Mango Wood For Pistol, Rifle, or Musket Stocks?

[Gorloff]

Hello All. We have been cutting down a few of the Mango trees on our property here in the Philippines that interfere with our house construction project. So far we have been chopping them up for cooking wood, or fence posts for barb wire fence. ( termites do not seem to care for it ). We are planting new Mango trees around our fencing to replace the old barren ones that are coming down. I had not really given it much thought but Mango is a hard wood with a very tight grain, and am wondering if it might be suitable for M/L stocks. I looked at some furniture built with it online. ( Photo's attached. ) Mango finishes out to a light brown with oil or varnish, but seems to take a dark stain quite well. I do not know if the Spanish ever used it for stocks here because there was / is a multitude of other woods available for stocks, however I hate to see the wood go to waste if it can be used. What are your thoughts on this please. Regards, Dave

 

[Cruzatte]

Interesting idea. Might be worth it to experiment.

 

[JeffG]

Looks like a good wood. The question might be how it gets dried.

 

[Gtrubicon]

I think if you got it dried it would make a beautiful gunstock.

 

[Rudyard]

Hello All. We have been cutting down a few of the Mango trees on our property here in the Philippines that interfere with our house construction project. So far we have been chopping them up for cooking wood, or fence posts for barb wire fence. ( termites do not seem to care for it ). We are planting new Mango trees around our fencing to replace the old barren ones that are coming down. I had not really given it much thought but Mango is a hard wood with a very tight grain, and am wondering if it might be suitable for M/L stocks. I looked at some furniture built with it online. ( Photo's attached. ) Mango finishes out to a light brown with oil or varnish, but seems to take a dark stain quite well. I do not know if the Spanish ever used it for stocks here because there was / is a multitude of other woods available for stocks, however I hate to see the wood go to waste if it can be used. What are your thoughts on this please. Regards, Dave

I for one admire your thrift . Most any wood can make a stock. At first I was thinking of Mangrove wood chosen by Aboriginees to make boomerangs .' Mango' why not Ive stocked a lot in Mulberry tree which we always think a small bush as in" Here we go round the Mulberry bush " I once stocked a Cape Dutch style gun in SA Pine & another was of Jarra in West Australia .don't recommend either but they worked . We have to love wood we cant forge it or melt it ,its wonderfully varied and we have to do what the wood lets us do. from cradle to the grave wood is with us .Nice Helmet .
Regards Rudyard

 

[Sam squanch]

I’d dry some out, enough for a pistol, and try a pistol build. If you can do that sort of thing where you are.

 

[Clark Badgett]

If it’s a normal fruit wood type of wood it should work fine for stocks.

 

[CyrusP]

That furniture is beautiful.