And while I'm in an "inquiring minds" sort of mood, this has baffled me for as long as I can remember:

Like many of us, I'm fascinated by the sight of a beautifully-fitted gun case. Felt-lined pockets for gun, barrels, second set of barrels, scope, tools and accessories, cartridges, canvas-clad or hand-tooled leather, perhaps with the ultimate touch, the owner's name on the cover. I can, and have, marvelled away probably hours of my life over the years gazing over pictures of such gorgeous pieces of workmanship (for I'll never be rich enough to afford to have any of my own.) Then one day, the question hit me like a wet flounder:

Where's the forend?

I can safely say I've looked at a hundred or more such cased rifles and shotguns, easily, and I've seen exactly ONE with the forend in evidence. I've gone back and looked at many, trying to spot a hidden compartment where the forend might be stowed, with no success. Many of them don't even have enough space evident for such a compartment.

So, you collectors of fine cased doubles, please let me in on the secret: Where's the forend?