This is a beauty contest in some respects. So like any judge I will give you two different answers and you choose which one you want. Send the first three blanks to the person who is going to do the restock job and let him choose which one is best. Flaws will shout to him and whisper to us if we listen. Second choice is to let us help you choose it with you.
That being the options I would drop the fourth and fifth blanks. Heavy mineral streaking and slab sawn grain does not look right on a graded Fox unless you are dealing with a Utica gun. Late guns are much less well stocked. Two down and three to go.
Are the first three stocks of the same density and hardness? Can you tell if one is much heavier than the other? When weight is your final concern I would drop the heaviest one first. From a personal viewpoint I would choose number two if I could. The grain flow in the grip is good and you can get the grain flow in the toe area to be very good as well. The color and figure are as good as you could ask for. You could see that on a Fox of that age.
I like the first one a well but tried to use a stock that could a have been its' twin. Inletting became a very frustrating process. Such tight curly grain became very prone to chipping. The longer grain structure in the second or third blanks looks to much more predictable to my eye. Have fun and enjoy the process.
