The bar in wood actions are certainly beautiful guns. They may have been an attempt to capture the clean lines of a muzzleloader.

The sides of the action bar are cut away to allow a space for the wood. The wood in these areas is quite delicate, and unfortunately prone to cracking. The action bar itself is usually wider and a little deeper, with sometimes more metal behind the detonators. This is to get the same action bar cross section for strength. They may end up, in some cases, heavier than a solid bar action.

Occasional examples are still made today.