[ithacaartist]

A peep at the back side might tell us more, but the area does appear as though it might have been worked on.

My notion of the cause of many such chips is more akin to shrinkage or wear that lets the panel slide forward when a shot is taken. This tends to bring the area in question up against the safety lever's shaft with a sharp, significant force. Make certain wood grips fit snugly and take measures to stabilize them if they are loose. When fitting the left grip, I also recommend shaving out just a touch of clearance between the wood and the rear of the safety lever.

When the chip falls off during the grip scale's, It is my opinion that many of them are already broken, as above...then the loose chip merely released from captivity when the grip is removed from the frame.

That's not to say that one ought to abandon caution when removing the left grip!