English Sporting Rifle Stock

[Shawrco]

Getting close to making a choice on which rifle to build - Jaeger or English Sporting. Chambers Flintlocks website specifies only English Walnut for their Gentleman's Sporting Rifle. I realize one may do what one wishes in building, and walnut is the most correct, but what wood, other than walnut, would be appropriate for an English Sporting rifle? Cost and availability are certainly factors for walnut alternatives.

 

[billraby]

Getting close to making a choice on which rifle to build - Jaeger or English Sporting. Chambers Flintlocks website specifies only English Walnut for their Gentleman's Sporting Rifle. I realize one may do what one wishes in building, and walnut is the most correct, but what wood, other than walnut, would be appropriate for an English Sporting rifle? Cost and availability are certainly factors for walnut alternatives.

I would go with English or Turkish walnut. Yes, the really nice blanks cost thousands of dollars, but you can easily get a good blank for $150 to $300.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Shawrco,
There are so few surviving English sporting rifles from the mid-18th century that it is hard to find any examples stocked in anything other than English walnut. That does not mean a few were in other woods but the English made so few rifles compared with smooth bored guns, the sample size is limited. Even Germanic jaegers were overwhelmingly stocked in walnut. However, both the English and Germans occasionally used other woods primarily some kind of maple. It was a short term fashion for English sporting guns during the early 18h century to use burl or figured maple but it died out largely because the burl cracked and chipped badly. Quite a few maple stocked guns were restocked later in walnut. John Manton used figure maple for at least one rifle during the 19th century.

But stocks made from any other wood than English walnut were very rare. FYI, English walnut is Juglans regia. It is the same species as French, European, Italian, Circassian, Turkish, and Armenian walnut. Whether or not to build an English or jaeger rifle, I am partial to English work but they basically took their inspiration from the German rifle makers. Keep in mind, during the 18th century, rifles in England were the toys for wealthy sportsmen and land owners. Except for possibly a few game keeper's guns, there were no "poor" boy English rifles.

dave

 

[Shawrco]

Bill, Dave,
Thanks for the feedback... I have been thinking along the lines of building a Jaeger for some time now, but just recently started considering the English rifle. As you both say, walnut would be the better choice, but the supplier/builder who may be helping me get started has stopped doing walnut due to allergic reaction. I put in a call to Chambers Flintlocks today to ask about their English rifle but they haven't called back yet. I discovered a discussion on ALR forum today, "flatsguide" (Richard) is working on a Chambers English Gentleman's rifle and showing progress on the carving he'd doing on the stock, so Dave - yes I can appreciate your comment on there being no "poor boy" English sporting rifles. He's doing a great job, by the way. I know I couldn't do the carving/engraving that the English style might demand. I bought a 31" swamped Rice barrel at the show in Knoxville last year when I was heading along the Jaeger-build path and have assembled a Track Jaeger DST kit for the project already, but the English rifle could use the barrel too. Maybe an unadorned Jager in cherry????

Joe B

 

[dave_person]

Hi Joe,
I know Richard well. I am Smart Dog on ALR.

dave

 

[billraby]

European walnut and American black walnut are two entirely different species of wood. An allergy to one does not mean an allergy to the other.

 

[Shawrco]

Hi Joe,
I know Richard well. I am Smart Dog on ALR.

dave

Yes sir... thanks for sharing your insight on my question. It's a shame he lost the original thread on building the rifle, but I guess he's re-posted some of the initial photos. I need to go back and read it completely to see if this is his first carving attempt... he's doing a keen job of it! My skills are mainly on the metalworking side, inletting, shaping not so much, and carving definitely not. I have a walnut rifle stock for an unmentionable that I could practice on though

 

[Shawrco]

European walnut and American black walnut are two entirely different species of wood. An allergy to one does not mean an allergy to the other.

Hi Bill, I'm glad to know that, but I don't know what extent of allergy testing the gentleman has gone through. All he told me was not working in walnut any longer...
BTW, I've enjoyed watching your videos on Rumble. I'm sure I'll revisit them when I get started on whatever I end up going with.

 

[longcruise]

I love my fifties for the target range, but .54 definitely has an edge when hunting. Not to stir the pot more....I love my .58 Colonial...it handles like a wand, and ....58 trumps (no pun intended) .54 ....but drops faster.

I ordered and received the English Sporting Rifle from chambers recently. While the website description says they only provide English Walnut, the difficulty of obtaining it is such that they are now using American Walnut. I suppose if only English would do they could/would get it but probably at a higher price.