. It is available in a standard walnut also, in case you don’t like the laminate look. I personally like the laminate’s. The adjustability gives these stocks an edge in the field or on the range. Now, if they only made them for semi-auto shotguns. Take a look at Boyds gunstocks, they make a nice product.
Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame:
Adjustable laminate wood shotgun stock
Target Market:
Those wanting adjustability and/or different looks from their shotgun
FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):
Laminate Hardwood
Adjustable Butt pad
Adjustable Cheek rest (Comb)
Interchangeable Grip
12.5" to 14.25" Length of pull
.75” of comb adjustment
Made in USA
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?
Too many to list, go check them out HERE
What others are saying?:
Couldn’t find anything on the shotgun stocks, only rifle stocks
Link to other reviews:
Could only find “new release” articles
Price point:
MSRP: Stock = $175.00
Forend = $67.00
Retail = Same as above
I need it now! Availability:
Our Rating:
Pros:
Adjustable comb
Adjustable length of pull
Optional pistol grip
Stable Laminate
Great installation instructions
All US made
Cons:
Tough to get stock screw tightened
Buttpad could be softer
Score: 8.00 Great
Favorite Link: Tony’s Diversityshoot.com
