In my experience many early breech-loading English guns (guns, not rifles) had little drop at the heel. I just sold an 1883-vintage Westley Richards hammerless BLNE with very, very little drop at heel, about 1.25" IIRC, and about the same pitch dimension. Also recently had a Blanch converted pinfire underlever with even less drop, it had actually had the comb lowered to permit a lower head position. The Blanch also had very little pitch and I know the pitch dimension was original since the gun had only heel & toe plates and had obviously not been altered. The Richards was a bespoke gun, made for a particular individual according to its factory letter, and the Blanch is a typical 'best quality' gun of the period and was possibly also a bespoke gun judging by the unique engraving on the initial plate. These are both fairly early guns but were still made about 20 years apart; I've had other English guns of the period and I believe that the typical drop dimensions gradually increased as time went on, until by the turn of the century many of them had begun looking like a dog's hind leg. JMOFWIW and I'm certainly no expert (G).
Regards, Joe
