Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Srebro
I keep reading cautions about firing hotter loads in older SxS's (made for such loads) that have old, dry stocks. ... I personally haven't seen that while shooting boxlock guns that have properly tightened screws and are not oil soaked and already showing setback, nor those with stocks that haven't already been cracked from falls and other similar mishaps. Thank you.
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While the experience and knowledge of others are certainly their own, and as valid as mine, I can only offer what I've encountered in stripping down a great many boxlocks, and no small number of Parkers:
Old American double guns, stocked with black walnut are almost always split inside. Apparent cause: age, dry wood and recoil forces.
American guns stocked with English walnut are less prone to splitting. Reason: Hardshell walnut retains a measure of resiliency longer. But it can still spit if it's old, dry and pounded by heavy loads.
Oil soak in the stock head makes the wood punky and soft. Whether this quality promotes or lessens splits I can't say. But I've seen a lot of oil soaked stocks with splits.
All of this is why I limit target loads to 3/4 oz and field loads to 1 oz in these old doubles.
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