doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Leather Butt Pads

I have never had a leather butt pad installed but I have a nice straight stocked 16 gauge William Evans I would like to lengthen a little. The checkered butt has a slight curve to it and I am wondering if they have to cut the curve off to install the pad or do they just install it over the butt as is. If they have to cut it I probably will not have it installed but will instead stick with the removable Velcro leather slip-on. How is a leather butt pad fastened? I also need to have just a tad more drop on it so I may send it out to have the drop increased to about 2 7/8". Suggestions??

AFAIK, the English style are all a rubber pad, covered by a thin layer of leather. The rubber pad is fitted in the normal way, then the sides are faired in about another 1/16" (the thickness of the leather). The leather is stretched on wet, dried, then glued to the rubber pad, the free edge being run over the bottom corner of the pad for a short distance, to give a finished joining edge. Often a thin line is planished in the leather just shy of the joint, just for decoration.The pad is then screwed to the stock, as normal, and rubber plugs, covered with the same leather, fitted in the screw recesses.
Quite a bit more work than just fitting a straight pad, and therefore more expensive to get a nice job done.

The edges of the checkered butt are rounded a little at least all the ones I have seen were.Would not be a good fit unless butt was cut. Bobby

I would recommend you contact Peter Kogut of Farmington, NH. He has installed leather covered pads directly over checkered butts with an adhesive that's totally removable if you so choose. He used to advertise his exquisite wooden doublegun cases as well as the removable leather covered pads on this site.

There was someone years ago, perhaps 10-12, that offered a service doing exactly what you are asking about. He was written up in an article in SSM, or someplace like that. He would install a leather covered pad right over a curved checkered butt so that a vintage buttstock would not have to be cut. I cannot remember his name or where the article was. The reason I remember it was that I considered sending my I. Hollis to him to do. I never saw any of his work other than in pictures, and he may not be still in business.

SRH

My William Evans guns also have rather uncommon curved butts. They are quite elegant and I would not mess with them. About 90 percent of leather covered pads do not come up to what we expect in quality. I have seen the pads being discussed, and I would not be happy with one of them on my gun. Oddly, the best leather covered pad I have ever owned is on the butt of my wonderful Galazan Inverness. It was a $500 option and worth every dollar.

It doesn't exist without picture proof.

Some day.

I would (and do) stick with the removable pad you are using. I really like them--put the pad on for clays, etc., then when winter comes and I'm layered up Hunting I remove it for a shorter pull.