Fore end assembly for a firearm

In a break-open firearm having a frame, at least one barrel pivotally mounted on the frame, and a fore end assembly releasably secured to the underside of the barrel;

• the fore end assembly comprising a wooden fore end stock having a channel-shaped transverse cross-section and a latch plate receiving opening formed in the bottom wall thereof, a metal latch plate removably secured to the bottom wall of said fore end stock, and latch means mounted on the latch plate for releasably securing the fore end assembly to the underside of the barrel;
• the improvement which comprises an integrally formed metal latch plate having an elongated main body portion, a latch mechanism portion disposed intermediate the forward and rearward ends of the main body portion and a head portion disposed at the rearward end of the main body portion of the latch plate, the latch mechanism portion extending downwardly below the level of the under surfaces of the forward and rearward ends of the main body portion of the latch plate and being adapted to be snugly received in the latch plate receiving opening formed in the fore end stock;
• the latch plate receiving opening of the fore end stock and the latch mechanism portion of the latch plate being formed with longitudinally extending vertical side walls that are disposed substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal centerline of the firearm, the transverse forward facing rear end wall of said latch plate receiving opening and the abutting transverse rearward facing rear end wall of said latch mechanism portion extending vertically the full depth of the bottom wall of said fore end stock and being substantially planar and disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal centerline of the firearm.