doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Removing A leather covered pad

I have an option to purchase a Gun which has a 1" leather pad and is about 1" too long for me. How do I remove the current pad w/o rendering it useless?

A proper leather covered pad will have removable plugs, pull them and unscrew the pad, then have a thin plate fit to the butt.

You will first need to determine how the pad is attached

It is a difficult question to answer as there is not a single universal method by which all pads were applied.

Lately many seem to cut plugs in the pad then screw them on like any rubber pad then covering the pad with glued on leather then leather glued to the plugs. That removal is easy.

Several other ways they maybe attached include two screw post set in the buttstock then glued to the butt. Another method I have seen is a pad of brass nail tapped into the butt then the pad is glued to it. I am sure there are more variations.

The challenge of carefully separating the pad undamaged from butt when having to cut through glue is a bear, further if tacked on with multiple small nails there is also a danger of cracking the stock.

It maybe possible to soften the glue if glued, but soaking or steaming creates secondary problems with the wood, the finish, and the leather pad itself.

Others perhaps have better ideas and experience of having done more than the two I have had to mess with.

A picture of it would make it easier for someone to help you. 👍

Thanks Mike