Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Installing A Recoil Pad

I’ve had a nice Browning B27 for several years now. It was unfired when I bought it and remains in excellent condition. I shoot it enough that I’d like to have a Decelerator pad installed. My only concern is whether that will affect the value of the gun in the future. The B27 is a nice plain field gun (that I love) but is not a Superposed, though it was a Belgian made shop gun.

To pad or not to pad?

Pad it but don't cut the stock so you can put it right back to factory specs. If you have a curve in the butt, toss the pad in some hot water to soften it up and bend to match so your not cutting the stock.

I have several shotguns that I havd added 1/2 inch pads but want to keep as original as possible

Passport, does the 1/2” pad make a good difference in felt recoil? And do you use a Decelerator? I like what you have suggested.

I’d not worry about value - a 12 gauge B27 is not a hot collector item. I would also recommend a 1” pad, preferably a Kick Eez, which would require cutting the stock to get lop right.

Felt recoil is different for everyone, that said I’m a fan of the 1/2 inch decelerator. I have used them in several different applications and they work fine.

I’m assuming your shooting clays of some kind, you might want to shoot 1oz 1145 FPS ammo to help with recoil too. Avoid the 1200 FPS 1 1/8 3 Dram stuff if you can.

I just put a Kick Eez Patriot pad on my 870 TB.

May have hurt value, may not have. I would not worry too much about it. It made my 870 much more comfortable to shoot and personally I think it looks better.

That’s a nice TB, pad looks great

I like it

Passport, exactly what battue advised do. I’m shooting 1 oz 8s. By about bird #75 I’m feeling it. I like the 1/2” with no cut stock. It will certainly be better.

BTW, how is a IM choke vs M for clays?

Ever thought about a slip on recoil pad?

Yes. I have one and while it addresses the recoil it pushes the lop out farther than I like and it’s butt ugly, which I’d prefer not to have on a nice gun. I don’t mean to sound crappy but I have a thing about how blue steel and walnut guns should look.

If you are going to shoot it a bunch, cut it for the pad. Put a nice one on if you are shooting a lot of clays.

Going shoot a couple boxes on the skeet field then hunt birds? Use a slip on pad for the clays, leave the gun alone.

Yep. I will be shooting just about every week which is why I’m interested in a more permanent and clean looking pad setup.

Here’s where I’d send it. Never seen better work.

https://mdstocks.com/

High end clays shotguns come with pads. A Belgium Browning can be ordered with a pad, so diminishing the value is a debatable issue. They also can be ordered with a desired LOP. Again the same situation.

If a pad is desired, then have one of quality installed, at a LOP that fits by a Smith who knows how to do it right....many don't... and go on and enjoy the shotgun. High end Krieghoff, Perazzi, Kolar and Brownings come with pads. And the owners often have them cut to their desired LOP without diminishing the value, other than the shotgun is a used example.

However if originality is a concern and the stock was cut, keep the piece and plate that was on it. A good Smith can put it back on, and since the grain matches, it would be difficult to tell when refinished.

Addition: Keep in mind they even gave the MonaLisa a refresh.

Not setting up a shotgun for proper fit and shooting comfort is silly if you are planning to use it. If it is a collector and you never shoot it, then don't modify it and maximize your resale value.

I fall into the hunter and shooter category and don't buy guns as collectors, just shooters. In fact I love to shoot my dandy Winchester Model 42 .410 and could care less if it brings less money as some estate sale since it shows sign of use....I won't be around to collect the $ anyway.

As per recoil pads, I find Kick Eze pads to be extremely heavy, difficult to get a good looking install job on (gooey, sticky rubber that is difficult to grind). That sticky rubber makes a poor choice for hunting or gun down clays shooting as it snags clothing like a treble hook. They do make fine trap pads or gun up pads that never see the field.

My recommendation is a Cervellati Microcell pad now sold by Coles....also used on their shotguns and sold by Beretta as a MicroCore pad. They are extremely light so don't make your shotgun butt heavy, grind very nicely and don't snag your clothes when mounting the gun.

Harry, 👍👍👍

👋👋Nice to see hear from you again….hope all is fine with you and yours!!!!

Addition: I’ve recently had an itch for a nice Belgian Browning 20 gauge.

Aha! 😀

Harry, we’re doing very well and hope you are as well. I have an eyeball on another Browning - choked IM/IM. Is that a bad setup?

Much will depend on your mindset/confidence level of what is too much or too little choke... I just finished up shooting some clays at a local club. Not all that challenging of targets and most inside 35 yards. Had a fixed choke gun of Mod/Mod. The ones I missed were not because of the chokes.

Got it. Thank you.

How fast are the 1oz loads you shoot? I shot a box of Fiocchi 1oz at 1290, I think, and it beat the crap out of me. Way more felt recoil than 1 1/8 oz 1145 imo. So my point is not all 1oz loads are the same. The 1145 stuff is always by far the softest shooting 1 oz load.

As to Mod Vs I Mod I like tight chokes and the confidence they give me but in the end you need to choke for the target presentation.

What kind of gun are you shooting?

I’ve been shooting a Browning B-27 for several years. Very nice but a light field gun. It’s 28” and choked IM/IC and I’m satisfied with that. I’ve come across another Browning that’s 30” and choked IM/IM. Very clean and a good tight gun. It has my interest. I do intend to put the decelerated in my current gun.

Suggestion…if the new gun is going to be mainly used on clays, try a 32 inch example before you buy a 30 inch.

I’ve never handled a 32” gun. Do you find they swing more smoothly?

That’s good counsel on trying the longer barrels. It is really about feel; light, longer barrels that keep the weight between the hands can still be relatively quick yet smooth (essentially creating slightly more inertia that can help on longer presentations). They must be relatively light to gain value from the length.

They should balance similar with the 30's may being a little quicker. Not sure what clay game you will be shooting, however in Sporting Clays 30 inch barrels are a hard sell.

Shooting 5 stand every week and sporting clays once a month. You’re giving me good points to consider.

32 is where it’s at for sporting, I shoot a 32 inch 4 barrel set for everything but trap.