Peter: Yes, I can believe it. Extremely strong and the bulk of recoil forces dealt with and no possibility of wood failing. The trade-off, to me, is the rather finicky set up of the forend which has to deal with other recoil generated stresses and is prone to failure (at least in the well aged specimens we have to deal with today). But the real reason I harp on it is that I find it perplexing how, in the various histories of this rifle, the rather remarkable re-design is hardly mentioned.

Ridolpho