How thin could I /should I go?

[Curtis]

I am currently building an early Lancaster style rifle, with a .40 caliber "A" weight barrel, curly maple stock.  My lock and side panels are about 3/16" thick along side the barrel.  I have thinned the sides of the fore end to approximately 1/8".  How far can I or should I thin the fore end before I begin final shaping, and still maintain structural integrity?  I understand "thin is in".... but how thin?

[Swampwalker]

I think your about there - draw some lines parallel to the barrel on the sides of the forend where you want the high point of the profile (the thickest part) to be, and where you want moulding lines to be, and round over/carve those in.  By the time you're done rounding and sanding, scraping, etc. you'll be a little over a sixteenth, which is where you want to end up.

[Mike Brooks]

1/16" on the upper forestock and 1/8" on the lower forestock.

[Dphariss]

I am currently building an early Lancaster style rifle, with a .40 caliber "A" weight barrel, curly maple stock.  My lock and side panels are about 3/16" thick along side the barrel.  I have thinned the sides of the fore end to approximately 1/8".  How far can I or should I thin the fore end before I begin final shaping, and still maintain structural integrity?  I understand "thin is in".... but how thin?

On many original guns the upper forend was very light.
The forend from the entry pipe back needs enough wood to allow a contour so its not flat sided. 1/8" is about right.
The upper forend can be properly contoured with far less wood.
But you need to leave enough to form a moulding if you are going to have one.
The upper forend is just something the hang the ramrod pipes on structurally. Its need not have a lot of wood.
Dan

[Thom]

I do like a very thin forestock, however I feel much better using four anchors rather than three with a light barrel. It seems much more stable.

Thom

[Curtis]

Thanks for all the responses, guys.  They were both very informative and exactly the sort of info I was looking for.  I will try to post some pics this weekend of where I am at with this build, in the spirit of fishing for guidance and suggestions.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

The very thin upper forend is typical on most schools of the longrifle, but not all.  Lehigh rifles often have about 1/8" of wood along their barrel channels right to the muzzle, and while I'm at it, a ""V" shape to the forend down to a rod channel that is only 1/3 or less of the dia. of the rod.