At the time I collected the gun and handed over for me at the time a staggering amount of cash, I was rather disappointed about how the stock figuring looked. Well it was not rich dark swirling and beautiful, with the stupidity of youth I did make a passing remark. His reply was simply this, the grain is as it should be for one of those guns strong and straight to take the shock from the head through the stock it wont twist shrink away from the action or crack through the wrist. It will out live you son if you treat it well. You know he was right fifty years I have used it regularly the chequering is still in good shape the wood to metal fit is the same as the day I collected it from his workshop. Regularly at the end of every season I would strip clean it, the amazing thing is how little wood there really is in the head when you remove the action and locks. It wont be that long now before I will be looking for another custodian because It is ageing a far better than I am. But not just yet!
