Let's say you purchased a beautiful custom rifle from a private seller. The rifle was made by one of the great metalsmiths and stockmakers, pick your favorite. The stock is as pretty a blank as you have ever seen. Rifle is chambered in 270. Now the owner went ahead and decided to cut and inch off the stock and removed the absolutely beautiful skeleton buttplate and had it replaced with a very professionally installed black pachmayer with spacer recoil pad. The pad is a perfect fit and lop is 14.25.

So after you beat the seller with a stick that was laying close by what would you do with the rifle? Having a buttplate installed will most likely create too short a lop. Keep the pad as is? Or another thought was to have a very tasteful leather covered pad installed which would better match the quality of the rifle.

What do you think?

13 1/2" is not a bad LOP.....maybe it'll work for you.

What if it was as short as 13.125 to 13.25? Still not too bad considering my lop when I did a quick measurement sitting at my desk with the ruler. I could probably get by with it???

I shoot 14" with a "T" shirt but 13-1/2" with hunting clothes on. It is easier to shoot a shorter LOP then one too long.

I would use a leather covered pad. I like th elength of 14.25, but my favorite pads for covering (on my rifles or if the customer elaves it up to me) is the .8" Pachmayer Decelrator covered in black pig skin. The .8" looks better to my eye when covered. The leather adds to the length of th epad, as the thickness goes over the front and rear of the pad. So when you add double the thickness of the leather to the .8" pad, it looks right to me. I think this would be the best way to class the rifle up to its former standard

I am 6'3" with a sleeve length of 37" and LOP ona rifle isn't that big of a deal for me, within reason that is. A lot of scopes can't be set back enough or have enough relief to work well with a stock long enough to fully fit me. Now when I buy a shotgun that is a totally different matter! It must fit or I am a worse shot than normal.

I think most of my stocks are around 13.75 or just over, and I need to cut them all down when I get time. I am going to go to 13.5. with that being 14.25 over the pad, assuming 1" pad you would be a bit short for a skeleton buttplate, HOWEVER, I wouldn't shoot one with a plate anyways. why abuse yourself. get a good leather covered pad and you're good to go. I think it runs about 150 to install a leather covered pad.

Red

I know you didn't offer this as an alternative, but I really like the London Guns red pad, or the Griffin and Howe.

In fact, the only thing I could ever afford from Griffin and Howe is the pad.

It's virtually indistinguishable from the London Guns, and cheaper.

flaco

So when doing a leather covered pad. If the current pad is done correctly, I assume that the leather can be done over that? If done properly, is there any reason that the finish of the stock would be harmed in anyway?

Awe come on Pre-War, who was the maker and lets see a photo of the gun.

A properly built stock originally shaped w/ a 14" LOP is going to look funny when cut to 13.25" or less.

The critical first step is determining your correct LOP. After you make this determination, I'd suggest sending the rifle back to the original maker and tell him your LOP. He can add a leather-covered pad with the correct thickness that will fit you or he may cut a little more off the stock and add a leather-covered pad that will fit you.

Forrest, you have got it right--first determine the correct length of pull, then, if you can appropriately put on a butt plate put it on. If not, put on a leather pad. I would probably use goat skin. Although it scuffs easier than pig skin, I think it has a more refined look. One thing, I think I disagree on is the relationship of the lop and the overall length of the gun. In a perfect world, the overall length of gun and pull would be related, but what happens when a short armed person wants a 26" or even 24" barrel?

What's a quick and easy way to estimate proper LOP? Keep in mind I am at the office and am armed with a 24" ruler only. I'd like to get an estimate at least.

You are almost certainly stuck with a pad now. When the fellow cut the stock down it changed all of the outside dimensions and a new plate will be quite a bit oversized.

Forrest has it right. The stock won't look right with an inch off of it. Get the pad redone by the original maker.

If it cannot be done by the original maker, who would you suggest having install the leather covered pad? And if the pad is done correctly, would the leather be applied over the existing pad. Thanks.

Yes, the leather could be put over the existing pad. As mentioned before its best to have the original maker put on the new pad. When I grind a pad for leather covering I grind the pad undersized. Basically 1/2 the thickness of the leather. The leather ends up being a smidge proud.

Thanks Bill, but I need a good recommendation for a gunsmith that will do a top notch quality job on a leather pad as the original maker is not available.

Well there are bunch right here on this very site. Scrollcutter, Customstox, SDH, gunmaker, Les Brooks, Duane Weibe etc...Im missing a lot of them but thats all that comes to mind right now.

Appreciate the info, thanks.

Here is a photo of an outstanding job on one by none other than Customstox.

Now that is a real beauty! Pigskin, goatskin, foreskin????

quote:

Originally posted by Prewar70:
What's a quick and easy way to estimate proper LOP? Keep in mind I am at the office and am armed with a 24" ruler only. I'd like to get an estimate at least.

A ruler won't tell you your proper LOP. Find someone with a try-stock if you can. If that's not available, try several rifles with different LOPs or use a slip-on pad on a few rifles and see what you come up with.

Most factory stocks are right around 13-5/8". Most guys make-do with that and get acclimated to that LOP. It can be liberating to try a shorter or longer LOP for many people. You might be one of them. I like a 14 or 14-1/4" LOP and now factory stocks seem like they were built for midgets. Everyone is different and 1/4" can be a lot.

quote:

Originally posted by Prewar70:
Thanks Bill, but I need a good recommendation for a gunsmith that will do a top notch quality job on a leather pad as the original maker is not available.

I don't know if he has time right now but Bill Soverns will do a fine job.

Jack O'Connor once stated that, according to Tom Shelhamer, that combination looked like a man wearing a tuxedo and rubber boots. Doesn't bother me though. Thanks...Bill.