Beavertail and Splinter Forends
The forend is one of the three major dismountable components of a break-open gun (the others being the barrel set and the action/buttstock) which secures the barrels to the receiver, often houses the ejector mechanism, and for some, provides a handle for the one's secondary hand.
Splinter forend. A slender English-style forend on a break-open gun, designed to retain the barrels on the receiver when the gun is opened and to house the ejectors---not necessarily to provide a hand-hold. Splinter forend guns are more properly grasped by the barrels just ahead of the forend. The closer one's hand is to the line of the bore and to the line of sight, the better one's hand-to-eye coordination. Many people consider the splinter forend more graceful than a beavertail forend on a classic double gun.
Beavertail forend. A broad forend, wrapping partially around the barrel(s) to give a more positive grip and to better protect the hand from hot barrels than does a splinter forend.
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