Bruce,

Recently I had Nicola install a Pachmayr Decelerator pad however, not the sporting sc 100 model because it was too thick and I didn’t want to cut the stock. However, I put a standard 6/10 old English on and my question is this:

If I want to put something on the face so that it doesn’t stick or hang up what would you suggest? I’ve heard electrical tape or nail polish. Could you please give me your opinion?

Thanks.
Al

Dear Al,

Frankly, I just leave my pads alone. After a while they gloss up nicely all by themselves. The new Sorbothane pads are stickier and slower to gloss up than the older rubber ones, but most of them will do it eventually. Direct sunlight hastens the surface hardening process.

If a freshly cut pad is too sticky and is causing hangups, the best temporary solution is to run one strip of black plastic electrician’s tape around the edge where the side of the pad turns the corner to the flat rear surface of the pad. You really only need to do it on the inside left of the pad where it touches a right hand shooter’s shoulder, but it probably stays on better and looks neater if you go all the way around. Leave the center of the rear surface of the pad uncovered so that you get some grab once the pad is in place. It will help the gun stay on your shoulder.

The electrician’s tape will definitely solve the grabbing problem, but it will also slow down the natural hardening up and glossing over of the surface of the pad. Your choice.

Don’t use clear nail polish or poly varnish. It cracks with use and will get sticky in the heat. Stick with the plastic tape.

Before you go the tape route, I would try sanding the offending corners of the pad with very fine sand paper. You may find that will solve your problem. That is usually all that I have ever needed to do.

Remember that different pads have different amounts of stickiness. The original Pachmayrs weren’t too bad at all and glossed over nicely after just a little use. The “Decelerator” pads take much longer to do that. Kickeez never really glosses over no matter how long it “ages”, but it does sort of smooth up. The Terminator seems to stay sticky and tacky forever.

It all depends on what you want from a pad. For clay target shooting I prefer the Terminators as my gun mount is OK, but I want the stock to stay in place once it is up there. I also think that the Terminator reduces recoil the most for me. I wouldn’t want one in the field though and prefer the old composition Pachmayr Old English pads because they slick up nicely. The nice thing about pads is that they are easy to change around and experiment with.

Best regards,

Bruce Buck
Shotgun Report’s Technoid
(Often in error, never in doubt.)