Walnut stocks

[Many Klatch]

I always understood that the reason Black Walnut was used in US Military gunstocks is that it machined easier. Maple can be difficult to cut quickly on a duplicating lathe but Black Walnut is much easier.

 

[Artificer]

Let’s not forget figure and style. The same pretty figure we look for today’s was amplie on display in old guns. Bob gets a rifle, Joe wants one like his ‘with them pretty stipes’. Not long till Dave wants one too and poof, the preferred wood is curly maple.

Curly Ash is very pretty, but is a terrible choice for gun stock wood. I make this point not to be critical, but rather to put the horse in front of the cart.

By the time of even the beginnings of Riflemaking here in the Colonies, Americans already had over 100 years experience with our native woods and that included how they differed from and/or how they were similar to the gun stock woods of Europe. They did not choose Hard Maple because it was pretty, they chose it because it was the best gun stock wood available in North America for the types of stocks they were making. That is the "horse" part of the horse and cart analogy.

Now, I agree there is no doubt that AFTER Hard Maple was found to be the superior gun stock wood, the "cart" part of the horse and cart analogy was they preferred the Hard Maple with the prettiest figure available and that when the customers could afford the higher cost of the "prettier" striped wood.

We know Riflesmiths made very plain stocked rifles as part of their more common "bread an butter" labor and sold them to more frugal customers and those who could not afford the fancier rifles. Sometimes these were sold directly to stores and trading posts and sometimes to factors, who acted like a modern distributors, and sold these rifles to other “dealers” who stocked them for retail sales and/or the NA trade. ​

Now, AFTER the AWI when there were a lot more gunsmiths here in the US than were needed for the market, then more carving and prettier wood on the rifles was offered (for about a generation) at lower prices, because that’s how the gunsmiths stayed in business, when there was so much competition. That was the “Golden Age” of Riflemaking, but we can’t forget why it happened. It was due much more to competition, than to customer tastes.

We know this because when that generation died out, much, much plainer stocked “common” rifles became the norm, though once again for those who could afford it, they were more than willing to make the higher priced “prettier” and “fancier’ rifles.

Gus

 

[Artificer]

I always understood that the reason Black Walnut was used in US Military gunstocks is that it machined easier. Maple can be difficult to cut quickly on a duplicating lathe but Black Walnut is much easier.

Black Walnut was chosen as the preferred stock wood for the M1795 (and future) U.S. Military Muskets, while they were still being hand made and before Thomas Blanchard invented the barrel duplicating machine in 1818 and a stock duplicating machine a few years later.

Gus

 

[45man]

Laurel Mountain is the best of the best and you can blend them together to get the color you like.
I have gone the nitric acid and Potassium permangenate route, leave it alone. To bring wood to looks will remove carving from rubbing.
Put nitric acid on and heat, then you need to neutralize the acid. BAD for grain rise. The purple poison will turn wood black so you rub more. Fumes will make you dizzy.
NEVER use paint store stains either.

 

[tenngun]

Did a dark walnut stain on my current build from LM. Sanded lightly then used BC reddish walnut over the top. Two full strength costs. The curl popped pretty well. Now it’s all dull as it’s drying. Will put on my first coat of oil tomorrow. Nice dark walnut color with red hues.
It ain’t AF but I’m very happy with the color.

 

[Ridge]

I put together a Kibler Mountain Rifle kit that is stocked with walnut. The gun came out nice, but I also found out that i"m allergic to walnut wood. After a little Google Fu I found out that it's fairly common.

 

[tenngun]

I love the smell of walnut when working it, I would rather finish maple.

 

[Zonie]

I like the smell of walnut too but I think I have a slight allergy to it.
Either that or, it brings out some latent DNA that likes basketball.

Sanding it always makes my nose dribble all over the place.

 

[Oldbear63]

I want to build a Harper's Ferry 1803 rifle (the supposed rifle of the Lewis & Clarke expedition). I prefer maple, but every reference and example of this gun has a walnut stock. While it is tempting to give up on historical accuracy for personal taste it also seems sacrilegious to substitute for an 1803.

I never heard of the Lewis & Clark expedition having serious problems with their walnut stocked rifles. But what would they know?

 

[Grenadier1758]

The use of a Harper's Ferry 1803 rifle by the Corps of Discovery is one of those questions that may never be answered. Production of the 1803 rifle was not authorized until after Lewis left to go to Philadelphia. However that does not explain why Harper's Ferry submitted an invoice for 15 more rifles than were authorized. Lewis had a lot of authority from President Jefferson to outfit the Corps of Discovery. He could have had 15 of these latest designed rifles produced (and 15 more locks), but there is no record of that order. The rifle that is being reproduced, based on the rifle with 1803 features and serial number 15 by the Rifle Shoppe, may or may not be a rifle used by the Corps.

The Corps of Discovery did have some problems with their rifles, but no problems with the stocks that I can remember. The walnut stock is the stock to get.

 

[tenngun]

What about the ‘93,97 US rifle, was it on maple or walnut. I’ve never seen any except in drawings.

 

[tenngun]

Just looked up some prices.... 1631, for a new musket 15 shillings 6, a new walnut (wolnut-tree) stock with iron butt plate 2 shillings 6, beech with iron butt 1 shilling 8.
I’m thinking it’s 12 pennies to the shilling and twenty shilling to the pound. (?) Or visa versa
Same price list had ‘yearly dressing and keeping clean a musket that needs not new russetting with the furniture’ 10 pennies. And new russeting of a musket 4 pennies.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

tenngun, if you are referring to the early U.S. contract rifles, all were made by contractors and most, if not all, were made using maple stocks. As you suggest, they are rare.

 

[Cruzatte]

Just looked up some prices.... 1631, for a new musket 15 shillings 6, a new walnut (wolnut-tree) stock with iron butt plate 2 shillings 6, beech with iron butt 1 shilling 8.
I’m thinking it’s 12 pennies to the shilling and twenty shilling to the pound. (?) Or visa versa

I think you got it right.

 

[Captjoel]

I have stocked several longrifles over the years using black walnut. Never found a need to use stain on any of them. Most important to finishing the stock is filling all of the pores that American black walnut is notorious for. The natural color of this wood is one of the reasons I like using it!

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[WRustyLane]

A very nice looking rifle stock. So there's no stain on it at all? It sure is purdy.

 

[Gene L]

The specific gravity of cherry is .58, of curly maple is .72. Beech beats both for SG.

 

[45man]

Walnut was common in the US and barns and houses were built from it. Maple was scarce. Curly was a charm. Birdseye was not found much. Maple is harder to work then walnut. Beech is strong but has no grain or color. Oak has large pores but is strong. Heavy as all get out so guns were not made from oak. Red Oak will rot fast but white oak is tough. Cherry is a fantastic wood. But walnut is super good wood. Strength and beauty will never be matched.

 

[BruceHH]

I have stocked several longrifles over the years using black walnut. Never found a need to use stain on any of them. Most important to finishing the stock is filling all of the pores that American black walnut is notorious for. The natural color of this wood is one of the reasons I like using it!

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Nice rifle. Good work.

 

[rich pierce]

Maple was never scarce. Maple syrup requires a lot of big sugar maple trees.