I have been around here for a while and have been around guns a lot longer but have never had length of pull explained to me. What is it? Why is it important?

LOP=The distance from the front of trigger to the center of the butt.

Most common is ~ 13.5". Adjustable LOP stocks were created to fit different frames/bone structures*.


*ETA: And in some cases shooting positions; some guys prefer a different LOP for prone vs. standing.

IIRC, the length of pull is the distance between the end of the stock and the trigger. It's a fitting thing. Depending on how long your arms are, your LoP is different. Ideally, when you hold your long gun in your hand against your forearm, the end of the stock should be in the crook of your elbow.

If you pull too hard, you may need some ointment  

So does it have any significance to shooting other than comfort?

most stocks are too long for "tactical" use gawd, i'm cringing as i say the word, but it's the simplest description... a sporting clays SG can be long, a riot gun shouldn't be.

add to that the fact that many people try to put their head way at the back of the stock instead of up close to the reciever... on the AR, your nose should be touching the charging handle, on an HK, your cheek should be against the hump at the back of the reciever, on an AK, your cheek should be in the saddle behind the reciever... really hard to do that on an A2 or similar length stock.