Good to see you at work on this rifle. Since you asked my opinion here goes. #1 The cheekpiece is sticking out too far, the end up near the lock need only be a little higher than the wood at the wrist, resist the temptation to do any dishing, it is basically an intersection of planes. The top of the cheekpiece needs to be finished with grooves fanning out as rays toward the butt. The more drop on your stock the less you want a cheek piece sticking way out. Think of the cheekpiece as more of a carving than a feature. One inch is about the minium width that I use on boxes. If you get wider though be prepared to make that funky bend on either side of the hinge that you see on so many east tenn rifles. I like your pronounced comb, I am not crazy about your heavy lock molding. Just as a by the way, if you are thinking about filling that gap at the acute angle of the buttplate, please dont. The only thing that looks worse than a gap is a gap filled with something. Lay that plate on the top of the tip of your anvil horn and using a small ball peen hammer move a tiny amount of metal in the needed direction. Just be carefule if that is a homemade plate because the joint right there too. The worst is over and you are almost home, when you think you are done, walk away from the gun for a few days and then return and rasp down the stock until you think it is way too thin and skinny. When it looks and feels more like a violin than a club you are there. I appreciate you thinking enough of my rifles to ask. Johnny
