doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Slip on pads

While it's an inconsequential question, can you tell me what your opinions are concerning slip on recoil pads? I've several guns that I decided not to put a pad on because of their value. The leather Velco slip ones look interesting, but I have no experience with them.

The velcro slip on pads by Galco are wonderful for what you are trying to do. Very high quality.

FelixD, I use slip on or lace on pads on several guns which I like, but which do not fit me well. The use of the pads allow me to enjoy shooting the guns without modifying them.

In the field they work well and I can scarcely think of an occasion where a pad has slipped or fallen off.

As a case in point, I enjoy shooting an old Scottish hammer gun. A handsome gun with fine balance, its stock is both too short for me and has too much drop. The use of a slip on pad and comb raiser makes the gun shoot where I look, and many a ruffed grouse has fallen to this combination. Most satisfying. When the gun returns home, off come the pads and no harm is done.

While the weight of the pads may have some effect on the handling, I am not conscious of it in the field. The esthetics are of course diminished while the pads are in place, but no one has laughed (at least not to my face). To me at least, the joy of shooting the old guns outweighs the temporary loss of esthetics.

It will do you no harm to experiment with velcro or lace on pads. I encourage you to try one, and to look at the Galazan leather comb raising kits as well (if appropriate). A gun that fits you is always more enjoyable to shoot than one that does not, and is infinitely preferable to a gun that is left in the safe.

Anton

I shoot Kick-Killers on several of my guns to add 1/2" to their LOP. They contain an Acton (sp.?) pad which is also very effective if needed for recoil. Lace-on or velcro, well made, and less expensive than Galco's. Available at Cabela's. I've had some of them on continuously for years and can see no change in finish on the butt.

I like slip-on pads and have used many different makes, including the ones mentioned, and some "no-names" too. Very handy when you need more pull and don't want to whittle on the wood, or if you need to adjust the LOP to account for seasonal clothing thickness variation. I have what one of my gunsmith friends refers to as "ape-hanger arms," and often need the extra pull.

Have come to prefer the lace-on because they are easier to remove. If you hunt in crappy weather (what serious hunter doesn't?), water will accumulate under the pad and sooner or later degrade the stock finish. Been there, and learned to pull the pad after each soggy hunt and also when the gun is to go into any lengthy period of storage.

I HAVE endured many hurtful remarks from my "boon (more like "goon" actually) companions" about "butt condoms" and "sissy pads" regarding slip-on pads, but persist in the serene knowledge of my righteousness. Let them eat potato crisps and drink "frozen gnat piss," say I.

Just to add to what the others have said, I am a big fan of leather slip-on pads precisely to avoid altering a factory original stock (I always seem to need a little more LOP, and a gunsmith always wants to cut flat the curved butt in order to add an extended buttpad).

I shoot my Winchester 101 12ga from low-gun all summer long with a leather slip-on pad at sporting clays. The pad gets so much use the leather gets a "polished" surface and becomes real slippery. About once a month I rough up the leather surface with some sand paper so it has the right amount of "gription."

I've always been very satisfied with the inexpensive Galco pads. I once tried out a high end pad made of very heavy leather. The pad was beautifully made, but the heavy, stiff leather interfered with the pad fully conforming to the shape of the butt, and I could never get the pad tight enough to not move under recoil. The less expensive Galco pads have thinner, softer leather which better conforms to the butt when the pad is snugged down, and I never have movement problems with such pads.

Also, I've heard that the tanning chemicals in the leather may discolor the wood finish if a leather pad is left on a gun too long. I imagine that this would take at least many months to happen, but I always remove the pad after each shooting session (in case I happen to not shoot the gun for a long time). Consequently, I prefer the quick-to-attach-and-detach velcro-type leather slip-on pads over the lace-on type.

--shinbone

One big side benefit of slip-on pads is the protection they offer to the area of the stock that usually suffers the worst abuse. If recoil is a factor the Galco type slip-on pads increase the butt area by 25% to 35%. This really softens the blow.

And would the frozen gnat piss be with a twist?