I have a couple of guns (One Lefever, one British) that have had leather covered pads added to them in the recent past and wondered when they were first introduced. The early double gun ads often list various (Silvers, Hawkins, NoShoc, etc.) recoil pads as an option but I have not encountered any advertisement from a double gun manufacturer for a leather covered pad. Is the leather covered pad a more modern innovation? If so when were they first introduced?

It seems that leather covered pads go back to the late 1890s.
All makers of best guns offered them. In America, Fox supplied the XE grade guns with a leather faced (not fully covered) Silver's pad as standard, but I've never seen a fully covered pad from any other maker except for Winchester. Winchester's leather covered pad, however, was as much an abomination as the gun that wore it.

For reference, here are some photos of leather covered pads that I've done.

The first two photos are the same pad, before and after the cover.

beautiful work, your attention to detail is amazing.




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Thanks Mr. Vicknair, your work is outstanding. I have enjoyed your blog detailing some of your more interesting repairs. I was referring to the fully leather covered pads as shown in your pictures. I am aware of Fox offering a leather faced pad and I also have a Lefever with a leather faced Silvers pad that may be original. I am interested as to the approximate time frame when factory and/or after market gunsmiths began to offer a fully leather covered pad. I suspect that they were first offered in Britain but when?

I believe i saw an advert from a gun maker printed in Donald Dallas's book the British sporting gun and rifle offering pads and leather covered pads, can't recall the maker off the top of my head but I'll get back to you if i find it

Mr. Vicknair I need your contact info, I may need a pad installed.

Mike, check your PMs.

Gary, thank you.

Al, as I stated in my post, the major English makers began offering leather covered pads in the late 1890's.
As far as I know, no American maker (other than Winchester) offered a full-cover pad as an option.

i REALLY like your work on those pads!

Dewey,
Hunter offered a leather covered pad as a $6.00 option in their 1939 catalog (maybe before).

Thanks for pointing that out Laxcoach.

Mr. Vicknair, beautiful work, congratulations!

JC