Thanks for the tips. That's roughly the conversion I was getting from one of the BP sites: 1 dram=27 grains. I've got half a 5 gal. bucket of the Federals which may last as long as my devotion to the process (and the smoke). Good luck with cranking up the stock. Guess it has to take most of it between the ends of the tangs and the thumbhole; old wood, doesn't sound easy. Like to see pictures of your bending rig, Jim.

jack