Proud wood doesn't bother me either. However, I wouldn't call the mate of the stock head to the cove in the action shoulder on the one Steve Barnett had last yr. at Pintail Pt satisfactory at a 2.5-3K price. There appeared to be an unfairness in the curve on the metal and I'll be darned if the stock head followed it. Oddly, I could detect this same defect in some early guns pictured internet. Appears that this glitch was perpetuated by the templating or control code for metal and wood machining.
jack
