Researcher, thanks as always for your information. I think you are right, it's the remains of a Jostam pad, and when it started going bad the owner used one of those rubber stretch-on pads to cover it and keep everything together.

I'll get another pad on the gun and I'll have to think a bit how to blend in some new varnish to make the rub mark less noticeable. I really don't want to get the entire buttstock redone. If anyone has any good ideas on this, please let me know. Thanks again! Silvers

I AM SILVERS, NOT SLIVER = two different members. I'm in the northeast, the other member is in MT.