I'm late to the conversation, but here goes; I used to wonder why the English settled on a straight grip splinter forend configuration before 1825, but as in most of the other seeming quirks they have adopted in the construction of double guns, most all of them are tried and true and have proven the test of time. Not only is the straight grip splinter configuration the lightest most handsome configuration for a double gun, but it allows you to shoulder it a split second faster than any other combination, and in some types of shooting, such as bobwhites, grouse, woodcock, or Huns, that split second can make the difference between a hit or a miss. I've tried them all, mostly in best grade guns, and this was my takeaway, for what it's worth.
