It rather looks like a lot of your pitch is in the pad itself. I like the adjustable Morgan recoil pad esp. for a consistent mount, the crescent shape works well with my skinny shoulders to keep my mount consistent. The first thing for a target shotgun is fit, thus altering that old piece of wood makes perfect sense, restocking a sidelock is both costly and difficult. You are wise to beef it up prior to getting another 100+ years out of the old girl. Why do I think today's Glocks will not be around in 100 years? Are there any photos or info on Polymer guns and say 20 years of direct sunlight? Polymers and modern adhesives are really amazing and help us keep these great old guns taking game or breaking targets. You have a lovely Yankee sidelock there.

 

I think the gun was sitting on the pad in a safe or vertical rack of some kind for a number of years. I have measured it twice with the recoil pad off and it's about 1/2".
It was so hard and brittle that I had to use a miter saw to cut through the ventilated section to get to the screws.

 

This is an excellent candidate for a buttstock transplant. Keep the pistol grip and cut the back of the stock off at an angle. Attach a new hunk of wood and make a stock exactly to your length and dimensions. Checker it over the joint and it’s invisible.

 

This would be my recommendation also.

In addition, I have installed some 3/16” threaded rod (stove bolts w/ heads cut off) in the rear “gullets” of the lock-plates to eliminate any stock splitting at this vulnerable spot. (Invisible when gun is assembled.)
Also, some glass bedding on the precious-little recoil areas of the stock head.

 

I did both the butt lengthening and the comb replacement on a rifle stock. It came out well. I used a couple of dowels in the butt stock addition. The problem with the comb addition is that you have to go a long way down into the stock to get to a thicker area and then reshape the comb with less angle to the top. Maybe ending up with a narrow edge on the comb. Anyway adding the top piece is easy and all you need is a glue joint. I matched the grain of the woods pretty good and then used an air brush to shade the wood stains. It came out looking pretty good. Lengthing the butt and then adding the most basic comb adjuster might also be a good way to go.

 

I have a Graco adjustable comb kit and a adjustable butt pad setup if I decide to go that route, also have a Graco EZ looking for a home if I want to install it.
Though it would be great to have all the adjustments, I'm trying to not to make it look like a Frankenstein gun.

 

There was an excellent article in Shooting Sportsman years ago with pictures of how to do this. I have had it done to a 1915 Ithaca Flues and it looks perfect. It also gave me a 100+ year old gun with modern dimensions.

 

. . . . . . It also gave me a 100+ year old gun with modern dimensions.

That would be a paramount benefit to todays’ trap shooter . . . .
An old but a beauty, stocked to a higher comb for today! (The drop at the heel on those oldies is excessive in todays’ world!)

 

My grandpa's Ithaca had over 3" of drop at the heel. Now that gun sports a straight stock that is 1 1/2" x 2 18" with a 1/4" of cast off and a 15 1/2" LOP. The wood is also a level or 2 above field grade. Too bad its just a Flues with barrels that don't ring, but it was grandpa's and is fun to shoot with light loads.

 

If it was something besides a Smith, I'd restock it with a live bird style or modern monte carlo stock but the cost and time are beyond what I'm willing to spend on it at this point.
I did the stock on this Fox about 5 years ago, it is very comfortable to shoot. Restocking a Smith is honestly above my skillset.

 

Yes, A Smith is not an east restock job. I am sorta intrigued about cutting the stock of behind the pistol grip and grafting on another. Any body have a picture of a stock that has been done that way?

 

That's what makes the buttstock transplant so attractive - keep the head of the stock!

 

I really dig this idea only downside is you need a gun that has a good head on the stock. Many old Smiths are oil soaked. Love to see these fine old guns afield sporting more “shoot able” stock dimensions. However, the Elsie’s are better than most that way.

 

This one is in pristine condition besides the stock length and the odd pitch angle, it's a 1947 model and the wood under lock plates is in perfect condition.
Given the hardness of the recoil pad when I bought it, I doubt it's been shot in 20-30 years.

 

I might vote to throw ya out if you put an adjustable comb and buttpad on an Elsie........
Well if I were a member. Each to their own and all that but please do not do that. The Turks are making good guns with all those frankenstein adjustments for 1500 bucks or so. If I'm looking for best scores, that's the route to choose IMO.