the fore-ends tend to vary both in thickness, from the "splinter" fore-ends common on british side-by-side shotguns to the wide, flat bottomed "beavertail" fore-ends found on benchrest shooting guns, and in length, from the short ak-47 style to the long mannlicher stock that runs all the way to the muzzle. most common on sporting firearms is the "half-stock", which extends roughly half the length of the barrel.