What rifledoes this go on?

[nevada]

Once more from dad-in-laws hidden treasures. This slip on rubber recoil pad has about an inch of rubber inside to reduce recoil. Was this used on military bolt rifles? The number is B200968, a drawing number?

[Schultz]

I remember my Dad telling me once of recoil pads being used on the 03's, Maybe that could be one.

[Turnbolt]

I have never seen a pic of an original (if that is what it is ) but that is a slip on recoil reducer for an M1 Garand - M-14 when used as a grenade launcher :coolp: here is a repro http://www.e-gunparts.com/DisplayAd.asp?chrProductSKU=932590&chrSuperSKU=&MC=YJ

[nevada]

I don't know how supple the pad was when it was made, but there is no stretch to it now. It will not go on my garand without tearing. It might if it was heated first, say boiling water, but then I would have to get it off somehow. I don't want to chance messing it up. It looks like it might have fit a garand at one time, Thanks for the info.

[Norton]

I have a 1986 Numrich Arms catalog that says US Milsurp 1903 Springfield rifle grenade launching butt pad. Do have one to check with? The 03 has a narrower butt stock. If they are made for the M 1 and M 14 as well, try some baby oil. fits. The Army Air Corps bought thousands of 12 ga auto shotguns to use for training gunners. I could see them being used on a shotgun that would be shot all day long .

[nevada]

That is one of the rifles I don't have. The rubber isn't brittle, it's still pretty supple, but I don't want to risk tearing it. There is no streatch to it, rubber band wise. If I put it on I would leave it on. The garand doesn't kick bad and I have Smiths comp anyway. Another neat item for the WWII shelf.

[k98k792]

1+ O3A3 grenade pad. Early in the European theater,a rifle squad would include one man with a O3A3 as a grenadier.

[97th Signalman]

These pads were for grenade launching as said above, especially for the M1 Garand when set up with the stock mounted grenade launching sight. In the indirect-fire mode you placed the butt on the ground and set the sight to the proper range and centered the spirit level bubble to get the proper elevation for the range. In this indirect fire mode the pad protected the butt. In the direct-fire mode the rifleman/grenadier set the side mounted grenade sight for range and brought the rifle up to fire from the shoulder while linining up his eye with the front and rear grenade-sight elements. In this mode the pad was intended to protect the grenadier's shoulder as the recoil was brutal.

When I went through basic training in 1960 we were still issued Garands and we were all required to fire four rifle grenades and at least one of those had be done in the direct fire mode (ie., from the shoulder). I never new of anyone who elected to use the direct-fire method for more than the required one shot. We may have been recruits but we weren't stupid

If I were you I would not attempt to put the pad on your rifle as you might well tear it. Heating it will only make it more brittle in the long run as it is rubber. If you do want to try it, dust the inside of the pad with talcum powder ( I do that to this day with my slip-on Pachmyr pads when firing my Garand, my Mauser, my Mosin Nagant, and and my 03A3). In any event, DO NOT LEAVE THE PAD ON THE RIFLE as it will damage the stock finish and leave a mark on the part of the stock that it covers.

[okie shooter]

On that pad, there are plenty of repos of it out there, thus why risk any ruin of the orginal when you can get one(I think sarco has had them lately) Well I am not sure if the orginal is more valueable than a copy though either?