Here's what I recommend. Forget about sending it back, it won't be worth it. The bottom of the U cracks on ALL of them, IMO. Now that Mo Archer has brought them to our attention, we are all looking, and we are all finding them right there for the very reasons, I think, I previously mentioned in MO Archers post. I think the U's, as you call them, are like tits on a boar hog. They don't serve any purpose to strengthen the stock. IMO, your Apex and Mo Archers Kodiak ( I own both), have a stock which is better designed better to receive recoil than any other drop breech rifle.

Obviously, "Eric" is more than happy to replace it if you wanthim too. But just like T/C, he going to require you to send it back at your expense. Were I you, I wouldn't modify the stock. If the stock fails, like sabotloader's Omega stock where the lug support breaks from the stock, or if this kind of failureappears to beimminent, (which I suspect it won't), then return the stock for a replacement. My reinforment of the stock spawns from intention to shoot very high recoil loads with very heavy conicals. I don't want to send it off and I don't think I will ever have to.