" I do, however leave all my guns upside down in the safe and keep oil from the stock and the pad."
I know this was brought up a few times and I must ask, how much oil are you putting in your gun that it has to be placed barrels down? I own a few box lock guns in double and over-under but mainly side lock guns and I take everyone I get apart and clean them, some have never been cleaned and after cleaning I use some Rem oil with a Q-tip. So pardon me I I don't understand barrels down. The only few old double I have with original recoil pads that I want to preserve I will put barrels down first so the pads don't compress.
David;
Placing guns barrels down primary purpose is to keep lubricant from the action internals running into the head of the stock. I do not do it for me but for my heirs. However for old forgetful folks like me if I have for some reason have oil on my butt stock end barrels down help, but of course the oil then runs down on the sides of the butt stock. The silvers pad is made of such tough material oil may not affect it much, I do not know.
Some time back I did a butt stock head transplant on a 1937 English box lock because it was oil soaked and completely falling apart. It takes a long time for oil to damage the wood of the head of a butt stock. Internal to the action lubricant from the top lever works, action locking bolt, sears, cocking levers and so forth can migrate to the butt stock head.
I like Stan's thoughts on coating the silvers pad. American pads are oil sensitive.
