Thin grips, multiple areas of wood removal for the action and holes for sears, pins, screws and safety rods make the average stock a Swiss cheese affair. Old stocks with oil soaking into the wood, decades of drying, hundreds if not thousands of poundings from shells plus the odd dropping or falling on the gun makes it a wonder any stock prevails. If you want safe go plastic. Take reasonable care of the stock and shoot as light a loads as practical is about all you can do.

I do not think glass bedding is that great of an improvement. If it was, every factory stock made today would be done at the factory. I had every 3200 stock I shot glass bed with reinforcing to prevent cracks. I still had six out of 20 plus guns crack in less than 35 years. Given 75 years I suspect they all will crack. Had I not done it I am sure that they all would have cracked by now. The wood is too thin in the grip and the forces only have three small areas to rest against.

Good stock blank selection is the most important to me. Too many guns have grain flow in the wrist that is from bad to very bad. A very thin grip may feel great but it sure makes the grip prone to cracking. Poorly inletted stocks, that do not spread the forces over the maximum area are a fracture or crack waiting to happen. Some problems are just short comings of the basic design.

Most box locks that I have seen cracks are internal while most sidelock are external. Many box lock cracks I bet have been there for years before we see them. I think that flexing of the grip area translates into those many small cracks we see on both.

To me a gun is either shot or it becomes a decoration item. Maybe a high grade gun deserves to be saved as a decoration but not a well worn field grade. Let them be used and enjoyed. Repair as needed but not put away in a safe or closet.