# Length of pull

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thumb|250px|Pictorial definition of distance
'''Length of pull''' (sometimes abbreviated as LOP) is the distance from the [trigger](/source/Trigger_(firearms)) to the part of a [rifle](/source/rifle) or [shotgun](/source/shotgun) which fits against the [shoulder](/source/shoulder) of the shooter. Length of pull is an important [ergonomic](/source/ergonomic) factor for ease of use; and optimum length of pull may vary with the size of the shooter, the thickness of [chest](/source/chest) clothing and [body armor](/source/body_armor) being worn,<ref name=htm/> and whether the shooter is firing from a [standing](/source/standing), [sitting](/source/sitting), or [prone position](/source/prone_position).<ref name=aor>{{cite web |url=https://artoftherifle.com/rifle-fit-length-of-pull/2012/02/rifle-fit-length-of-pull.html |title=Rifle Fit: Length of Pull |last=Dow |first=Todd |website=Art of the Rifle |date=27 February 2012 |access-date=29 May 2019 }}</ref>

==Variation==
Many rifles and shotguns are manufactured with a standard length of pull assumed to fit most shooters. This is often approximately {{cvt|13.5|in|cm}} for rifles<ref name=aor/> and about {{cvt|2|cm|1|order=flip}} longer for shotguns.<ref name=htm>{{cite web |url=https://goneoutdoors.com/how-to-measure-length-of-pull-for-shotguns-12668809.html |title=How to Measure Length of Pull for Shotguns |last=Oruc |first=Emrah |website=Gone Outdoors |access-date=29 May 2019 }}</ref> Shooters with short [arm](/source/arm)s may find the [buttstock](/source/buttstock) dragging along the underside of their arm as they attempt to raise the firearm into firing position. Shooters with broad shoulders or a long [neck](/source/neck) may experience face injuries from collision with the [telescopic sight](/source/telescopic_sight) or [thumb](/source/thumb) of the trigger hand as the firearm [recoil](/source/recoil)s. Modern firearms may be equipped with a [telescoping stock](/source/telescoping_stock) or removable spacers to adjust the length of pull. [Gunsmith](/source/Gunsmith)s may adjust the length of pull of custom-built firearms or older firearms by cutting off a portion of the buttstock or adding a [recoil pad](/source/recoil_pad) to the buttstock.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://kickeezproducts.com/most-asked-adjusting-length-of-pull-lop/ |title=Adjusting Length of Pull (LOP) |publisher=KICK-EEZ |access-date=29 May 2019 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529175444/https://kickeezproducts.com/most-asked-adjusting-length-of-pull-lop/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some sources<ref name=htm/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gunstocksinc.com/web_pages/Plate-pics/LOP-Measurement/how_to_measure_your_lop.htm |title=How to measure your LOP |website=gunstocksinc.com |access-date=29 May 2019 }}</ref> suggest a shooter's optimum length of pull will allow the butt of the firearm to exactly reach the inside of the [elbow](/source/elbow) when the hand of that arm grips the unloaded firearm with a finger on the trigger. Other sources<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/articles/248146006-The-more-you-know-Length-of-pull/ |title=The more you know: Length of pull |last=Rose |first=Steve |website=PoliceOne |access-date=29 May 2019 |archive-date=29 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529175434/https://www.policeone.com/police-products/firearms/articles/248146006-The-more-you-know-Length-of-pull/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/You-and-me-and-the-LOP-Length-of-Pull-Page1.htm |title=You and me and the LOP - Length of Pull |last=Hanus |first=Bill |publisher=Gundogs Online |access-date=28 May 2019 }}</ref> suggest a more appropriate determination may be made using a non-firing "try-gun" resembling a firearm with an adjustable buttstock.<ref>{{cite book |last=Craige |first=John Houston |title =The Practical Book of American Guns |publisher =Bramhall House |date =1950 |location =New York |page =257}}</ref> When a properly adjusted try-gun is held in a firing position, the shooter's [nose](/source/nose) should be about two [finger](/source/finger)-widths behind the thumb of the trigger hand.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ospschool.com/sample-knowledge/articles/101-gun-fit |title=Gun Fit |last=Ash |first=Gil |website=OSP School |access-date=29 May 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==See also==
*[Glossary of firearms terms](/source/Glossary_of_firearms_terms)

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Firearms}}

Category:Firearms

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Length of pull](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Length_of_pull) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Length_of_pull?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.