doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Adding LOP

Kick-Eez has a "Magnum" sized pad that works very well in attenuating recoil (not that you need it with a 20 ga.) that is 1 3/8" thick.

Once a pad's length gets beyond an inch, the aesthetics of the gun go south quickly. If it was my gun, and I needed to add 1.5" to the LOP, I would add a 1" pad and then slip on a temporary leather pad to get the other 0.5". Cheap slips-on pads be had for $30 and nicer leather pads are less than $100.

I concur with Ken, be wary of the extra 1/4 in thickness and aesthetic effect. Be sure you really need that 1/4 inch, with hunting coats etc some guns end up too long too fast. That said also more important than the look, is the effect on balance. Thick heavy rubber pads can really change a guns performance, which is why I am a big fan of the lighter cervallati microcell pads, half the weight or so of the same thickness Silver or Kickeze pad. They will move that center of balance less than otherwise, and not raise overall weight as much.

An additional thought, once you know for sure what dimensions work well for you for a particular gun, after a season with a pad, get it restocked in wood without the thick pad. Thick if you hunt for the correct dimensions a step in the journey to getting a gun that i# just right for you.

I recently replaced the hard plastic butt plate on a BSS 12 ga to get more LOP and a little cushion for factory loads. The extra length moved my cheek weld to a thicker part of the stock and now I can't hit anything with it. The gun points to the left severely when mounted. Now going to have to thin down the butt with a rasp and then refinish the stock. Yes, I could have it bent but don't think I will.

This is a 16 gauge L.C. Smith Specialty Grade that someone cut the stock to 12 1/2" and then added the recoil pad, still too short for me. I added the wooden extension only using two 2" dry wall screws, no glue. The LOP is now 14 1/8" over the butt plate. I know this is not for everyone, but using black spacers to make up the difference is not for me.
The next owner can do what they want but replacing that stock with a similar piece of walnut would be in the thousands and selling it you would never make up the cost.

1" pad with a lace on, or Galco with Velcro is much nicer looking than a 1-1/2" pad.
When I see a 1-1/2" pad or 1" with spacers, I move past them quickly as they almost hurt my eyes.
The Galco with velcro looks cleaner to me than a lace on. YMMV.

You should be able to check around and get another stock for that gun. Or couldn't you just go back to the original butt plate?

Well, a replacement stock would put me back where I was - with a gun that's too short and for some reason beats up my shoulder when I shoot it with 1oz target loads. This one is a 12 gauge 'magnum' with 30" barrels and handles like a (heavy) oar. Strictly a boat gun. I want to use it for waterfowl loads that are much hotter so feeling like I need the decelerator type pad. This gun has been bothering me for a refinish anyway since a previous owner had stripped the gloss finish and then did a poor finish of perhaps a walnut penetrating oil. So I haven't liked it and taking a rasp to get a better fit doesn't bother me with this one. Much of my shooting is with 19th century guns and this one is for modern ammo and when conditions perhaps are not going to be ideal.

I agree that if 1 oz. loads are "beating you up", then something's bad wrong. I normally shoot 1 oz. loads in a 20 ga. AH Fox with no issues.