I am having a gun re-stocked. What would you do, checker the butt, use a period correct maker's butt plate or a "sunburst" recoil pad? The gun is an Ithaca Flues 16 Ga Ejector circa 1913.

What is your tolerance to recoil? That would drive my decision. Checkering the butt is great but highly susceptible to cracking, moisture and other problems if not done perfectly.

Jim

If a field gun, butt plate.

I'm not big on checkered butts alone. Seems like a shortcut by makers. Skeleton plate, tabs/clips, full buttplate, or recoil pads are more attractive to me.

Steve: If authenticity is a factor in your decision, I'd stick with the options that would have been correct for the period and appropriate to the gun ... a reproduction buttplate or pad like Ithaca would have used in 1913. If it was me, and I wanted a checkered butt, I'd buy an English gun that already had one. My two cents. TT

I think that checkered butts look out of place on lower grade guns. From a use viewpoint I would much rather have a recoil pad like a period sun burst type to keep with the period look.

I wonder what year the Sunburst pad first came on the scene? To be safe, I think I will get a reproduction hard rubber butt plate.

Thanks for all your replies.

A Flues 16 is going to need low pressure ammunition. Recoil won't be much of a problem. A recoil pad like the sunburst isn't all that lightweight. Me, I'd find a period hard rubber.

That said, some low grade guns have checkered butts. I don't know if a Flues is one of them.
Best,
Ted

If you are going to put it in a gun safe and only take it out occasionally to play "kissing- hug my gun" then, if it is original, I would go with the checkered butt. But if you're an uncoordinated butterfingers like me who is going to take it out and let it slip from your hands and put a nice chip in the end the first time you shoot it, go with the pad or buttplate.

I agree with JW. However, if you plan to shoot it much. put a good pad like a Decelerator on it and enjoy it. It won't be a collector's item with a replacement stock, anyway.

A Skeleton buttplate with checkering sure is "purdy", but then again it is an Ithaca.

OK bad joke aside, they are a very nice touch to a custom gun when done correctly and add more durability to the butt then checkeing alone. My 2 cents.