Fitting a recoil pad

[thunderchicken]

About a month ago, I picked up a model 12 that just has the plain butt plate. I bought a kick-eez pad for it but will need the stock cut down a bit to keep the same 14.25" LOP. Watching videos from Larry Potterfield it seems like a fairly easy undertaking. I called a 'smith to get a price and to check turn around time. Dude wants $140-150 to cut the stick and grind the pad to fit and says he will need the gun 3-4 weeks. I'm not into leaving it with anyone that long since I assume all risk of it being in someone elses possession should something happen. I can buy the pad grinding fixture and have a disc/ belt sander and access to a variety of saws to cut the stock. Should I give it a go or find someone to pay to do it?

 

[Mgderf]

I've not trimmed a stock, and the angle of the cut would be crucial.
That said, I've hand-fitted a couple of recoil pads.
Generally, grinding/sanding a pad is not difficult.

 

[Old Dog]

Cutting a stock down is no big deal if you have some good saws and a little skill. I have cut down several and mounted and ground new butt pads. Figured out the proper angles and made up a jig fixture to hold them in correct place then turned on the radial saw. I put several layers of blue tape at cut line to prevent splintering. Belt sander or pad sander works to trim up butt pad. Again, use blue tape to protect rest of stock from sander.

 

[gregkl]

Old Dog has the right idea. It can be done, but find a YouTube video where a guy does it right. I can't remember who did it, but he used the blue tape and fit the pad to the stock really well.

I took mine to a gunsmith when I lived in Lafayette. He was out near Attica. I was told he was great. He was not. He basically screwed the recoil pad to my stock with some sanding to achieve a somewhat match to my stock. The plastic parts of the pad were rough and partially melted. Not smooth and glossy like in the video I watched.

And I didn't have my stock cut since I was looking for more LOP to shoot Trap. I am living with it, but if I can find someone who can do a superb refinish to the wood on that shotgun, I'll have them do it and fit a recoil pad properly.

I think woodworking is becoming a dying art.

 

[thunderchicken]

Old Dog has the right idea. It can be done, but find a YouTube video where a guy does it right. I can't remember who did it, but he used the blue tape and fit the pad to the stock really well.

I took mine to a gunsmith when I lived in Lafayette. He was out near Attica. I was told he was great. He was not. He basically screwed the recoil pad to my stock with some sanding to achieve a somewhat match to my stock. The plastic parts of the pad were rough and partially melted. Not smooth and glossy like in the video I watched.

And I didn't have my stock cut since I was looking for more LOP to shoot Trap. I am living with it, but if I can find someone who can do a superb refinish to the wood on that shotgun, I'll have them do it and fit a recoil pad properly.

I think woodworking is becoming a dying art.

That sucks and coincides with my concern of leaving it with someone I don't know. And, yes wood working seems to be a dying art.
I asked on a trap shooters site and some say its no big deal just make sure of the cut line and go slow. Others think I should ditch the kick-eez pad that 1&1/8" thick and get a thinner Microcell pad and leave the stock alone. Or it was suggested that I buy a replacement stock prefitted with a pad from High Planes stocks. Looked at their website and I can get one fitted but unfinished for @ $100 or finished for $305+ shipping. Well cut the stock and add a pad is cheaper so that's where I'm at

 

[Sniper 79]

I would go for it and do it yourself. Patience is key. Take your time and it will come out great. Post some pictures.

 

[Hookeye]

Used to be some guy around Winamac a few yrs back.
Supposedly good, not cheap, but not overpriced.
Old timer, know what that means............proly dead and buried by now.

 

[dekeshooter]

My wife has had stocks cut and new pads installed on thee of her shotguns at Indiana Gun Club. They were reasonable and the turnaround was quick.