Gluing one recoil pad to another recoil pad

[Steve in Allentown PA]

I have a recoil sensitive shooter in the household and am in the process of trying to make the recoil more manageable by adding a Limbsaver pad to a FAB stock.  The challenge is that the FAB stock uses a unique, proprietary attachment system that does not allow direct attachment of the Limbsaver.  What I have to do is glue the Limbsaver to the FAB pad.

 

I was able to track down another FAB recoil pad that I could use to experiment on.  I have also ordered a Limbsaver 1" thick, grind-to-fit, medium +, Speed Mount pad.  My objective is to glue the Limbsaver to the FAB pad.  My problem is I don't know what glue will permanently adhere the plastic at the rear of the Limbsaver to the rubber of the FAB.  If anyone knows for certain which adhesive will provide a permanent solution, please let me know.

 

The pictures below show the OEM pad to the left of the pad that has been modified to eliminate the "treads" to provide a flat surface to which the Limbsaver can be glued.

 

 

 

Here's the Limbsaver pad.  Note that the rubber pad is glued to a substantial plastic backing.  When I suggested to the folks at Limbsaver that I wanted to separate the rubber from the plastic and just glue the rubber pad to the flattened surface of the FAB rubber pad they strongly advised against it because the soft Limbsaver pad needed the reinforcement of the plastic to maintain its shape.  That's why finding the right glue to join the plastic of the Limbsaver to the rubber of the FAB is critical.

 

 

Unfortunately, I cannot directly screw the Limbsaver to the stock.  The picture below of the rear of the stock shows why.

 

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Steve in Allentown PA
correct grammar

[IHMSA15151]

My best guess would be either a 2 part epoxy or one of the stronger hot melt glue materials. Gluing anything in relation to firearms is a bit of a risk. Between the materials used, recoil, cleaning solvents, etc. Glue is not a great choice. Good luck with the project.

[Don_B]

 

I don't think you want to use epoxy as it dries in a hard almost brittle state. 

 

I have used E6000 adhesive for a lot of projects and am amazed at its strength and it stays flexible. I don't know about the different surfaces you have but I have not found anything it will not stick to. 

[Norther]

Hopefully you’ve found a good solution by now. I got out my Fab stock to see if my ideas would work but the stock pad is too thin and not much of a backer.

 

All I can come up with, if I were to try it on mine, would be to 3d print a thicker base to replace the stock pad.  Incorporate a couple of locating pins in the Limbsaver’s  screw holes (enlarge as needed), and run a couple of short blunted screws rearward through the new base into the Limbsaver’s plastic base. In addition to the glue.
 

Or maybe now that’s it’s plastic to plastic it could be solvent welded which would be plenty strong on its own. If the Limbsaver’s base is ABS that would be the best answer. 

I’m new to computer design though. The back of that pad doesn’t look easy to model to me.

 

Just thinking out loud, so to speak. I wouldn’t mind trying this myself. 

[NuJudge]

I am somewhat recoil sensitive.  What I have used in shotguns to control recoil is several things.  I am tall, and the typical factory stock is way too short for me.  The typical factory stock is 14-and-a-quarter inches pull, which is way too short for me.  Even if a pad is put on that, it will be too short for me.  I use a lot of velcroed on pads, usually with spacers in-between the butt and the velcroed on pad.  The pad and the spacer are designed to absorb recoil.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1006452941?pid=547301  (these come in various sizes)

I use the insterts from one of these to adjust length:  

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1018130090  

 

What really reduces recoil is using ammo with less shot.  I can shoot Skeet with just 3/4 oz of shot, and not give up anything.  I can also do it with 5/8 oz, maybe giving up a bird or two.  Using an ounce-and-an-eighth loads, after two rounds of 12 gauge Skeet, my scores get a lot worse.  With 3/4 ounce, I can shoot 3 rounds without degradation.  With 5/8 oz, I can shoot as many as I like.  

 

Aguila makes their mini-shells with 5/8 oz shot charges, using various sizes of shot.  Handloading brings costs down a lot.  Wads for 3/4 oz are everywhere.  

[Bimmer]

On 4/20/2021 at 8:28 AM, Don_B said:

I have used E6000 adhesive for a lot of projects and am amazed at its strength and it stays flexible. I don't know about the different surfaces you have but I have not found anything it will not stick to. 

 

Me, too...  It was different, but I used E6000 to glue plastic to plastic to fit a M2 buttpad to a Benelli M1, and it's held up well. 

 

Also:  Mini-shells.  They may not cycle a semi-auto, but they'll work fine one at a time. 

 

[Steve in Allentown PA]

I finally had enough of researching every adhesive known to man and grabbed a tube of E6000.  I figured in the event of the worst case scenario (things didn't stick together) I could remove it easier than anything else.  I smeared a layer of the stuff on the plastic plate of the Limbsaver and on the rubber surface of the OEM pad.  Then I clamped them together and left the assembly alone for three full days at the end of which I set about shaping the Limbsaver to match the outline of the OEM pad using a bench belt sander.  I didn't do a terrible job but comfort myself knowing that there was no good way to attach the assembly to my Miles Gilbert Recoil Pad Installation Fixture.

 

Bottom line.  The E6000 worked.  The Limbsaver is very soft and pliable.  Launching 12oz projectiles no longer feels like a 3" Magnum 12 gauge.

 

Here's a pic showing how it turned out.  You can see the glue line between the plastic plate of the Limbsaver and the rubber of the OEM pad.  I may get after that with some sandpaper.  The fit between the two is actually very close.  The glue is just what slopped over onto the exterior of the OEM pad.

 

 

Many thanks to everyone who offered their suggestions.

[Don_B]

That E6000 is a pretty amazing adhesive!

Glad it worked.