Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Talk about the AR15 style rifles chambered in 450 Bushmaster.

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Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby Hoot » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:37 am

I touched upon this in another thread, but based upon the responses I got, I felt I was not communicating effectively. So here it goes in its own thread. Please weigh in on this if you want.

I assume most if not all of you have non-AR style rifles and have taken off the recoil pad at some point. The stock butt on non-AR style rifles typically have a flat area with a cutout for access to the bolt and nut that hold the stock snugly to the receiver. They do not rely upon the tension on the recoil pad retaining screws to hold the stock snugly to the receiver. In an AR, its just the opposite. The stock is for the most part a hollow shell with little flat area to support the pad and the top screw that goes into the buffer tube is totally responsible for how securely the stock is held to the receiver. Without it, the stock slides freely back and forth on the buffer tube.

Most recoil pads are designed with the non AR butt in mind. With the exception of the Morgan pads, they have a plastic plate for their base. That plate is designed to hold the recoil pad securely to a mostly flat butt surface and that's all it is designed to do.

Enter the Sims Limbsaver Model 10401 recoil pad. It is an excellently designed and manufactured product. Much to our good fortune, it provides a reasonable fit to an AR butt profile without modification, despite not being originally designed for that purpose. Though its retaining screw holes align reasonably with those for an AR, they are not designed to bear the stresses associated with being the sole provider of force needed to immobilize the A2 stock. Especially without any flat area to support them. They do allow for installing them over top of the standard A2 trapdoor plate by simply using longer screws. That provides for better support of the Limbsaver, but the screw that provides stock retention force still applies a significant squashing effect upon that thin plastic plate and over time it may displace the plastic and fail.

With the advent of the Thumper class of AR style rifles, stresses far beyond Eugene Stoner's original design are being inflicted on the A2 stock. The use of extra weight fixed to the inside of the A2 stock compounds those stresses in a way he did not foresee also. Now, not only is there compression of the stock during the rearward recoil impulse, there is extension stresses when the rifle rebounds forward. The heavier the stock, the greater the moment of impact upon that poor buffer tube screw and the underlying plate it rests upon. Add to that, one or more of those spring-weight recoil reduction systems and now you have the dead-blow hammer effect to boot. If you weight you stock, either passively or actively, I recommend avoiding using the Limbsaver alone. You will be better off installing it over top of the standard trapdoor plate with longer screws. The slight loss of aesthetics is a small price to pay for durability.

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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby ryr8828 » Sun Apr 18, 2010 1:57 pm

I know what I'm going to do when my upper gets here. I work with insulation for a living. I'm going to ring my stock with 1/2 inch armaflex sheet, about 1 inch wide around the stock. Then fill that in with 1' or 1.5 inch armaflex which will fit on my shoulder.

I may make one for my .308 and my slug shotgun as well. I can do it with scraps that I usually throw on the floor.

Armaflex won't last forever but it won't matter as I work with it very often.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby BayouBob » Sun Apr 18, 2010 8:15 pm

I went the easy route. Although the 450 doesn't have much recoil at a little over 6'4" I need a longer length of pull than an A2 stock. I just put a medium Sims slip on recoil pad on mine. It adds almost an inch of pull length and a good rubber non-slip surface and provides recoil relief. The route of making an insert for the hollow stock and then using a grind to fit pad for a woods gun wasn't worth the effort.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby Hoot » Mon Apr 19, 2010 8:41 am

Well now I'm considering a Limbsaver slip-on if for no other reason than the local Wally Worlds have them for $20 as opposed to $40 for the pre-fit 10401 from the Cabelas or Gander Mtns locally who stock it. We'll see whats left over on payday.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby BD1 » Mon Apr 19, 2010 10:15 am

I've been using the slip on limbsaver with good success, not pretty, but it works.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby Hoot » Mon Apr 19, 2010 12:24 pm

BD1 wrote:I've been using the slip on limbsaver with good success, not pretty, but it works.
BD


Does it feel like it wants to roll off to the side? I've felt that on Pachmyr slip-ons.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby BayouBob » Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:49 pm

Seems to fit real well. I think it has to do with how tight the rubber boot part is.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby wildcatter » Mon Apr 19, 2010 3:58 pm

BayouBob wrote:Seems to fit real well. I think it has to do with how tight the rubber boot part is.



Hey Bad-Bob, what the model number on that?

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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby Hoot » Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:01 pm

Has anyone seen the Small and Medium slip-on Limbsavers at Wally World for $19.99? The kid I spoke to on the phone said they were by Winchester, or for Winchester. He wasn't much help. Before I drive 20 miles to actually see if there is a difference between them and the ones I saw at Cabelas for $38.00 it would be nice to know.
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Re: Limbsaver Recoil Pad Caveat

Postby bushmeister » Mon Apr 19, 2010 6:19 pm

I've seen them, and they are not the same thing. In fact I have one on my old pump 12ga. It helps a little, but it's no limbsaver. I think I can get the fit type limbsaver for $27 locally. I'll check tomorrow.
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