gun stock wood?

[AAJIII]

There is always something different that customers ask for.

Does anyone have any idea of the best wood to use for a rifle stock?

Thank You,
Al

[Tom Slick]

Walnut is very popular for rifle stocks.

[crokett]

Maple is another good choice.

[Black wallnut]

Highly figured walnut or maple, walnut being somewhat more desirable. Although many are wanting strictly utilitarian stocks these days either molded composits or lamanated wood, mostly birch in either tan/ black or lightish/ black.

[cabinetman]

Mahogany, ash, oak, and teak would be more choices. I like hardwoods with interesting grains and colors.

[steve-norrell]

Maple and myrtle are also popular.

I once had a stock made with "birds-eye maple" it was hard as a rock and weighed more than I did. Great for benchrest and long range shooting. Lousy for carrying around in the woods or up and down hills.

A lot depends on what the friend is going to use it for and where he will use it. Composite stocks are popular because the don't warp, are not affected by moisture, and are relatively light.

I do a lot of benchrest shooting and really prefer the composite stocks, especially when 'glass'-bedded with pillars under the receiver.

Good luck, Steve

[JimD]

If you want to see some really nice stocks visit a website at richardscustomrifles.com. He makes laminated stocks but many are not the typical plywood type lamination but are, rather, 3 or more pieces of figured wood glued together. If you use a solid piece of wood, it may warp. That is why you want a laminated blank, at least for extreme accuracy situations. Using fewer laminations of prettier wood can make a really nice stock.

Traditional is walnut which has desirable density versus strength. Nearly any hardwood will work but most are either heavier than walnut, not as nice looking, or not hard enough (poplar or basswood). Maple is heavier, for instance. I may try cherry someday, especially if I find a figured piece at a good price.

A cheaper place to get a stock is Boyd are Richards Microfit. A hard way to get a stock is cut it from a solid blank yourself. Stock suppliers use machine controlled routers.

Jim

[ironhat]

Jim, Richards Custom Rifles has sold their stock building operation to http://www.westcustomrifles.com/ . Beautiful work.

[Black wallnut]

Jim, Richards Custom Rifles has sold their stock building operation to http://www.westcustomrifles.com/ . Beautiful work.

Clearly beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Click here for beautiful stockwork plus beautiful custom gun crafting.

[Handy Al]

An elderly gentleman I was doing some work for once, show me a blackpowder rifle that he made with a cherry stock. It was a beatiful piece.

Then, He said the stock came form this and reach into a closet and pull out a slab of cherry about 3" thick about 5' long and 18" wide. I was drooling.

[ironhat]

For those with an eye for the flashy, laminated stocks, http://www.reamerrentals.com/elkridge2.htm