Stock (firearms) Facts for Kids

A gunstock, often called a stock, is a very important part of a long gun, like a rifle or shotgun. It's the part you hold against your shoulder when you are aiming and shooting. The stock gives the gun structural support, holding together the barrel, the action (the moving parts), and the firing mechanism (what makes it fire).

Holding the stock against your shoulder helps you aim steadily. It also helps to manage the gun's kickback, called recoil, by sending that force into your body. This makes the gun more stable and easier to control.

Did you know? The "tiller" on a crossbow works much like a gunstock.

What is a Gunstock?
History of the Gunstock
Parts of a Gunstock
Images for kids
See also

What is a Gunstock?

A gunstock is the main body of a long gun. It connects all the important parts and helps the shooter hold the gun firmly. This design makes it easier to aim accurately and helps absorb the gun's kick when it fires.

History of the Gunstock

An early hand cannon, or gonne, supported by a simple stock

The word "stock" for firearms first appeared in 1571. It comes from the German word Stock, which means "tree trunk." This makes sense because early gunstocks were often made from wood.

Very old guns, called hand cannons, had a simple stick attached to them as a handle. The shape of the modern gunstock started to develop with the arquebus. This was an early type of gun that used a matchlock mechanism.

With a matchlock, the shooter didn't have to hold a burning match to the gun by hand. This freed up one hand to help support the gun. With both hands free, shooters could brace the arquebus against their shoulder. This new way of holding the gun led to the basic gunstock shape we still see today, more than 500 years later! This change made guns much more accurate.

Interestingly, when muskets were brought to the Americas, Native Americans and First Nations sometimes used the gunstocks as hand-to-hand war clubs. This happened if the gun parts broke or if they ran out of ammunition.

Parts of a Gunstock

A gunstock has two main parts: the butt and the fore-end. The trigger is usually the dividing line between them.

The butt (also called the buttstock) is the rear part. This is the section you brace against your shoulder. It also has areas for your trigger hand.
- The comb is the top edge of the butt.
- The heel is the top corner of the butt.
- The toe is the bottom corner of the butt.
- The grip is where you hold the gun with your trigger hand. Some grips have a thumbhole for a more comfortable hold.

The fore-end (or forestock) is the front part of the stock. It supports the gun's receiver and helps manage the recoil from the barrel.

In some newer gun designs, the front part of the gun might be called a "handguard" instead of a fore-end. However, it still serves a similar purpose to the traditional fore-end.