A gun goes off-face when the connection between barrels and action wears enough that the barrels are no longer in firm contact with the breech face. Usually, the gun is considered a must-fix when the barrels will close on a 0.004" feeler gauge.
Wear comes from all sources: cyclical movement, firing caused movement, poor lube and dirt, stretch from over-pressure, fatigue, and a few others probably. The quality of the bearing fit and finish, along with proper steel and lube, play a significant role. As the gap grows, the wear accelerates form increased "slamming" (hammer backswing).
Action and barrels are affected by pressure and care less about recoil. Wood and shooter care about recoil.IMO, the wood knows about the recoil acceleration force. Shooters differ in perception of recoil. Consider that recoil acceleration is directly proportional to pressure and that peak pressure is reached about the time the shot clears the forcing cone. High pressure loads are going to give the stock a pretty good whack. Old wood is always best treated with respect and low pressure loads.
DDA
