The Edwards RECOIL REDUCER® was invented by Jesse Edwards in 1965. The invention was necessitated by Jesse having been in an automobile accident which resulted in severe spinal and shoulder injuries, making it impossible to tolerate recoil. The first unit was non-adjustable, designed to be inserted into the existing drawbolt hole. Following the award of the first patent, Jesse began to experiment with the adjustment feature, with the intent of directing recoil away from the face and the shoulder of either a right or left handed shooter. These experiments were successful, and the external appearance of the Edwards RECOIL REDUCER® evolved to that which is still in use today.

The initial large-scale marketing attempt for Jesse was the Amateur Trapshooting’s Grand American Tournament in 1966. Being the first ever recoil reduction device available, this venue was a huge success. In light of that, “the Grand” remained one of Edwards RECOIL REDUCER® prime opportunities for assisting shooters with the reduction of recoil, barrel bounce and the attendant pain and discomfort.

Following the success of the Edwards RECOIL REDUCER® Jesse devoted his time to developing a counterbalance for the emerging O/U to single barrel conversions that were gaining popularity during the 1960s-70s. Replacing an over-and-under barrel with a single would affect the performance of the shotgun, until the shooter’s mind compensated for the change in balance. The development of the patented Edwards Adjustable Counterbalance overcame the differences in balance point, allowing the shotgun the same characteristics regardless of the barrel used. This product was later adapter for use with the then extremely popular 870 Remington.

Never losing sight of the purpose of the Edwards company, that of reducing recoil, Jesse continued to evolve the recoil reducer, developing a 4”, and finally a 3 ½” model for stocks that were too thin or short to accommodate the 4 ½” units. After Jesse’s death in 1982, Edwards RECOIL REDUCER® was acquired by the inventor’s grandson Kevin Sheff, who controls the operations today. Still a privately held company, Kevin added to the original product lines with the addition of a 3” model, the invention of The MAX, for synthetic stocks and the ETR (Edwards Tactical Reducer) which is a drop-in unit for mil-spec stocks used on shotguns. Additionally, numerous internal modifications have been made to minimize wear, speed the break-in process and increase recoil reduction of the existing units, thereby continuing to ensure the shooter a lifetime of trouble and recoil free shooting.