alternate woods used for longrifles

[Kilchis Jack]

I have always used maple for stocking longrifles, but have seen Walnut, Cherry and Ash used as well, what other woods have you seen used for stocking a longrifle?


Jack

 

[rabjr]

I'm a proud owner of an Applewood stocked New England style half stock .36 cal rifle. :grin: :thumbsup:

 

[wattlebuster]

I seen one stocked in beech one time at a gun show in birmingham. At least that is what the tag on the gun said it was :thumbsup:

 

[Birddog6]

Just about any CVA you see will be stocked in beech.

I have seen them in Sugar & Red Maple, English & Black American Walnut, wild Cherry, Apple, Persimmion, Beech, Ash, Oak, Hickory, Pine...... Lots of dif types of wood.

But nothing touches sugar Maple when you consider all aspects of the wood...... IMHO.

Keith Lisle

 

[MSW]

Keith, the purist in me (small fellow that he is) agrees with you: there is maple, and then there is everything else (i.e. the wood used 'cause you couldn't find a nice bit of maple).

Having said that, however, i do have a .36 rifle in American Lacewood. Looks pretty cool (or at least i think so, but then again i'm pretty much obligated to say that, 'cause i built it- sort of like having to say that your kids are good looking, even if you know they're not going to be on any magazine covers).

:grin:

 

[Bruce Bogart]

I've seen a couple done in Hackberry. They looked very nice, the grain pattern has interesting "rays" in it. Do not know how it worked or carved, and how it will hold up under use (if those guns get used).

 

[Otony]

Pear was used in Europe, often times with quite a bit of carving. It carves VERY nicely......

 

[Birdman]

curious , as I've never worked with it, are there reasons chestnut wasn't used more, heck it was one of the most prevalent woods going until the blight hit, I know it was used in furniture n building in general, why not gun stocks?

 

[chawbeef]

My dear old Dad (rest his soul) carved many a longbow out of Osage Orange and I have often wondered how it would fare as a rifle stock. Very hard and heavy but some real nice "tiger eye" when polished. Would prolly have to be a big man's gun fer the weight :hmm: ...............Daniel

 

[Herb]

Here is one I built in Chinese elm for a woodworker who could have had any wood. He wanted this wood and didn't want it stained. I traded him this .40 for work on my wife's tea house.

 

[Kilchis Jack]

Very nice! I have some pieces of tiger stripe maple but they are only just over 1" thick. I was wondering if anyone had laminated a stock out of say 5/4. The wood has very tight tiger stripe, It is Oregon Maple.

Jack

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm a fan of cherry. It was used for old hand planes and tools because it is very dimensionally stable.

 

[rich pierce]

I'm starting to think I'm a fan, too! Nice rifles and blank. Cherry works pretty well with a plane and spokeshave compared to curly maple.

 

[Kilchis Jack]

Very nice looking rifle Stumpkiller, very nice

Jack

 

[ron ward]

i've glued up several for modern guns. with the correct glue and lots of clamps, no problems at all. the glue joint is as strong or stronger than the wood, so even the web between bbl and ramrod should be at least as strong as solid wood.i've used epoxy and a "plastic resin" (resocinol) glue sold by dap (dry light brown powder mixed with water...basic boat building glue). mixes up very dark red/brown, shows lam joint, if you want that look. works as good as true epoxy for lamming. epoxy joint will be invisible. freind of mine, a gunsmith, had no problems with gorilla glue... i don't care for the stuff. i did notice that the joints on his stock could be just barely felt depending on humididty, so gorilla glue will allow some creep.
plastic resin glues like allot of clamping pressure, epoxies not much.

 

[TGJaeger]

Herb,
Beautiful Stock! Many years ago, I helped build the branch office for a bank in a nearby town. The bank president wanted us to use Chinese elm for all of the trim, cabinets and etc. It was locally milled and he thought it was beautiful. We used it and it was a bearcat to work with. Lots of knots and twisted pieces. We spent a lot of time getting it all done and stained it light oak. It was pretty. Within a year another bank bought them out and they painted all of the wood dark brown..... :barf:

 

[gmww]

I saw one made of KOA from Hawaii.

 

[gmww]

I think I've commented before on your stock. I like the eye's and bridge of the nose depicted in the cheek piece of the stock area by the knots.

 

[Kilchis Jack]

That cherry stock is beautiful, we do have cherry growing wild here on the Oregon coast, I have never seen it milled but I have heard it has a red color. My dad left me a bunch of 5/4 planks, very nice tight curly Oregon Maple, another gift he gave me, thanks dad! wish you were still here. I will have to check Goby hardwoods to see if they have cherry.
Thanks for the input about lamination and glues I appreciate it. Jack

 

[F.G. Ford]

One of the most beautiful woods that I have worked on is American Elm.
I have used it for table tops, cabinets, pistol grips, but never for a gunstock.
Has anybody tried this wood?
Regarding chestnut, I believe it would be too soft?