Do slip on recoil pads damage a stock?

If you have ever noticed the fine workmanship of a carefully fitted steel buttplate on some of those pre-64 model 70 Winchesters, etc., you might ask, "Why in the world would any one cut that stock to add a grind-to-fit recoil pad, when they can simply use a slip-on recoil pad and keep the stock original?".
 
All I can say is that my Dad had one of the old fiberglass barrel Winchester shotguns (don't remember the model) that he bought for my Mom to shoot anything that might swoop down to pick off a chicken in the yard. My Mom couldn't handle the recoil so he put a rubber slip on pad that stayed for years. To me it seemed to suck the moisture out of the wood...definitely damaged the butt stock.

Just my .02 cents....

Jerry
 
I have had a slip on pad on a double bbl shotgun for 7 maybe 8 years....just looked at it , I slipped it off, rubber still pliable and stock finish on the walnut stock under the pad looks just fine.
I slipped it back on....so far so good. I always meant to put on a regular recoil pad...but this one works so well I just never got a round tuit.
Gary
 
If you wax the stock before you put it on it can stay on for ever, that is what a gunsmith told me !!!
 
I guess that every eight years or so a subject can be resurrected.
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-- LOL thanks Art for the smile... I have done a few searches on this subject, this was one of the few sensible threads that came back, and until I posted no one had actually had any damage. So I added rather than starting new...

And all the reasons above for why to use it! It is VERY rare that my partner will shoot either of these two rifles without the butt pad (although weirdly she enjoys the No5 as is!!!). For me, when I am testing ammo its extra friction helps to keep the stock in the same position shot to shot.

I am still looking for away to lighten the finish back to where it was, if anyone has any ideas they would be appreciated? Since both are boiled linseed oil I have tried rubbing down with turps, but no result. With the bands around the back of the stocks they look like DP rifles!

Thanks everyone for taking the trouble to answer.

Bob
 
All right, Why would anyone take a beautiful wood stock and put on a slip on recoil pad? It's better to buy one of those plastic stocks and put it on there, they start out ugly! Great idea, buy a new rifle in a cartridge that won't require a slip on stock to handle recoil!
 
Because I can't abide with a plastic stock when Walnut is my standard. A slip-on recoil pad add to the length-of-pull, which is generally a good thing for me. however when wearing heavy winter clothing, it can be desirable to remove the recoil pad. It's an on-again/off again kind of thing.
 
Bob Shoots

I managed to refinish a stock back to same uniform color that had been in the back of pick up and one side was dark (original?) and other side exposed to UV sunlight was noticeably lighter

This begs the question did the slip on darken the original color or preserve it

Lightening the darkened area is hard... darkening the rest to be same uniform shade is much easier
 
@Fredvon4

Thanks for the reply. In this case I don't think the problem is caused by UV, these rifles rarely get to see daylight, let alone the sun! They are kept in a slip-case and shot indoors for the most part. The exposure to the slip on butt pad was measured in weeks rather than months, but the darkening is pronounced and obvious.

I am beginning to think that the problem may be more related to a release agent being left on the inside of the butt pad. Whoever above said wash them thoroughly and then talc the inside I think was onto the right thing, even better than talc would be fullers earth (used to have loads for NBC decontamination) which would help to neutralise anything nasty leftover from washing.

Ho-hum, do not want to have to refinish them, again in the case of the K31, and especially in the case of the Enfield which is stained, But it is beginning to look like the only option...

Bob
 
Might have to do with the construction of the rubber( or whatever it is) slip on recoil pad, and when and where it was made. If it is a little reactive to the finish of the stock it might damage it with prolonged wear.
 
Yes, the slip on pads discolor stocks. My thoughts are my firearms fall into two categories.
1. Shooter
2. Safe Queen
The shooters get run hard and abused. The safe queens keep their majestic beauty maintained.
 
@xandi - It could have been older petroleum based rubber recoil pads. Those would definitely do it. Today's pads should be fine...
 
Bob shoots

Just an anecdote that has some meager relevance...

But first; I suspect the recoil pad, by darkening the stock where in contact, was, as suggest by others...simply not thoroughly cleaned/cured and out gassing the different volatile gasses that reacted with whatever the final finish of the stock was

as stated make darker to match, or total strip and refinish back to uniform

The story: I put a very very nice new TALO Ruger 10/22 in a Ruger brand rifle soft case....

I had previously had a basic Ruger 10/22 in that case for years...lots of shooting/cleaning residue, oil residue, no way to know what all chemicals got absorbed into the soft interior....

When I put the brand new rifle in it was a nice light blond with exquisite checking from TALO...(reason I bought it)...

About a year later my son was visiting and I wanted to show off the beautiful rifle.... (wish I had before and after photos)...The rifle came out of the soft case many shades darker.... thankfully uniform and while not as pretty as I thought on storing...I liked the new look
 
Thanks Fredvon, I am glad you like the new shade, I have to say on looking at the darkened section of the K31 stock I am tempted to darken it all...

On Friday I swapped mails with an Ex British Army Armourer on the subject. He said he had actually seen the same thing, darkening of the stock, where soldiers had used a rubber slip on butt pad (not sure if it was issue). Of course, being only a cosmetic problem he had no interest in fixing it, but his opinion is that it is caused by oil penetration into the stock.

With this in mind I am now treating the condition as an oil penetration to see if I can lift/lighten the stain that way. I tried leaving some bicarb on one of the stocks over the WE but it does not seem to have achieved anything, now both stock ends are stood in a bucket of cat litter to see if this can suck any oil out. Failing that it is a warm iron and brown paper. I will post any results.

Thanks

Bob
 
Today's pads transparrent? UV fading is the big issue.
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Then take it off...problem solved. They pop right off when done shooting. Some people have to take something so easy and make it 10x more difficult out of paranoia.
 
hometheaterman asked:
My question and fear with this is will they damage a wood stock or the finish on it?
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Possibly.

To slip on and hold, the pad has to be constructed of a polymer with elastomeric properties (i.e. it is a plastic that behaves like rubber). To get that rubbery property, the plastic is molded with chemicals that soften it. Left in contact with a stained and varnished or oil finished wood, the chemicals in the pad can make it start to stick to the finish on the wood.

There is also the previously mentioned problem of the pad protecting part of the finish from oxidation or ultraviolet light color change that leaves a distinct line in the finish as well as damage caused to the stock by trash that gets caught between the pad and the stock.

To minimize this potential for damage you would, ideally, remove the pad from the rifle when it comes back from the range and at the end of each season you would dispose of the pad and get a fresh one for the new year.
 
Bob...eventually what ever you do will maybe be fun OR depending on attitude a royal PITA... I actually do a lot of wood working...so would take the challenge to just make it my own unique refinish...perhaps all darker or all back to original or something in the middle

I have some beat to hell stocks I made beautiful and some look like they belong in a homeless camp

I would be curious for you to do a before and after set of photos
 
Today's pads transparrent? UV fading is the big issue.
Then take it off...problem solved. They pop right off when done shooting.
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If the issue is UV fading of the stain used on the stock, and most of the UV exposure is going to happen outside, how will taking off the pad once you get home solve the problem? A slip-on pad looks like a pimple on a prom queen, they don't fit right, they hold moisture and degrade the appearance of the wood. Solution? Just put a recoil pad on the rifle. Don't be like the ijits you see driving down the freeway with the tiny spare tire on their car, that is just a stop-gap.
 
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