butt stock thickness with thin butt plate question

[Joe B.]

The butt plate is thin (1 5/16").  Is it acceptable for the wood to swell slightly as it comes away from the butt plate or is the plate the widest point to the lock molding, not counting the cheek piece?  That will make for a very slim stock/wrist.  .32 cal. half stock, 13/16 barrel. Thanks.
 

[BrentD]

I couldn't say for a muzzleloader but a Winchester highwall w/o a swell forward of the butt would not be a Winchester and it would look terrible.  You might look at one if you can for an idea about proportionality.

[Dale Campbell]

You do not want the butt to swell as it moves from the butt to the wrist.  Take a look at the Buck and Ball of Unknown Origin in the Antique section.  The first picture shows this area behind the cheek and ahead of the butt plate quite well.  There are other pictures in the Antique section, as well as in the Building section that show picture looking down on the butt from above that will illustrate this.

[Joe B.]

Yes, thank you for the reference to the excellent photos.

[Carper]

Joe:  On late squirrel rifles in south west virginia it was not at all uncommon to see very narrow( less than1") buttplates that did indeed swell towards the lock. Some even to the point that the wrist was round instead of oval and had no rear lock mouldings! I know that it sounds ugly but it is actually a robust and attractive stock. I never have learned to post a photo on this site but would be glad to email you a picture of such a rifle that I have here.   Johnny

[Joe B.]

Thanks for the replies. The stock looked entirely presentable to me with the slight "swell", but now that I have taken it down  to a profile similar to the "buck and ball" gun,  I am glad I did.

[caliber45]

There's nothing wrong with a slim stock, unless you need the bulk to absorb recoil. With a .32, that isn't a problem. Why would you want to make a sleek, slim, streamlined rifle look "pregnant?" A too-slim wrist could pose a problem, but it's the rare rifle that breaks through the stock. Just my opinion, and I ain't a purist . . . - paulallen, tucson az.