As you pointed out most checking would not always lend itself to removal by this technique but certainly some blanks could be saved that way.

After the build and as a repair this seems feasible..it's obvious that these holes are there to balance the gun during the course of manufacture...it's Phil Yearout's pc which causes some mystery..could have just been an overzealous removal of material & then a craftsman's judgement call feeling as if it caused a weakening of the wood & then feeling it necessary to re-strengthen by installing a dowel to occupy the space.

If I am understanding Phil's description correctly..the dowel occupies the entire 3 inch deep cavity which the x-ray revealed?

On your point of a miserly build..agreed 100%

I think inserting a dowel into the hole would defeat the suggested purpose of preventing checks. Now the stockwood wants to shrink against a solid core thus causing cracks in the thinner stockwood.

Yes; the dowel definitely bottoms out in the hole.

Certainly don’t want to beat it into the ground b/c as Rick pointed out ~ anything is possible.

Dean, to my mind leaving the space void would potentially allow the thinner cross-sections to cave if not supported..even if with just a plug at the holes opening as it would have no support behind it whatsoever. A properly seasoned pc should be pretty stable outside of expansion/contraction due to atmospheric conditions & not want to curl etc. That said…wood can by all means do exactly what you don’t think it should do..lol

It’s hard to say what practice was employed back then but I would guess that ends of green lumber were in fact coated for long term drying/storage..but perhaps not??

Considering it common practice for a blank to be oversized in length, a small degree of checking may not be of concern if in fact that portion of the blank was to be removed anyhow..now say the end is sawn and proper shaping ensues but low and behold you didn’t get it all & a small check begins to form in the butt end..if it was in the right spot there is no doubt that the area which is affected including material behind it could be removed for good measure. Provided the blank as a whole was dried proper..it would “likely” save the blank. Furthermore, filling the void w/a like material should typically keep things in order. If the craftsman were of the mindset, he could even go so far as using a pc of like material & of similar grain structure oriented proper to ensure little difference in expansion rates due to density etc assuring a sound pc..this would in my view not constitute a miserly repair but a rather savvy one quite frankly. If similar expansion rate was the goal it would be unwise to coat the entire dowel lengthwise with glue but rather just the leading edge to ensure no sealing action occurs & the material is allowed to expand/contract with its surroundings.

As to going through & “repairing” blanks for typical construction of a new gun - I would have to agree w/Rick in saying that would be rather miserly & the age in which these guns were made would be inconsistent…especially from an upper echelon manufacturing company.

I have seen these lightening tactics in other guns and the space was left empty leaving a pc un-naturally light and hollow feeling/sounding…I am aware that I am a rather finicky fella but I loathe that in a gun..if I had such a pc I would not think twice to occupy the space with a dowel..if it was a matter of affecting balance, balsa would suit me just fine (but I would review the expansion rates first). I have been known to fill the butt of a synthetic stock with “Great Stuff” for some friends and after having had the pc returned to them ask me just what it is that I did b/c it just “seems” more solid to them now.

Just to be clear - “Great Stuff” would never touch a gun made of wood & metal by my hand.

We know from reading The Parker Story that King went on a wood buying trip once a year for Parker Bros. It was stored for at least a year before it was put to use.

Scott, I think it's anybody's guess as to why that hole was bored only to be plugged to the end with a dowel.