Loyalist Arms Bess

[Musketeer]

Just watch out for the teak, horrible gunstock wood.

Teak is much heavier than necessary and is apparently very hard on tooling, I understand that, but what else makes it undesirable? I mean, is it more susceptible to breakage than something like walnut, maple, etc. for example?

 

[FlinterNick]

Teak is much heavier than necessary and is apparently very hard on tooling, I understand that, but what else makes it undesirable? I mean, is it more susceptible to breakage than something like walnut, maple, etc. for example?

Teak is a very oily wood and its grain is too tight, so the result is it doesn’t absorb stain or oil very well or even at all. You need an extremely thinned out oil to seal and finish teak. Teak also turns a grey color over time When exposed to sun and humidity.

Teak is also brittle, so when tooling it tends to shard and shed rather than chip or dent.

I’ve seen a lot of Indian made muskets break too, some cuts of teak don’t handle recoil too well, and reinactors s love over loading.

Loyalist Arms uses a South American mahogany or rosewood which is much more pliable than teak and even harder than Walnut, not historically accurate but much better quality.

Walnut, Maple and Cherry are your preferred gunstock choices because they can be tooled, stained, finished and hold up pretty well to elements and use.

 

[firemanjim68]

Well, at long last my Loyalist Arms Ranger musketoon is on it's way to my home here in Texas along with a British Heavy Dragoon pistol to boot.
I'll be posting pics when they arrive hopefully sometime this week!

 

[nhmoose]

All gun owners need one cheap help from needing internet guesses. By guesses if it ain't in your hands you really don't know

52pcs Thread Pitch Gauge SAE Stainless Steel Screw Pitch Measuring Tool (Metric&British Whitworth(52pcs)): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

 

[LSU520]

Teak is much heavier than necessary and is apparently very hard on tooling, I understand that, but what else makes it undesirable? I mean, is it more susceptible to breakage than something like walnut, maple, etc. for example?

It depends on the type of Teak, Teak from India is in surplus and has been for almost a decade, the main problem with Teak from India is you don’t know how it was treated before it was cut into a gunstock, so a teak gunstock from India could be good or really bad depending on certain facts Such as how long the wood was dried, is it scrap wood etc.

For the most part teak is considered junk wood.

 

[RAEDWALD]

Teak, like Rosewood, is an impromptu trade name for local tropical hardwoods which vaguely resemble the original. Indian reproduction arms are marketed on price (without compromising safety) and so use economical hardwoods available in the local market. Usually the same as available to the furniture trade. This is one of the ways they keep the price down. Were they to use specific accepted gunstock woods like walnut it would be far more expensive.

If one wants Pedersoli and custom arms quality of finish then expect to pay Pedersoli or custom prices. You pays your money and takes your choice. How else might one expect them to charge less money? Or do folk want to exploit the workers by having their wages reduced?

If one objects to the Indian stocks then dig deeper in your pocket. If you cannot afford to pay more then make do with what you get.

The enthusiastic, but impecunious, might want to have a go at making their own stock to take the Indian metal. At the worst you still would have the original stock to use of it all goes horribly wrong. The Indian stockmaker may be more skilled than you, but he is on piecework so was in a hurry. You have all the time you might need to work carefully and slowly.

 

[LSU520]

Teak, like Rosewood, is an impromptu trade name for local tropical hardwoods which vaguely resemble the original. Indian reproduction arms are marketed on price (without compromising safety) and so use economical hardwoods available in the local market. Usually the same as available to the furniture trade. This is one of the ways they keep the price down. Were they to use specific accepted gunstock woods like walnut it would be far more expensive.

If one wants Pedersoli and custom arms quality of finish then expect to pay Pedersoli or custom prices. You pays your money and takes your choice. How else might one expect them to charge less money? Or do folk want to exploit the workers by having their wages reduced?

If one objects to the Indian stocks then dig deeper in your pocket. If you cannot afford to pay more then make do with what you get.

The enthusiastic, but impecunious, might want to have a go at making their own stock to take the Indian metal. At the worst you still would have the original stock to use of it all goes horribly wrong. The Indian stockmaker may be more skilled than you, but he is on piecework so was in a hurry. You have all the time you might need to work carefully and slowly.

You can use any wood for a gunstock you wish to.

The cost of having a custom made stock will always be more expensive Because you’re paying for craftsmanship and a higher grade of wood.

However I will say that the cost a teak stock say a musket stock will cost you around $200 - $300 vs. a walnut stock around $300-400, the cost difference isn’t as big considering the type of wood but when you ‘part out’ a gunstock the cost goes up no matter what.

The only real way anyone saves money on using teak is by buying an Indian made gun vs a custom gun simply because Indian demand is much lower.

All prices are relative.

However, anyone familiar with wood types and gunstocks will almost never advise anyone on using cheaper wood for a gun such as Teak as it will end up costing more time and effort to stain wood, finish wood and fix any mistakes.

Teak is a tight grained wood that is a very tight grained wood and not very porous for absorption of stain and or oil. It also doesn’t carve well for relief carving or checkering.

 

[firemanjim68]

Wood, schmood......
Lookiee what came in the mail for me today.

 

[LSU520]

Wood, schmood......
Lookiee what came in the mail for me today.

O

meehhh..... I took one look at the Bess, the upper sling swivel is way off by about an inch or two, and that’s actually a mechanical issue with the rammer Or the thimbles are not placed right.

Pistol lock carving is way overdone.

Crap, you go cheap you get cheap.

 

[firemanjim68]

Lol,

I knew that was coming.

 

[FlinterNick]

Teak, like Rosewood, is an impromptu trade name for local tropical hardwoods which vaguely resemble the original. Indian reproduction arms are marketed on price (without compromising safety) and so use economical hardwoods available in the local market. Usually the same as available to the furniture trade. This is one of the ways they keep the price down. Were they to use specific accepted gunstock woods like walnut it would be far more expensive.

If one wants Pedersoli and custom arms quality of finish then expect to pay Pedersoli or custom prices. You pays your money and takes your choice. How else might one expect them to charge less money? Or do folk want to exploit the workers by having their wages reduced?

If one objects to the Indian stocks then dig deeper in your pocket. If you cannot afford to pay more then make do with what you get.

The enthusiastic, but impecunious, might want to have a go at making their own stock to take the Indian metal. At the worst you still would have the original stock to use of it all goes horribly wrong. The Indian stockmaker may be more skilled than you, but he is on piecework so was in a hurry. You have all the time you might need to work carefully and slowly.

Dont agree with teak and rosewood being an impromptu trade name. Teak and Rosewoods are a clear classification of woods based on the density of the graiN. The teak that is often used for Indian made gunstocks is what I would call ship grade wood. Some types of teak are actually very nice and expensive, but don’t expect to find that on an Indian made gun as it would drive up the price.