Help with recoil pad question.

[CLAYBORN]

I have a Fox Sterlingworth and I want to put a recoil pad on it. I want to go with a "correct pad" found at the Con. Gun Co. Looks like a good pad and close to the original Silvers that came on the 1912 pin guns. My gun is going to be a shooter, but want to fix it up to look the best. My question is how do you measure LOP. I know the stock is 14" and I could go with either a 1" recoil pad or 1.5" recoil pad. I know that I need the extra length, but don't know how much. Being it is going to cost me about $40.00 for the pad I want to know what would be best for me. So is there a way to measure LOP? Any input on this would be greatly appreciated. Is the LOP what people are talking about when they say the gun fits or does not fit. I know it is very important.
Thanks,
Clay

[vaturkey]

You might find the following helpful:

http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/Yo ... -Page1.htm

I believe standard LOP for Fox guns was circa 14 1/4". That would be from the middle of the front trigger, to the middle of the buttstock including the pad or buttplate. PS. LOP is often the easiest to fix. If you have longer arms, you can usually go up the 15" by adding a 1" recoil pad to a uncut Fox stock. The rub is in many cases, someone bought a Fox with the standard LOP of 14 1/4" and then decided they needed a pad. Gunsmith lopped off 1" of wood to accommodate the 1" pad. Thus the length of the wood is now circa 13". Next guy comes along and he has a 15" LOP. The only way he can get that now is to add a 1.5" pad, plus another .5" of a black spacer. Looks pretty hideous. In England many folks instead of adding a pad just scab on a 2" piece of wood to the end of the cut buttstock and add a buttplate. Anyway, hope the above helps.

PS. The more critical measurement for most folks is what is the DAC and DAH. Too much of either make a gun pretty difficult to shoot well. For most folks a 1.5" DAC and a 2.5" DAH are shootable. More then a 3" DAH makes it really hard to shoot well unless you have the neck of a Giraffe.

[CLAYBORN]

Does help thanks. I heard about the elbow to the curve of the shooting finger. I think the inch from the thumb to the nose is a better judgement. I'm pretty tall, but shoot a 15" LOP fair, could go to a 1.5 recoil pad and get a 15.5 LOP, but on those cold days might be better with 15" or buy another Fox. LOL!! Thanks for your help.

[DGKaas]

Remember the longer the LoP the lower the gun will shoot. I have a quail hunting buddy that is a lanky 6" 4" and shoots a 14.5" LoP just fine. Go with the 15" unless you are in the NBA ...and not Nate Archibald...Nate probably shoots a 14" LoP max

[CLAYBORN]

Thanks DGKaas,
I'm have trouble figuring out what part of the thumb, wouldn't mind measuring from the nose to the thumb, I'm thinking first knuckle. Anymore input? Sure do appreciate the help.
Later,
Clay