Stan, I would consider that wood shrinkage over 100 or so years might account for much of the gap. The forend fit to the barrels is not critical like it needs to be at the stock head to frame. And the shrinkage in the lenght of the grain is rarely what it is across the grain.
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"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."
George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
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