Does anyone know where the odd red colored recoil pads on British guns originated from?

Just curious

The Silver's Pads?

England

Yes, I just find the color a striking contrast to the fine walnut stocks found on those guns. I thought there might be a story behind why they use that color rubber.

I would bet money that the choice was not originally aesthetic. Way back when it was probably the only dye color combination that allowed the rubber to retain the desired flexibility. Even as late as the 1970s dyes were not affording proper material characteristic in all colors. In the world of synthetic rifle stocks for instance, the Russian's could not produce a synthetic stock in black for the AK74 that had the strength that they wanted. They therefore had to resort to the now famous "plum" color. Bet something similar happened with recoil pads in the early 20th century.

I have a friend who is into English doubles big time and will ask him.

Mike

The Silvers pads are still available, sort of a orange tint to most of the ones I have seen. Hard as a brick even when new.

I have them put on any custom I have built...love the look against the dark wood.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
I have them put on any custom I have built...love the look against the dark wood.

I agree! The silvers pad is classic on a double rifle! However I also agree that the SILVERS recoil pad, available from GALAZAN is as hard as a brick, and negates the whole reason for a recoil pad. Pachmayr makes a red pad that works the way a recoil pad is supposed to. My Merkel 140E-1 has a brown pachmayr, and is a good pad, but my 140-2 has a black Kick-Ese pad and works very well on a 470NE and is better than the Pachmayr.

On the white line spacer, I have a sidelock exposed hammer H. Berella cape gun made in the early 1900s before WWI that has a buffalo horn grip cap but there is a 1/8th thick elephant ivory spacer between the buffalo and the wood. The edge of this spacer is carved and has been there, I assume, since it was used by the settlers on the South African cape.

Every thing has it's place, and in the case of my cape gun I would not remove the white line spacer from the grip cap.

........................

Get a Pachmayr Old English Decelerator in red:

http://www.pachmayr.com/home/D752B.php

http://www.rifleshootermag.com...cabelas-win-70-3.jpg

http://www.sportsmanguncentre....5758d74198544481.jpg

Yes, mine are Pachmayrs. You can get them up to 1 1/2" thick if you need to bring an old stock up to a modern LOP.

I have installed both Kick-Eez and LimbSaver pads on my large bore rifles, both DR and bolts, at different times. Good customer service from both and the pads work wonders - yes, better than Pachmayr. I don't care what color the pad is, as long as it works.

Mike,

Glad your Limbsavers did not melt . . . mine did. Sticking to the carpet, gun cases, etc. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, . . . never again.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
I have them put on any custom I have built...love the look against the dark wood.

Yep, a classic look for sure. I like it.

IMHO those orange pads-Silvers or Pachmeyer- are like nose piercings on a Nun--

I Hate them

I would disagree with the immediate post above. Here is a "Brit" point of view.

The orange, or red, Silver's pads do contrast with the butt that is sure. But that, in one way, is the point. Ask you wives, girlfriends and sweethearts guys!

A matching bag and shoes is just that matching. But a bag and shoes that are not quite, and obviously so, not quite matching appear WORSE than a contrasting colour bag and shoes.

The same with a red or orange pad. To my mind, and many here in Britain of the "old school" there are ONLY two ways to give a fine shot gun or double an longer stock.

Do it properly and have it re-stocked entirely or use an obvious contrasting red or orange Silver's pad with that black line between it and the stock.

To attempt to extend a stock with a near (but it never quite is) matching piece of walnut says only one thing.

That the new owner cannot afford to have the job done properly with a full re-stock.

A red or orange pad, to my mind, is far less worse than an awful never quite matching walnut extension piece.

Red and orange Silver's pads (and Pachmayr's very good similar colour alternative) are a long used and traditional way of extending a shot gun, bolt rifle, or double rifle.

They are far more in keeping than those awful walnut extension pies that some bizarrely prefer!

Just like a big great ring on the hand of the Pope!

quote:

Originally posted by enfieldspares:
I would disagree with the immediate post above. Here is a "Brit" point of view.

The orange, or red, Silver's pads do contrast with the butt that is sure. But that, in one way, is the point. Ask you wives, girlfriends and sweethearts guys!

A matching bag and shoes is just that matching. But a bag and shoes that are not quite, and obviously so, not quite matching appear WORSE than a contrasting colour bag and shoes.

The same with a red or orange pad. To my mind, and many here in Britain of the "old school" there are ONLY two ways to give a fine shot gun or double an longer stock.

Do it properly and have it re-stocked entirely or use an obvious contrasting red or orange Silver's pad with that black line between it and the stock.

To attempt to extend a stock with a near (but it never quite is) matching piece of walnut says only one thing.

That the new owner cannot afford to have the job done properly with a full re-stock.

A red or orange pad, to my mind, is far less worse than an awful never quite matching walnut extension piece.

Red and orange Silver's pads (and Pachmayr's very good similar colour alternative) are a long used and traditional way of extending a shot gun, bolt rifle, or double rifle.

They are far more in keeping than those awful walnut extension pies that some bizarrely prefer!

Just like a big great ring on the hand of the Pope!

+1, we in the colonies can still learn a bit from those in the homeland.

Here some examples.



First my little Chapuis shown with a red Old English Pachmayer pad before deciding which pad. I thought this was to thick and chose the next.



I chose this being a little slimmer. It is an Italian red silver. Caliber is 8x57 JSR so the recoil is not noticeable at all - the silver is much stiffer and harder than the Old English from Pachmayer.

However, IMO ( starting to learn the US short way of writing ) nice looking !

Morten

Removing the "Thumb_" from the url makes them way big,
until someone complains about too big.
Could be re-sized by The Norwegian at his hosting site?

I am trying but do not understand what is happening since I follow the same procedure as previously !

Maybe you can remove yours in the mean time ?

[URL= ]hotwheels[/URL]

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
[URL= ]hotwheels[/URL]

quote:

Originally posted by shootaway:
[URL= ]hotwheels[/URL]

Mr Shootaway - I understand that your first name is George and I will address you with that name. Correct me if I am wrong !

George, I have read many threads involving your comments back and forth, especially about you shooting a cow buff instead of a bull buff and your new Searcy double. I have never commented any of your comments, made any harsh comments to you nor presented any pictures offending you as far as I can remember. I am also a pretty new member on AR and has been posting some other comments trying to be polite and serious as I consider AR to be a very valuable forum for information and learning including discussing opinions and experience regarding the conduct of hunting abroad and use of hunting firearms. There are some very experienced and knowledgable people here on AR and we all benefit from them ! Including you George even though I understand that you mostly disagree with that fact !

I have no problem with different opinions in general nor that people actually express their different opinions. That said I find your picture rather childish and not the way I would expect a fellow hunter here on AR present him self to another hunter for the first time. I am not offended - I do not bother as the whole thing strikes back on you George, but find your behaviour totally out of line.

There is a saying which I also think goes internationally; behave against people like you want them to behave against you ! Maybe you should think seriously about this George !

Anyway; your behaviour is your problem George as this will be my first, last and final comment to you. Case closed !

Regards
Morten

I like Pachmeyers, but I wish the red pad were a bit more of a match with the english red or even the old Ruger red butt "pad". The older Ruger was the right color, but not soft at all.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
Mike,

Glad your Limbsavers did not melt . . . mine did. Sticking to the carpet, gun cases, etc. Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, . . . never again.

Hey Mike,

I also had one of those melting Limbsavers! A real PIA! It was from a single occurrence of a bad batch mixed overseas. Limbsaver replaced any and all reported to them. They even custom fitted a replacement to one of my stocks that required a grind to fit pad, when I told them I had paid for it being fitted once already. They made it right.

I am a big fan of the Limbsaver product because it works and is an outstanding pad. The best on the market IMO. Every firearms manufacturer has problems and I have never had a large bore, DR or bolt, that did not require work to make it a reliable DG rifle. If I used the fool me once analogy I'd never own another rifle.

OK I deleted the HUGE pictures copied from The Norwegian's thumbnails posting.

My experience with slip-on LimbSaver pads also indicates a bad batch early on and they got the chemistry right subsequently.
LimbSavers don't melt anymore.

All fitted/installed pads I have used have been Pachmayr except one mistake with a Kick-Eez which I won't do again, because it is too fragile and prone to tear and lose chunks on the edges.
Pachmayr: Never a problem.

I too am a fan of the red Decelerator on a classic stock. :-)