The Gun Counter at Saunders

08/13/2026

A recoil pad doesn’t actually make the recoil energy disappear (after all, energy can be neither created nor destroyed). What it can do is change how that recoil feels when it reaches your shoulder. To that end, the material matters.
- Hard rubber
Common on older rifles and shotguns. It provides a little cushioning, but its biggest advantage is durability. Because it doesn’t compress much, recoil tends to feel sharper and more immediate.
- Soft rubber / elastomer
More flexible and compressible. The pad deforms under recoil, spreading the force over a slightly longer period of time and usually making the hit feel less abrupt.
- Gel-style pads
Designed to deform even more and distribute pressure across the shoulder. They can be especially noticeable on guns with heavier recoil or during long shooting sessions.
- Foam
Often very comfortable initially, but the type and density matter. Too soft and it can bottom out under recoil. Too firm and you lose much of the cushioning you wanted in the first place.

There’s another factor that matters just as much: surface area. A wider pad spreads the force over more of your shoulder. That’s one reason a well-designed recoil pad can make a rifle or shotgun feel considerably more comfortable even though the gun is producing essentially the same recoil energy. So when someone says, “This gun kicks harder,” he may actually be feeling a shorter, sharper recoil impulse concentrated over a smaller area.
Same physics at the gun.
Very different experience at the shoulder.

We have guns with all types of recoil pad materials at the gun counter. Stop by and see us to find your fit.

Stay safe. Stay prepared.

08/12/2026

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY EMISSARY 9MM
Where Custom Meets Carry
The Emissary blends premium 1911 features with everyday defensive practicality. Its forged frame, match-grade bull barrel, flat-face trigger, tritium front sight, and accessory rail deliver the feel of a custom pistol in a duty-ready package.
Perfect for:
- Everyday carry
- Home defense
- Range training
- Shooters who want a premium 1911 without going full custom
Available at Saunders Ace Hardware, 202 Piedmont St., Reidsville
Stay safe. Stay prepared.

08/11/2026

Chamber vs. Cartridge: What Tight Tolerances Really Affect

A lot of shooters hear people talk about "tight chambers" or "headspace," but those aren't the same thing. Think of it this way:
• The chamber is part of the firearm. It's the space in the barrel that holds the cartridge.
• The cartridge is the ammunition you load into it.
Headspace is the relationship between the two. It's the precise distance that determines how the cartridge fits in the chamber when the action is closed. When those tolerances are correct, the firearm is more likely to:
✔ Chamber reliably
✔ Fire consistently
✔ Extract and eject properly
✔ Produce more consistent accuracy
When they're not, you can experience anything from hard chambering to light primer strikes, extraction issues, or worse.

The important takeaway? "Tighter" isn't automatically "better." The goal is correct dimensions, not simply the smallest possible ones. Fi****ms are designed around precise tolerances that balance reliability, safety, and accuracy. It's one of those details most shooters never see, but every quality firearm depends on it.

Questions about firearm function or maintenance? Stop by The Gun Counter. We're always happy to talk guns.
Stay safe. Stay prepared.

08/10/2026

Deer hunters, mark your calendars. A special early deer season is coming August 22–23 in several nearby counties, including Forsyth, Stokes, and Surry. The season is part of NCWRC’s effort to help control the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease, a transmissible disease that can lead to declining deer populations, according to NCWRC.

In efforts to control the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is announcing new deer hunting regulations…

08/07/2026

You left the house saying, “I’m just going to sight it in real quick.”
That was the first mistake.

08/05/2026

Cranberry, but make it Smith & Wesson.
The Bodyguard 2.0 is already one of the smallest, lightest .380s around. This one gets a completely different look with a Cranberry Frost frame and Blush Cerakote slide.
🍒 Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0
🍒 .380 Auto
🍒 10+1 / 12+1 capacity
🍒 9.8 oz.
🍒 Thumb safety
🍒 Tritium front sight
Small gun. Very hard to miss.
Available now at the gun counter at Saunders.
Stay safe. Stay prepared.

08/04/2026

You bought a scope with a parallax adjustment. Now the question is: Do you actually need to mess with it? For a lot of shooters, a lot of the time, the answer is no.

Parallax becomes a problem when your eye isn’t perfectly centered behind the scope and the reticle appears to shift on the target. The rifle hasn’t moved, but your apparent point of aim has. At normal hunting distances, that small shift often isn’t enough to matter much. That’s why plenty of hunting scopes don’t even give you a parallax adjustment.

Start stretching the distance, shrinking the target, or chasing really tight groups, though, and it becomes a different story. That’s when getting the parallax dialed out can make a noticeable difference.

Here’s a simple way to check it: with the rifle held securely on target, move your head slightly from side to side without moving the rifle. Watch the reticle. If the reticle seems to move across the target as your head moves, you have some parallax error. Adjust the side focus or adjustable objective until that movement is minimized.

One more thing: don’t put too much faith in the yardage numbers on the dial. They’re useful reference points, but setting the k**b to 200 doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve perfectly corrected parallax at 200 yards. Check it with your eye.

So, when does parallax adjustment actually matter? If you’re deer hunting at ordinary distances, probably not very often. If you’re shooting farther, shooting smaller targets, or trying to squeeze the best possible groups out of your rifle, it matters a whole lot more. Use the adjustment when the shooting demands it. Don’t turn another k**b just because it’s there.

Stay safe. Stay prepared.

08/03/2026

Deer season will be here before you know it. 🦌
Get a head start on your gear with camo backpacks and gun cases in stock now.

07/31/2026

⚛ The Gun Counter Research Division has released new findings on the correlation between distance from your spouse and the probability of hearing, "Don't you already have one like that?" after a firearm purchase.🧐

Study funded by absolutely no one. Results peer reviewed by Dale.

07/30/2026

The best hunting seasons begin long before opening morning. Sight in early, practice often, and head into fall with a rifle built for generations of hunts.
The Wi******er 70 Super Grade .308 Win -- see it in person at Saunders Ace Hardware.