OK let's try again.

There, finally!!

I believe the hickory rod was in the position shown here while any weight added to the stock was in a larger hole bored higher in the stock - above the two mid-point screws. I have seen several stocks with two plugs and the only one that could have lined up to continue through the wrist was the lower one as pictured here.

Dean,
You are correct about the size difference between the hickory insert versus the diameter of the holes used to adjust the weight and balance of a gun. This photo shows two plugs in my 16 Bernard gun.

Yours is a 1-Frame isn't it Larry? Mine is a 2-Frame and the difference in frame sizes/buttstocks probably accounts for the apparant difference in plugs/rods between yours and mine.

Yes mine gun is a one frame but I recall a couple of years ago we discussed this subject and someone measured the Hickory insert diameter and it was about an 1/8" smaller than the plugs on my gun. When you get home scale and post the diameter of the reinforcing rod and I will measure and post the size my plugs and we will see what the difference is.

Will do. I have another I'll look at too.

If you check in the Parker Pages for Parkers Found, you will find my entry of a 1 1/2 frame PH with patent stamp S/N 206585. It has a 9/16 diameter rod.

The two plugs in the gun I pictured above measure 1" in diameter.

It just came to me - My DH was among the vast tonnage that left Hausman's on that fateful day along with Larry's and Rich's and countless others who assigned the repair of these guns to the capable hands of Russ Bickel.

I'm sure someone will remind me of this thread when I get the DH back.

The others I thought I could inspect and post my findings on either didn't have the rod or plug or I simply couldn't make it out.

I talked to Russ the other day and got a report of his progress. You boys gave him some interesting stuff to work on apparently. He's so good it scares me, he just fixed a problem on my magnum 10 gauge that three other gunsmiths haven't been able to figure out.

DLH

You mean he fixed that "missing" problem? I'll have to send one of mine to him. Sorry Destry, couldn't help myself.