Stock butt shape question

[aragorn]

Were Pennsylvania longrifles (Lancaster and similar) carved as straight as possible, with the butt continuing the line of the barrel, or was the butt sometimes angled off very slightly to the right?

I ask because I recently handled an original which seemed to have the butt about half an inch off true, to the right of the barrel. Because this seemed to make it easier for me to aim and rest my cheek on the stock I was wondering whether it was deliberate.

I'm curious because the stock I'm currently working on seems to be slightly off true in this way too.

 

[Zonie]

The gun you were looking at had "cast" built into the stock.
On modern guns, you usually only find "cast" on the finest grade guns. Shotguns in the $2000+ range often have it.

As you noted, it brings the barrel into alignment with your eye almost like magic.
If you are working with most of the pre-carved wood stocks available, they don't have enough wood to get much cast in the stock although I once bought a pre-carve which was a "old" style Lancaster, and reworked it into a new style Lancaster.
Because the butt plate is thinner on the new style, it allowed me to locate it to the right side and then remove wood on the left side to match it.
This gave the gun about 1/4 inch of cast, and it is noticeable when shouldering it.

 

[aragorn]

Very interesting Zonie! The stock I'm working on is my York from Chambers, and it does seem to have a cast of at least 1/4 inch. I'm only just finishing inletting the barrel, but with it nearly in place I can shoulder the stock and it does align beautifully.

 

[IronCrickett]

Originals often had cast off, or cast on depending on the customer. 1/2" sounds a bit much, and may partly be due to stock warpage. 1/4" is more typical, but as I said, it depended on the customer. :m2c:
Later
I.C.

 

[squirejohn]

Strider - The description of the York rifle kit from Chambers (www.flintlocks.com) states it is purposely mfg. with a 1/4" of cast.

 

[aragorn]

You're right, Sq J, blame my ignorance for not knowing what cast meant. This is one big learning curve!

Also my 1/2" estimate was gauging fairly quickly by eye and may have been an overestimate.

Thanks!

 

[Twisted_1in66]

*SNIP**
Also my 1/2" estimate was gauging fairly quickly by eye and may have been an overestimate.

Thanks!

Hi Strider,

I used to use a try-gun to fit shotguns for people who were ordering custom guns, and virtually all of them had