Kibler SMR

[Icemanxxxv]

After 39 year of being a commercial aircraft mechanic I have but a few short months until I retire. I'm thinking my retirement gift to myself would be a Kibler SMR. I have seen the way cool fancy maple and while they certainly are beautiful, I'm thinking the SMR was a working man's gun. More utilitarian the a fancy show piece, and I'm that kind of guy. So her in lies the question. What wood would (that's a mouth full) have been used for the working man's gun back in the day?

 

[TerryK]

Myself I bought the standard wood, and it is pretty nice in my opinion. I hunt mine, so they get their own character from bumps and bruises.

 

[hanshi]

Maple is the most common and often comes with a bit of figure even in "plain" maple.

 

[Birddog1911]

I went with their basic maple. Can't wait to see how the stock finishes out.

 

[Trapper Scott]

I went with the Cherry.

 

[French Colonial]

I think plain maple would have been very common as a backwoods gunsmith would not always had access to the fanciest of woods everyday, sometimes sure, but not always.

AND, I have some very fancy wood on other guns so I decided to go with plain maple on my SMR......

Now, on the Woodsrunner.....

 

[garypl]

I like the cherry wood on my SMR - you can make it lighter color like mine or a darker red by using different dyes or solutions - pretty versatile wood species

 

[BigAl52]

I like the cherry wood on my SMR - you can make it lighter color like mine or a darker red by using different dyes or solutions - pretty versatile wood species

View attachment 174326

Very nice job on that cherry SMR. Like that alot.

 

[garypl]

Thanks @BigAl52!

 

[pat i.]

I just rreceived my .36 caliber SMR yesterday. Went with the plain maple. It looks like it'll be pretty nice looking after finishing the stock. Like you I really like iron furniture and plain looking guns. I'm pretty plain looking so figure a gun to match only makes sense. Plus I have to believe with a style and intended use of this kind of gun Spartan would be most correct.

 

[PatrickL01]

I have 2 SMR's and both are fancy maple, which I think is beautiful. I do think, however, that the original "Whitson" rifle that the SMR's are patterned after is stocked in walnut. Seems like a lot of Bean rifles were walnut too. Might be worth some research.

 

[1:66 twisted]

I like the ash he had the other day on YouTube!

 

[Fly Navy]

Walnut is what I used. It looks really nice with everything else browned.

 

[Tacitus]

I chose walnut and am very pleased with the results.

 

[powdermeasure]

I chose walnut and am very pleased with the results. View attachment 174406

I too used walnut

 

[Sean E Bug]

I would go with ash

 

[Mark E. Prickett]

I just ordered extra fancy SMR from Jim. My plan is to build a shooter for NMLRA matches I'm not doing any carving or fancy engraving . I love that it comes with iron hardware. People buying guns in the 1700,1800s are no different than today. Some like them pimped out and some like plane Jane. Back then just like today it probably had a lot to do with their income.

 

[Billy Boy]

After 39 year of being a commercial aircraft mechanic I have but a few short months until I retire. I'm thinking my retirement gift to myself would be a Kibler SMR. I have seen the way cool fancy maple and while they certainly are beautiful, I'm thinking the SMR was a working man's gun. More utilitarian the a fancy show piece, and I'm that kind of guy. So her in lies the question. What wood would (that's a mouth full) have been used for the working man's gun back in the day?

If you sand, whisker, with devotion, use the best stain (Laurel Mountain? ) hand rub an oil finish, you will have a beautiful stock, figure or plain.

 

[JohnBHM]

I am working on getting an Ash blank to put away for an SMR kit. If I don't find what I like it will be plain maple or walnut.

 

[tom mesa]

I retired from aircraft toolmaking and had to get a Kibler SMR in maple. This is how it turned out.