Use of Mahogany for stock

[Rifleman1776]

Genuine Mahogany, which is what I suggest would have/might have been used on some shotguns is a different species all together. Most genuine mahogany is now protected under various export bans and came almost exclusively from Central/South America (street names include Honduras or South American Mahogany).

It is now "farmed" for export, but it is faster grown in a plantation environment so does not come with the same quality/strength that the natural/old growth stuff would have displayed even 50 years ago.

There is also a "whole whack" (over 100 species) of Philippine Mahogany which sells under the names Meranti and Luan to name a couple. These are not even hardwoods at all, they are tropical cedars - so a softwood.

Wise words to be heeded.
For several years I corresponded with an American in Peru who is in the business of harvesting and exporting exotic woods to the U.S. He told me many of the woods being shipped to the U.S. these days are being illegally harvested and exported. In fact, it is almost impossible to know what kind of wood you are getting when you buy something from an importer. And, some are highly, that is HIGHLY toxic. When one buys "mahogany" these days it could be any one of many different species or sub-species. Reason enough for me to not consider it for a gun stock. However, I have done some woodworking with what I know to be real mahogany and believe it would be suitable for gun stocking.

 

[ZUG]

If I remember correctly, back in the 70's, Remington used mahogany for their Light 20 model 1100s. Possibly Honduras as it was readily available at that time. From a production standpoint I'd be curious about their finishing process that avoided the blush that you can get after sanding.

I have one of those light 20 gauge Remington 1100's and the gun is lighter than a walnut stocked gun but the wood is also very PLANE JANE. I would not waste my time building a gun with mahogany - just my opinion :v .

 

[Gustavo Hoefs]

Hi everyone I picked up two slabs of quarter sawn Cuban mahogany. The wood was cut from a tree that someone wanted out of their yard here in South Florida three years ago it was originally cut for guitar backs. There was a substantial size stack 5 ft high x 4ft wide but only one piece that would for sure cut a full stock for a rifle with a severe butt drop the other will cut a nice full stock but it will be one with a straighter stock with a two maybe 2 1/2" drop. I was able to get slabs where the grain lines up and curves to follow along the thin portion of the grip. http://s410.photobucket.com/user/gustavohoefs/media/IMG_0384_zpshwrsbsmn.jpg.html

 

[dave_person]

Hi,
If it is really Cuban mahogany, then you have a very rare find. That species (Swietenia mahogani) was virtually logged to extinction almost 100 years ago. There is one Isaac Haines rifle that was made with mahogany. It has a specifc gravity similar to black cherry but considerably less hardness, rupture strength, and elasticity. All of those parameters have much lower values compared with hard sugar maple. It might make a decent stock but personally, I would save it for fine furniture. It would be my first choice for making fine pistol cases.

dave

 

[Gustavo Hoefs]

hi Dave, so.... who has this mahogany stocked rifle ? is there a picture of it somewhere ?

 

[Gustavo Hoefs]

I`ll bring my camera with me next trip from OH and get a close up pic of the end grain so you can see it. Wilson has a big pile of this stuff, smaller pieces that wont break your bank.

 

[dave_person]

Hi Goo,
Yes there is. It is in the Joe Kindig collection and is shown on pages 46-47 in the book "Masterpieces of the American Longrifle" by Hornberger and Kindig (III). It is not clear if it is Cuban mahogany but that was the mahogany of choice during the late 18th century and all through the 19th. It was called the "King's wood" and was logged almost to extinction by the early 20th century. I believe existing wild stands are protected under CITES (Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species). I've been told that a plantation of the species was created on Palau in the Pacific during the late 19th century, and those trees are being logged sustainably and currently brought to market. There may be other legal sources as well. CITES only applies to wild, naturally occurring populations. Below is a photo of a case I made for dueling pistols. It is Honduras mahogany but stained to look like Cuban. After it darkened with age it exactly matched the antigue Cuban mahogany furniture in my brother's home, for whom it was a gift.

dave

 

[Col. Batguano]

You missed one of the other traditional species for gun stocks; curly ash. Less common than the others, but still widely used. (Birch is common on today's lower end guns too.) We're not talking about the demands of the modern Remington and Ruger factories here. More like Holland and Holland's super-duper Maharajah grade double rifle production numbers. Since LR production was so low, just about any available wood is suitable for a volume of 15-30 guns a year. Guns were made from just about any wood that was available. I've seen them made from Persimmon, Apple, Hickory

Most woods can be dyed, treated, and stained to look like just about any other kind of wood (within reason). What you can't change with external treatments, is their internal physical characteristics for things like hardness, sheer strength, elasticity, etc.

 

[Gustavo Hoefs]

That is a nice looking box Dave!

 

[Grumpa]

You never cease to amaze. :hatsoff:

 

[dave_person]

Thanks Goo and Grumpa,
I've posted this picture before but this is what is inside the case.

dave

 

[Cowboy]

Very nice indeed! Do you make shooting boxes? (Range Box) Respectfully, cowboys