Maple or walnut?

[JimG]

I've decided that once and for all I'll buy no more production BP rifles/pistols. Tired of correcting manufacturing defects that quality control should of caught. I had looked into having a rifle built for me awhile back and backed off due to cost and the build time. I now think that it is worth it. I doubt that I have the needed skills to actually build my own from a kit, but I'm not ruling that out yet either. I'm also keeping a watch on the classifieds and on TOW. So in the meantime I do have some questions. I had heard some time back that maple is a better stock wood than walnut due to stability and strength. Is this true? Is there any advantage to the higher grades of wood other than cosmetics?

 

[Black Hand]

The maple vs. walnut question is probably best applied to the type of gun you are building. In certain cases only one or the other is appropriate.

Both woods have advantages and disadvantages, but in either case, the above statement applies regardless......

 

[JimG]

Plains rifle, fur trade period.

 

[ssettle]

hardrock maple I believe..Steve

 

[Zonie]

Because both Maple and Walnut were used during the Fur Trade era either is appropriate.
I believe most of the Hawkens were stocked with Walnut.

IMO, the use of curly or burled Maple or Walnut (yes some Walnut has curl) is just a cosmetic thing. On the other hand, for most folks, having a rifle with a beautiful grain pattern in their stocks wood is worth the extra money it takes to buy it.
It's kinda like having a car with a hand rubbed lacquer finish with 15 coats of clear-coat vs. a car with a simple acrylic without any clear-coat paint.
Both will do the job but the difference to anyone viewing it will be obvious.

I have intentionally built several guns with a plain Maple stock and every time I finished the guns I've kicked myself in the *** because I didn't get a better looking wood. Never again.

 

The biggest share of existing Hawken rifles have maple stocks and the biggest share of those maple stocked Hawkens are curly maple. Very few Hawkens in plain maple and even fewer in walnut.

 

[ord sgt]

Depends which style rifle you plan to build. I have used cherry, walnut, plain maple, curly maple. 2 Penna longrifles, 1 yeager, one pistol(in mid build).

 

[Erzulis boat]

I have intentionally built several guns with a plain Maple stock and every time I finished the guns I've kicked myself in the *** because I didn't get a better looking wood. Never again.

I was thinking of going to plain maple next, but after that post............I'm not.

 

[Protrucker]

I have intentionally built several guns with a plain Maple stock and every time I finished the guns I've kicked myself in the *** because I didn't get a better looking wood. Never again.

I was thinking of going to plain maple next, but after that post............I'm not.

I've been planning my next rifle. (an Isaac Haines 1770 Lancaster in .36 with a ''A'' profile 38'' swamped barrel)
I was thinking of using a fancy maple stock, but now I wonder if I should save a little longer & spring for an extra fancy stock.
I don't really like all the carvings on a stock & would much prefer a beautiful grain. :thumbsup:

 

[Allan Gray]

Highly figured woods are also a little harder to shape and carve, due to the irregular grain structure. You have to go at it carefully, with very sharp tools to avoid tear-out.

For the same reason, they can also be weaker in some areas, but that wouldn't worry me.

If I had to choose, and had the resourses, I'd go with a nicer grain and less "fluff" for a civilian weapon. :thumbsup:

 

[Stophel]

I like a mid grade of sugar maple. Like a grade 4 or 5. Enough curl to look good (and generally look fantastic when properly finished), but the curl isn't so strong as to create too many problems when cutting/shaping/scraping.

I like walnut, but I usually have to buy it in person. You have to look hard for good quality walnut...it don't just grow on trees anymore.

Dead plain maple just isn't worth getting...unless you're a wierdo like me and want something to paint stripes on and put red varnish over... For very little more money you can get something with at least a little curl.

 

[Walks Alone]

Highly figured woods are also a little harder to shape and carve, due to the irregular grain structure. You have to go at it carefully, with very sharp tools to avoid tear-out.

For the same reason, they can also be weaker in some areas, but that wouldn't worry me.

If I had to choose, and had the resourses, I'd go with a nicer grain and less "fluff" for a civilian weapon.

I agree, and a little harder to finish in some cases as well. With eye-popping wood, who needs fluff? As a hobbist wood worker and turner of high grade hardwoods for nearly 50 years, I'll add a few observations.

While each chunk of wood has properties unique to itself, of the highly figured grades of wood, curl (fiddleback) is pretty easy to work and is not overly sensitive to cracking or temperature extremes. Burl, crotch and grafts can be, are all a little harder to work and can be temperature sensitive. Burl can also contain inclusions, usually bark if an aerial burl, stones, etc if a root burl that can "suddenly" appear as well and either ruin or add to a project depending on what it is. It's a sickening feeling to hit a stone or metal inclusion with what WAS a very sharp tool I can tell you.

I have three 4A-5A exhibition fiddleback maple stock blanks I had intended to use on muzzle loaders before my health went south. Maybe wrongly so, but it seemed to me that fiddleback was more tradtional on them than other highly figured wood. Either way its hard to beat a 100% fiddleback maple stock on a firearm with a finish that is correctly done. Most rifle blanks have 90% of their figure only in the butt stock with burl, crotch or grafts, and figureless - colorless forends.

BTW, many of my modern rifles and specialty pistols wear exhibition grade woods because I love beautiful wood. Even so, they were still tools I used in the field as much as any of my firearms. What good is pride of ownership if they stay safely hidden in a gun safe? No doubt you tend to take better care of them than Plain Jane sticks of wood, but minor mishaps are easily repaired no matter what the grade of wood is.

Ignoring the PC Cops, I too would not order a custom rifle with plain wood unless it was intended to closely mimic a firearm that was only available with plain wood. Often the wood upgrade cost is tolerable, especially if only to the select and not exhibition grades.

FWIW-YMMV

 

[jbrowngunmaker]

If you happen to choose the plain maple stock. It would be to your benefit to stain it very dark. I have built a good many of plain stocks and always stain them dark, my customers are well pleased with the results. :thumbsup:
Jackie