Question about a dimension on a rifle build

[Brokenhand]

Are most well built long rifles made so that the widest part of the stock, between the lock and the entry thimble, is the same dimension as the widest area on the forearm? In other words, should I be able to lay a straight edge against my stock, say 3/8 in down from the top edge of the barrel inlet, and have it touch from the lock to the muzzle cap? Maybe this makes sense to somebody.

[Karl Kunkel]

I think it generally  follows the profile of the barrel, be it straight, tapered or swamped.

[Mark Elliott]

Simple answer is no.    On most guns,  you can lay out the profile of the forearm by taking a pair of dividers set at 3/32"-1/8" and run them down along both sides of the barrel scoring a line on the top of the forearms along which you can cut.    Southern guns have the same thickness side wall from lock panel to nose piece.   PA guns usually get a little (1/32") thicker toward the front of the lock panel.   At least,  that has been my impression.    I pay more attention to southern guns and am sure they are the same thickness from from lock panel to nose.   When I say the same thickness,  I mean on average.   If you measure carefully,  the thickness varies slightly, usually along the lines of the curl.   The original makers would just smooth out the line of the forearm in the approximately profile that they want.   Then,  scraping will introduce ripples along the curl.   Shrinkage over time will exacerbate these ripples.   If you don't feel the irregularities in the line of the forearm,   it is a sure indication that you don't have an original rifle.   The only way to completely get rid of the ripples in highly figured wood is to use sandpaper.   

[Acer Saccharum]

This is a swamped barrel, so the wood follows the thick/thin/thick contour of the barrel. This is a robust early style rifle.

http://flintrifles.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/transitional-57734.jpg

The question of how much wood stays on or comes off is so dependent upon style of gun, parallel barrel or swamped.

[Mark Elliott]

That is a very nice photo, Tom.   Who took it?   By the way,  the rifle is pretty nice, also.

[Hungry Horse]

Tom;

  That is indeed an excellent photo of a magnificent gun. The is photo made better, because it doesn't use some artsy background, like a weed patch, or a wood pile, or a rock pile, or a table top with its own busy wood grain, that all make seeing the fine details of the presented work very difficult. Guys, please stick to plain backdrops, with good lighting, to lessen the shadows.

                    Hungry Horse

           

[Brokenhand]

Thank you all for your replies. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Nice rifle and answered my question very well. I am putting together a Chambers York rifle. I had the wood kind of necking down at the entry thimble and it didn't look right. I will try to follow the barrel profile.