Well, I just got one of these from Academy, and while there isn't an obvious "noodle" effect, if you slap the forearm with any force at all, it hits the barrel. They make these stocks on an old mold snagged from the Savage line, so I doubt they replaced it. Your idea of flexing might not be the same as other people's.

That being said, I am planning on bedding some 3/16" titanium rods in the forend, as well as around the lug area.