I don't think you can reason it out, bobski. It's just one of those personal preferences, like single, as opposed to double, triggers. I use both splinter and beavertail fore ends on my doubles. I like pistol grips and beavertail fore ends on guns with higher recoil, like waterfowling guns. It gives the hand a little more to "grab ahold to", in recoil. Based on experience water fowling and shooting flyers, I think a pistol grip is more important in handling high recoiling loads than is a beavertail fore end.

SRH

May God bless America and those who defend her.