I know this is almost a year old but I can help you with this question. Fred Shaw was a patient of my father's back in the 1980's. He was a classically trained gunsmith of the highest order. He had a small shop on Lilac Rd. in north Escondido Ca at his home. He was retired but had a full time business making and repairing gunstocks. As a favor to my father he fully restored my grandfather's Savage falling block .22 single shot boys rifle, known as the "Crackshot 26". It was beautifully done, with color casehardened receiver and deep blued barrel and trigger, buttplate and lever.

His small shop was full of walnut stock blanks, piled in every available space and a full complement of rifles and shotguns in waiting, to be repaired when their turn arrived. These were from all over the world and I was fortunate to handle some very impressive shotguns and double rifles. Mr. Shaw was very patient to a young man's firearm interests and always spent time to answer a myriad amount of questions from me, always allowing me to handle the examples he would produce to show me his explanation of his answers.

I learned that many fine double rifles arrived for repair with broken wrists because the African gun boys would place the butt against a tree to test fire them. The ferocious kick upon firing would cause the break because the tree was much less forgiving than the human shoulder. This kept Mr. Shaw in business long after he retired.

The story goes that he was instrumental in helping design and produce the stocks for Roy Weatherby's early rifles in the 1950's. While a master gunsmith in all areas including metallurgy, Mr. Shaw's specialty was, in fact, wood and thus was more widely known for his beautiful stocks and hand checkering.

I never truly realized what a great gift it was to know this man until I became an adult and came to appreciate the finer things in this life. I was fortunate to know a great gunsmith and gentleman in Fred Shaw, and enjoy holding the small rifle he restored for my family years ago.

I hope this recant will help answer your question.

Kurt