Hi TwoBob,

Just quickly,generally double rifles are thicker from the face to the back of the action than any shotgun action of a similar size.As we know,this increases the resistance to the face moving backwards when shot but also allows for the extension to be there without intefering with the leverwork.Pigeon guns tend to be a whole lot heavier than a standard shotgun action.A 12 bore pigeon gun action would in reality be the size of a standard 10 bore action.Also with the A&D actions,the rifle ones are really beefed up compared to a shotgun.As I mentioned before,the width from the lump slots to the cocking limb slots is considerably more on a rifle.Again the distance from the face to the back of the action is greater and from the flats to the top of the cocking limb slots is more.They're bigger in every area thats likely to flex.I can't recall ever seeing a rifle without some kind of third bite on it.The best ones in my experience are Dolls Heads.They make for an action very resistant to the face moving backwards.I remember Simon Clode of Westley Richards saying to me that their Rifles stay together and shoot even when they're old and rattling around.Its because of the Dolls Head.