Jostam pad advice needed

[Jim Akins]

Has anybody refurbished one of these pads? According to the PGCA letter this pad is probably the original one that came on the gun, the red rubber parts look OK, the sponge parts are collapsed on each end and shifted to the right at the heel. After cleaning up the triggerplate screws the pad is the next in line. Gun was made in 1919-20, original stock finish, barrel blue and 50-60 % casecolor. Any ideas on other types of pads available at that time?

Jim A.

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/james-l/Parker%20DHE/e5jpg_thumbnail1.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/james-l/Parker%20DHE/e4jpg_thumbnail1.jpg

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e40/james-l/Parker%20DHE/b4jpg_thumbnail1.jpg

[David Hamilton]

The pad looks usable. You might remove and preserve the old pad and put a modern replacement on for use. David

[Bruce Day]

I am not aware of any process that would restore the synthetic rubber volitile compounds in a pad once they have gassed out. These old Jostam sponge pads are uncommon. Galazan has a Jostam Hy Gun pad that might be a nice replacement.

I think it might have been original. I have one like that and kept the pad when I took it off.

By the way, nice D.

[Dave Noreen]

The sponge rubber pad was patented by S.A. Huntley, Patent No. 1,222,291, granted Apr. 10, 1917, and assigned to Huntley Manufacturing Company of Omaha, Nebraska, a corporation of Nebraska. They manufactured the pad briefly before WW-I. I have not been able to determin exactly when Jostam acquired the rights and began manufacturing the Jostam Sponge Rubber Pad. The patent application for the Jostam Hy-Gun Pad, was filed May 21, 1926, and Patent No. 1,642,835 was granted Sept. 20, 1927. So, a Hy-Gun wouldn't be age appropriate to the gun in quesion. An original Silvers, or a Jostam Anti-Flinch would be age appropriate to the gun. Jostam continued manufacturing their line of pads into at least 1949, maybe later. NOS Jostam pads show up on ebay fromtime to time.

[Bill Murphy]

Jim, I would leave that pad in place and determine by trial and error how fast it will deteriorate into pieces. The pad appears to be a nailed in place pad which cannot be removed and replaced conveniently. I think I recognize the gun as one that was offered on the internet. If it is the gun I think it is, you have one fine gun.

[Jim Akins]

Bill, I am sure it is the one you were thinking about. I probably paid too much for it but it is only money, but I've been doing this long enough to know that guns like this one don't show up too often. I plan on proceeding carefully on the pad, it is starting to separate from the base plate. The black sponge is still flexible and the red parts are good. I am fairly certain that it is the original pad that came on the gun as the only patent date on it is 1917. Mark gave me the original owners name and a photo of him and his son with a string of pheasants from about 1930.

Jim A.

[Bill Murphy]

Jim, do you think it is a nailed on pad? Are you familiar with the nailed on pad? If it is, you'll never get it back on if you take it off. You can always nail on another one like it, but you and I will know it is not the original one.

[Jim Akins]

Bill pretty sure it is a nail on pad, my plan IF I attempt it would be to leave the original red plate on the gun and replace the black sponge pieces. the red parts are intact and I believe they could be straightened using a heat source and a flat surface. On the original pads the base and the other parts were separate and glued on to the base plate, I wonder what type of glue was used. At any rate I am going to do some research before trying any thing.

[Bruce Day]

I tried.
I failed.

If you find a method that works, let me know.

[Frank Cronin]

If this helps, below are some pictures of a NOS two ply sponge Jostam recoil pad with original box and paper envelope with tacks inside never opened. There are some loose tacks that were in the box when I bought it so you have an idea what you may be getting into. The box does not have any instructions though.

[Bill Murphy]

The pictured pad looks like the base is either missing or it has been attached to the sponge parts. I have removed these pads in the past and Jim's idea to cut everything off except the base and then glue a new sponge pad onto the base is a good one. The base does not seem to deteriorate on these pads.

[Drew Hause]

More vintage pad examples here http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22972603

[Dave Noreen]

RevDocDrew,

Great picture trail on the recoil pads. I'd suggest a correction, on the Ithaca "bridge trestle" pads. As introduced circa 1931/1932 they had a black hard rubber base.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/Ithaca%20and%20Lefever/1932IthacaRecoilpad.jpg

The original run had PAT. APPL'D FOR under the ITHACA GUN Co. ITHACA, N.Y. logo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/Ithaca%20and%20Lefever/00001IthacaBridgeTrestlepads.jpg

Eventually this was changed to PATENTED.

The Aluminium base first appears in the Summer 1950 illustrated Ithaca price list --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/Ithaca%20and%20Lefever/1950IthacaRecoilpad.jpg

The Aluminum base pad is still offered thru 1953. I then have a ten year gap in my Ithaca paper and by 1963 they are offering this pad --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v316/Ansleyone/Ithaca%20and%20Lefever/1963Ithacarecoilpad.jpg

[Drew Hause]

Thanks Dave. I added those images and corrected the caption.