Recoil Pad for Winchester Model 94 30-30?

[ChrisHarris]

I've been searching for a recoil pad for my 1973 production Winchester Model 94 .30-30 lever action rifle. Serial # 3928XXX It does have a mostly flat stock. There's a little curve to it, but not much. Maybe 3/16" ?

I know Pachmyar, Sims and Kick Eez make 'pre-fit' pads. The problem is all the reviews I read -- it sounds like the pre-fit pads aren't really pre-fit. Sounds like guys are plugging holes and drilling new holes and then grinding 'pre-fit' pads down to actually fit. I'm tempted to buy the Pachmyar, but not if it's going to require a weekend of time and a lot of to make it fit properly.

I don't want to take it to a gunsmith and pay $80 for the work. Thats just too much for a recoil pad IMO. I've checked and thats the going rate with the 3 or 4 guys I've talked too locally.

Can anybody point me in the right direction?

My rifle stock measures:
4 and 1/2" length
1 and 7/16" width

Center line of the screw holes:
2 and 7/8"

 

[rcmodel]

If you add a 1 1/2" thick recoil pad, you need to cut the stock off 1 1/2" to make up the difference.

If you pay $80 to have a gunsmith do it, it will fit the stock like it grew there.
But more importantly, the stock will still fit you instead of being too long.

Personally though, I never thought a 94 Winchester 30-30 kicked hard enough to need a recoil pad.

rc

 

[ChrisHarris]

I should have stated in my first post....

The length of pull is really short for my arms. Not worried about the length of pull. I've measured it and compared it to my shotgun and my muzzle loader and my 30-06. I could easily add a 2" pad to the 30-30 and it would still fit me. I don't WANT a 2" pad. A 1" or 1.5" pad would be fine. Just saying the gun is really short for my body.

You've never had rotator cuff surgery either. It's still tender, all these years later.

 

[rcmodel]

Still & all.
Grinding an over-size pad to fit the stock is still the best way to do it & make it look nice.

rc

 

[788Ham]

Get one of those slide on butt pads, they add about as much as you're needing, then can be taken off if you want.

 

[CountryUgly]

I'm with rcmodel on the recoil being nil in a 94. But if it is too much just buy a limbsaver slip on recoil pad. You just put it on when you need it and take it off when you don't and it saves your gun from being hacked on.

 

[moon928]

I bought one of those slip on pads from http://shooterpads.com/ to use on my surplus rifles (which all seem too short). It adds about 1/2" to 7/8ths of length (you can increase this with additional inserts) and does a surprisingly good job of recoil reduction. Best of all it requires no modification, but you do need to remove it from the stock when not in use. For the modest price it's worth giving it a try.

 

[Jim K]

Rifle stocks are sanded down at the factory and buttplates are sanded down along with them to make sure they fit. The normal variations in the process make a true "pre-fit" pad almost impossible; they are made oversize so the installer can sand them down to fit the stock. Using masking tape on the stock behind the recoil pad keeps from sanding the stock instead of the pad, but it is mostly a matter of being careful.

Jim