To my way of thinking the best way to preserve the Silvers pad is to leave it in a drawer. A Grant or any other best gun deserves a leather covered pad with a proper recoil pad under it such as a de-acellerator or one of the new Italian ones that Cole down in Florida sells.
Mike;
Take a look at the pair of Grant's SLE's that are listed on the Holt's July 2025 auction. They may just be the finest pair of Grant's in circulation, and will sell at a very reasonable price due to single trigger. I have only seen one other pair of Grant's in better condition and that was in 2008 when I happened into William Evans St. James shop and he had a pair of Grant side lever30 inch damascus barreled SLE guns in storage that had been in ownership of one family since new.
I have Grant sidelever SLE (no. 2 of a pair) serial no. 6030 finished Aug 1889 and built by John Robertson for Stephen Grant (prior to his ownership of Boss). This gun is the earliest known prototype of the later classic John Robertson Boss SLE according to Donald Dallas. It looks just like the later Boss SLE guns, no fluted fences and so forth, only the classic Grant house scroll engraving. Even has the Boss style sidelocks with their famous intercepting sear. It was in terrible condition when I found it and I spent several years off and on restoring it, even re-engraving the entire action and sending it over to England for re-proof to 2 3/4 inch and English blacking. Yes, the gun does have the first version of the infamous Stephen Grant, Jr. ejector system, and I had to teach myself how it worked and ended up re-making most of the parts for it, including a new barrel locking bolt, new side lock tumblers and new bridles---what a trial by fire that was.
Don't take my comments on the Silvers pad to heart--just an old man's thoughts about classic guns. Your comments in the past lead me to believe you have some wonderful classic British guns.
I have a English gun with a Silvers pad and I have not done anything to it in over 20 and it looks like new. I do, however leave all my guns upside down in the safe and keep oil from the stock and the pad.
Stephen Howell
Last edited by bushveld; 06/02/25 12:56 PM.