opinion, please

[George]

I bought a stock blank 25-30 years ago with the idea of having a gun built, but never got around to doing it. I don't guess I ever will, so I'm trying to figure what to do with the blank. First thing is to learn something about the quality of the blank. Not being a builder, I need some help in figuring that out from some of you who are. Please take a look and let me know what you think, good or bad. It is 63" overall, 2 5/8" thick, 8 5/8" from heel to toe. I've tried to show both curl and grain, not easy.

Thanks.

Spence

 

[paulvallandigham]

The thickness does not give you much wood to work with for niceties like Cast off, but I think this would make an outstanding, small caliber rifle, for you. The grain is running right through the wrist area, to give you strength. The Curl will make this lovely when its done. Its going to be a pretty straight stock, without much drop at comb, or at heel, but in a small caliber, like a .32, or .36, It will be a wonderful piece of wood to hang from a barrel. :grin: :v

 

[rabjr]

Thats a sweet piece of wood Spence, looks like hard maple too... :thumbsup:

 

[tallbear]

Spence
If its hard you have a pretty nice piece of maple there.2 5/8 thickness will get most rifles(except a real early one with a bunch of cast off)done.Nice flow through the wrist and pretty nice curl!!

Mitch

 

[wmaser]

That's a fine looking piece of curled maple. I'd be thrilled to start carving away at a piece as pretty as that.

 

[jerrywh]

It's sort of pink looking almost looks like red maple. The grain is perfect. It is plenty thick for a 1/4" cast off in my opinion.

 

[Birddog6]

That is a good looking blank. Kinda hard to guestimate red or sugar but I would guess red maple without picking it up & looking at it closer. It really doesn't matter what it is as long as it is hard. I have used lots of red maple with no issues, I like it as long as I hand pick them to get hard ones.
Also the butt doesn't have allot of depth, if you look at the the blanks is cut with about a ? 1.5" drop at heel, so there is more room than initially appears to make a multitude of styles of rifles.
The blank doesn't look very old, where did you have it stored ?

Keith Lisle

 

[George]

Thanks to all for their input. The blank is sugar maple, it's probably the photography, the lighting, which gives the red color. It doesn't look red to the eyeball.

I have long guns with a range of stock configurations, some with a fair amount of drop at heel, and I can lay all of them down on the blank and have room to cut that stock. The most extreme is an original smooth rifle with drop at heel of 4 1/4" and the blank accommodates that. It also accommodates one with a 46" barrel.

The blank has been kept in my gun room since I bought it. It weighs 12+ pounds.

Spence

 

[jerrywh]

If I wasn't going to retire I would buy that in a minute. It should be worth at least $500
you can get more cast off by kicking the muzzle to the right and the butt to the right with the breach to the left for a right handed gun.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Don't let Jerry and the others fool you. The blank is good only for fire wood, but since you are a nice fellow I'll give you a whole pickup load of fire wood for it! :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[George]

Don't let Jerry and the others fool you. The blank is good only for fire wood, but since you are a nice fellow I'll give you a whole pickup load of fire wood for it! :hmm: :thumbsup:

It's a tempting offer, because I could use the firewood. Bitter cold with snow around here for quite a while, and I heat with wood. I can see my stack shrinking rapidly.

Spence

 

[Paul R]

Didn't your mama ever teach you it's not nice to tease your friends?



That'll make a nice build.

Paul

 

[TARL01]

IMHO, that stock blank is screaming to be made into a beautiful long rifle. I can hear it yelling at me all the way here in New Mexico!
Woody

 

[Bill Hall]

Is that what all that yelling is? Sounds like "Snooooowdragooooon, take me hoooooome!" :grin: Bill

 

[Skychief]

Hubba, hubba! :shocked2: